Match report Zimbabwe v Bangladesh 2003/04 4th ODI by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe v Bangladesh

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Zimbabwe, without ever looking convincing, levelled their one-day series against Bangladesh to one victory each, defeating the tourists by 14 runs in another encounter which found the chasing team a little behind and never being able to catch up. Without a superb performance by their captain, Heath Streak, with bat, ball and in the field, they would never have been able to do it.

 

This time on winning the toss Streak decided to bat, a pragmatic decision giving Zimbabwe’s pathetic record chasing targets. His team made three changes, with Andy Blignaut and Mark Vermeulen returning after injury and Gary Brent making an overdue return to the team; those dropped were Stuart Matsikenyeri and Blessing Mahwire, while Douglas Hondo was unfit after injuring his ankle while bowling the final over of the Bangladesh innings in the previous match. Bangladesh brought in Hannan Sarker for Shahriar Hossain, who had a thigh strain.

 

There was an eventful first over, during which Tareq Aziz bowled two wides and a no-ball, Vermeulen lashed a four over backward point, and off the final ball edged a very good delivery moving away off the pitch for Hannan Sarkar at second slip to take a fine catch. His lack of footwork and faulty ‘fishing’ technique let him down and Zimbabwe were 7 for one.

 

It was a battle of nerves, with both teams struggling to cope with the pressure. At the other end Barney Rogers nudged a ball from Tapash Baishya down the leg side, and it only just failed to carry to the diving keeper, Khaled Mashud. Rogers continued to show the tension, hitting several balls uppishly on the off side as he tried to get the score moving.

 

Aziz was struggling even more, bowling 5 wides and 2 no-balls in two overs before being summarily removed from the attack, and with Baishya also erratic Zimbabwe were able to score 30 off the first four overs. Then Mushfiqur Rahman came on, Bangladesh began to play like a team inspired, and Stuart Carlisle (10) was caught at the wicket sparring outside the off stump at Baishya; 31 for two.

 

Zimbabwe continued their feckless progress, which naturally boosted the Bangladeshis’ confidence. Grant Flower (3), trying to steer Aziz through the covers, found first slip instead; 34 for three. Tatenda Taibu came out bristling with aggression, hitting an immediate boundary and reaching double figures before opener Rogers. With 10 to his name, he then proceeded to hook Baishya to long leg, where Aziz took a fine catch, reducing Zimbabwe to 46 for four. Bangladesh were catching superbly, but Zimbabwe were looking an even poorer unit than they had done two days earlier.

 

Things would have been even worse had Rogers succeeded in running himself out, taking it easy running a single and being taken by surprise by a fine throw from Rajin Saleh. Sean Ervine skyed a ball just clear of midwicket, but then the pair settled down and began to repair the damage. However, it was the usual story: just as they had done the hard work, things came unstuck again. Mushfiqur Rahman completely deceived Rogers (26) as he came down the pitch to him and was left stranded to be stumped; 79 for five. He had worked hard to hold the early batting together and it was a disappointment to see him depart with his job still unfinished.

 

Ervine, slow at first, gradually opened up with Streak as a reliable partner. He reached his fifty off 84 balls, only to throw it away the following delivery, when he drove the occasional off-spin of Rajin Saleh straight to extra cover. Zimbabwe were 155 for six in the 38th over, a better position, but again a batsman was out to a soft dismissal with his job unfinished.

 

Yet again Zimbabwe continued their dubious policy of keeping the talents of Blignaut well in reserve, sending in Dion Ebrahim instead. Ebrahim did his best to bustle the score along, but he was not Blignaut. Streak played a steady rather than powerful innings, concentrating on keeping the score moving with singles, until he hit over a full toss from Baishya to be bowled for 45; 202 for seven in the 46th over.

 

Blignaut now came to the wicket with less than five overs to go, but he had hardly started before Ebrahim tried to glide a ball to third man and was caught at the wicket off Aziz, who had returned with greater control. Ebrahim scored a commendable 33 off 35 balls, and Zimbabwe were 212 for eight in the 47th over.

