HARARE — A 79-run seventh-wicket partnership between
Ryan Burl and Luke Jongwe proved crucial as
Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 10 runs
on Tuesday to win a Twenty20 international series between the countries for the
first time.
اضافة اعلان
After slumping
to 67–6 off 13 overs in the third and final match, Burl and Jongwe smashed
eight sixes and six fours between them off 31 balls to offer hope to the hosts.
Both Jongwe (54)
and Burl (35) were dismissed during the penultimate over as they looked to
hammer medium-pacer Hasan Mahmud over the ropes.
Zimbabwe
finished their 20 overs on 156–8 and, in a tense finish at Harare Sports Club,
restricted Bangladesh to 146–8 for a 2–1 series triumph.
A 17-run victory
for Zimbabwe last Saturday was followed one day later by a seven-wicket win for
the tourists.
The Zimbabwe
total was achieved despite losing their regular top scorer, Pakistan-born
Sikandar Raza, for a golden duck.
Mahmud and
Mehidy Hasan were the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers, both finishing with
identical figures of 2–28 off four overs.
Always slightly
behind the required run rate, Bangladesh reached 131–6 off 18 overs, leaving
them requiring 26 runs to snatch victory in the match and the series.
Victor Nyauchi,
one of three changes to the Zimbabwe team convincingly beaten on Sunday,
restricted Bangladesh to seven runs in the penultimate over.
Needing 19 off
the final over, Jongwe held his nerve with the ball to secure the win for
Zimbabwe. Afif Hossain finished as Bangladesh’s leading scorer with an unbeaten
39 off 27 deliveries.
Nyauchi took
three wickets and Brad Evans, another change after the second T20 loss, claimed
two for Zimbabwe, who have won seven of eight matches in the shortest format
since the beginning of July.
The change in
fortunes after 3–0 T20 and one-day international whitewashes at home to
Afghanistan coincided with the appointment of former star Dave Houghton as
national coach.
Bangladesh were
without captain and wicketkeeper
Nurul Hasan due to a finger injury, which has
also ruled him out of a three-match ODI series beginning in Harare on Friday.
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