Tigers dash Zimbabwe T20 hope

With the spirit of whitewashing Zimbabwe in the tree-match ODI series, Tigers on Friday thrashed the visitors by four wickets in the first of the two-match Twenty20 series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. In reply to Zimbabwe's reachable 132-run target, Tigers stumbled for a moment, losing top-orders - Anamul Haque, Sabbir Rahman and Mushfiqur Rahim- cheaply for 54 runs. Leading 31 runs from Tamim Iqbal stabled Bangladesh at that time.

After quick fall of top-order, middle order trio- Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah and Liton Das- anchored and helped Bangladesh reach the target with 14 balls to spare in their innings. Nasir Hossain blasted 16 off 12 balls and Mahmudullah was not-out for 21 runs while Liton Das gathered 17 off 22 balls. Invaluable 18-run partnership between Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah led Bangladesh to win from just 15 balls with run-rate 7.20. Earlier, in face of controlled bowling of Bangladeshi bowlers, the visitors were all out for 131 runs in 19.3 overs. Bangladesh bowlers picked Zimbabwe wickets in regular intervals. Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza struck first in his first over in the innings and trapped Zimbabwe’s opener Sikandar Raza into a slower delivery. At his second consecutive over, Mashrafe struck the visitors again, bowling Elton Chigumbura out. At the second over of the match, pacer Al-Amin Hossain took RW Chakabva’s wicket at Zimbabwe’s 8 runs. Later Nasir Hossain joined Mashrafe and Al-Amin as the Bangladesh all-rounder bowled Williams out. Bangladesh wonder boy Mustafizur Rahman took wickets of Waller and Panyangara. Zimbabwean Malcolm Waller then put strong resistance at the middle of their innings as he blasted 68 off 31 balls. However, Waller was well paid off, being man of the match in the T20 match. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field first.