 

Blignaut got away with a couple of mistimed lofted strokes, and then in the last two overs hit out powerfully. He finished with an unbeaten 28 off 17 balls, leaving the Zimbabwe brains trust to wonder how much higher than 242 for eight their total might have been had he come in earlier. Brent ran well for him and finished with 4.

 

Baishya with three for 45 had the best bowling figures, but again Rahman and Rafique were the reliable backbone of the Bangladeshi bowling, conceding 37 and 34 runs respectively off their ten overs. Zimbabwe had done well enough in the end to set Bangladesh quite a testing target, and it would be a test of temperament as much as talent as to whether they would make it.

 

Streak as usual bowled some testing overs at the start of the innings, but Blignaut at the other end could not maintain the pressure and Bangladesh made a sound start. Alok Kapali played an incredible back-foot punch for four past mid-off off Streak, but Zimbabwe missed a vital chance when Ervine at slip dropped Sarkar on 5 off Blignaut.

 

Zimbabwe suffered another blow when Blignaut, whose selection was a risk, limped off after bowling five balls of his fourth over, just after having a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket turned down. The choice of Brent to complete it was incomprehensible, as it meant he would not be able to bowl more than 9.1 overs now.

 

In Streak’s next over Bangladesh lost their first wicket at 27, as Sarkar (14) slashed and was caught near the third-man boundary. Habibul Bashar again looked most uncomfortable at the crease and lasted 12 balls without scoring before being trapped lbw by a straight ball from Streak; 30 for two. The match was in the balance.

 

Streak swung it further Zimbabwe’s way, a quicker ball beating Kapali (17) and trapping him lbw; 40 for three. After 15 overs their total was only 47 and their task looking harder. But with Streak off after seven overs and Brent losing his line at the other end, Zimbabwe had their problems too.

 

Mohammad Ashraful, with a six and a four in an over from Ervine, soon revealed himself as a danger man for Zimbabwe. Brent got himself sorted out again and frustrated Rajin Saleh, who holed out at mid-off for 12; 70 for four in the 19th over.

 

Ashraful and Rahman faced the spinners Flower and Raymond Price, working them for singles but steadily falling behind the required run rate. Finally Ashraful, taking a risk against Price, holed out near the long-on boundary for 31, and Bangladesh were 113 for five in the 32nd over.

 

The required run rate was now seven an over and increasing, but shortly afterwards the weather took a hand, with one of the afternoon showers common at this time of year. Bangladesh were at this point 146 for five, after 37.5 overs, and facing almost certain defeat with eight an over required. It soon passed, play resuming 18 minutes later, but the light was so poor that it seemed only a matter of time before Messrs Duckworth and Lewis were called into action. Certainly Test cricket would not be played in such light, but the teams played out this match.

 

Rahman batted well for 49, but it took 70 balls, which was not what his side needed. He was out cutting Ervine into the gully, the sixth wicket falling at 169 in the 42nd over. Khaled Mahmud (0) had to hit out immediately, but only skyed Brent to mid-on.

 

Mashud and Rafique had a fling as Zimbabwe were handicapped by a wet ball, and brought the required rate down to below eight an over again. Rafique hit 26 off 18 balls; Zimbabwe felt they had him caught at the wicket at that score, but a brilliant run-out by Streak from extra cover in the same over removed him and Bangladesh were 207 for eight in the 46th over.

 

There was more umpiring controversy as there was uncertainty about whether Ebrahim in the gully had pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Baishya off Streak, and the third umpire took an interminable time to declare his indecision, which eventually had to be not out. Later in the over Streak removed his off stump with a yorker, for 2; 211 for nine after 47 overs.

 

The last pair seemed quite unaffected by the atrocious light and gathered runs without much difficulty, leaving 16 needed off the final over bowled by Ervine. Aziz took a single, Mashud decided he now had to take his life in his hands and he lost, driving a catch straight to extra cover to end the match. He made 41 and Bangladesh were dismissed for 228. Aziz belied his number eleven position with an impressive unbeaten 11.

 

Two close results, one each way, should make for a very tense decider on Sunday. On paper, Zimbabwe should have the edge – but they have a dismal record of choking under pressure. We shall see what we shall see.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)