Late-order effort in vain as Bangladesh claim series

Bangladesh 165/5 in 20 overs (Towhid Hridoy 57, Jaker Ali 44; Blessing Muzarabani 3-14, Sikandar Raza 1-38, Faraz Akram 1-44)

Zimbabwe 156/9 in 20 overs (Faraz Akram 34*, Tadiwanashe Marumani 31; Mohammad Saifuddin 42, Rishad Hossain 2-38)

Bangladesh won by nine runs

It was once again left to lower-order to spare Zimbabwe’s blushes as they were they lost t Bangladesh by nine runs in the third T20 international on Friday.

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl, while bringing in the recovered Wellington Masakadza and Faraz Akram for Ainsley Ndlovu and the injured Richard Ngarava.

The Chevrons restricted Bangladesh to 165 for the loss of five wickets.

The total could have been less were it not for some misfields and a strange chance gone begging between Brian Bennett and Johnathan Campbell.

Blessing Muzarabani had the best return with ball, taking three wickets for fourteen runs.

Towhid Hridoy picked up his maiden half century, a 57 off 38, with Jaker Ali scoring 44. Their partnership amassed 87, before they were clean bowled, two balls apart, by Muzarabani’s expert yorkers.

Akram was the most expensive with the ball, conceding 44. 16 of those were in the final over of the Bangladesh innings. 20 were in his first two.

Zimbabwe’s response was slow and they lost Joylord Gumbie for nine.

Bennett, promoted, was out next, mishitting one, caught and bowled by Tanzim Hasan Hasan on seven.

Craig Ervine (7) and captain Sikandar Raza (1) continued with their woeful form.

On the other end Tadiwanashe Marumani put on a dogged fight for his 31 off 26.

Clive Madande departed while heaving one, while Johnathan Campbell was attempting a third of six in a row when he was caught out a deep midwicket.

Luke Jongwe scored seven but on the other end Faraz Akram was having a right old go.

Masakadza and Faraz Akram crafted a 54-run partnership, which is Zimbabwe’s highest for the 9th wicket in T20Is, breaking the record of 31 between Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya against Pakistan in 2015.

When Masakadza departed for 13, Zimbabwe needed 21 off five. Muzarabani cracked two fours, to leave Zimbabwe needing 13 off three.

Mohammad Saifudin limited Zimbabwe to miserly helping of three, as Bangladesh took an unassailable 3-0 lead with two matches to go.

Faraz Akram’s unbeaten 34 is his personal best in all T20 cricket, including domestic competitions.