BY Kevin Masasure ZIMBABWE senior men’s cricket team six-match unbeaten run came to a screeching halt in disappointing fashion after they lost to Bangladesh by 7 wickets in the second of three T-20s as the visitors levelled the series at 1-1 at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The win by Bangladesh means there is all to play for in tomorrow’s third and final match.
That the winning run was going to end at some point is something that the fans were at peace with, but it’s the familiar batting collapse that hogged the limelight as Zimbabwe found themselves five down inside seven overs with the score on 31.
Craig Ervine won the toss and did what has worked in the past six games, batting first.
The Chevron’s innings got the worst possible start when Regis Chakabva was dismissed for a golden duck with the first ball of the match. It was a wide ball that was there to be hit but Chakabva didn’t get underneath it and edged it behind to the wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan off the bowling of Mosaddek Hossain.
Mosaddek picked his second wicket in the over when Wessly Madhevere chased a wide delivery but could only manage to parry it into the hands of Mahedi Hasan at cover point.
Mosaddek continued to bamboozle the Zimbabwe top order with his off-spin and in his second over accounted for Ervine for one run as he attempted a reverse sweep but the ball ballooned off his glove and was caught by Liton Das at first slip.
Zimbabwe couldn’t keep Mossadek out of the game as he got some revenge by dismissing Sean Williams for 8. Williams hit him for 18 runs in a single over on Saturday.
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Zimbabwe were crumbling like a deck of cards with only man of the moment Sikandar Raza resisting everything that the Tigers were throwing at him.
But Mosaddek would not be denied his fifth after Milton Shumba tried to break the shackles but was undone by a lengthy ball that he could hit anywhere but was unlucky to find it snapped by a diving Hasan Mahmud.
Zimbabwe were reeling at 31 for 5.
Raza brought some respectability to the Zimbabwe total of 136-3 and gave the bowlers something to bowl at as he scored his second successive half-century of the series, eventually perishing for 62 from 53 balls.
On a good batting track, for the home side to entertain any hopes of defending the small total they needed early wickets but that wasn’t to be.
The Tigers were quick outside the blocks scoring 53 for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay.
Liton Das top scored for the Asians with a handy 56 from 33 balls and there was no way back for Zimbabwe from there.
Afif Hossain and Najmul Shanto saw Bangladesh home for the loss of three wickets and 15 balls to spare.
Zimbabwe will have to put this defeat behind them and try to win the series tomorrow.
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