Dhaka, UNB: Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 31 runs in their 3rd match of the four-match T20I series at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium (SANS) on Wednesday. With this win Zimbabwe reduced the series lead 1-2. The fourth and last match of the series will be held at the same venue on January 22. Replying to Zimbabwe’s 187 runs, Bangladesh scored 156 for 6 wickets in 20 overs spurred by 67 runs in 7 overs in the second wicket stand between Sabbir Rahman and Soumya Sarkar. Sabbir Rahman scored the highest 50 off 32 balls involving nine fours and was caught by Taurai Muzarabani off Sikandar Raza bowling leaving team at 92 for 3 in 11.2 overs. Opening bat in the match, Bangladesh faced early jolt losing opener Imrul Kayes in the first-over last delivery at team’s 2 runs. The second pair between Soumya and Sabbir repaired the early damage carrying the team total to a 69 for 2 in 8 overs before Soumya was caught by Hamilton Masakadza off Graeme Cremer bowling. In the seventh wicket stand Nurul Hasan and debutant Muktar Ali paired for an unbeaten 49 runs in 5.1 overs to carry the team total to the final score from 107/6 in 14.5 overs. Number eight batsman Nurul Hasan hit unbeaten 30 off 17 balls with five fours while Muktar Ali added another not out 19 off 15 balls including one four and one six. Soumya Sarkar was out for 25 runs off 21 balls with three fours and one six while debutant Mosaddek Hossain scored 15 off 19 balls with one four before being bowled by Sikandar Raza. Graeme Cremer grabbed three wickets for 18 runs in four overs; Sikandar Raza took two wickets for seven runs in two overs and Tendai Chisoro took one wicket for 15 runs in four overs. Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe piled up the formidable score of 187 for 6 in 20 overs spurred by the fourth pair for runs in 74 in 7 overs, between Malcolm Waller and Sean Williams. The fourth-wicket stand carried the team total to 163 for 4 in 17.5 overs from 89 for 3 in 10.5 overs, before Malcolm Waller was caught by Soumya Sarkar off Shakib Al Hasan. Malcolm Waller topscored with 49 off 23 balls with two fours and four sixes, later he was adjudged man of the match. The visitors started their innings well as the opening stand between skipper Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda contributed 45 runs in 4 overs. Debutant Mohammad Shahid made the first breakthrough in the Zimbabwean batting castle by dismissing skipper Hamilton Masakadza was caught by another debutant Mosaddek Hossain. Vusi Sibanda continued his composure partnering with Richmond Mutumbami to carry the team total to 80/2 in 8.2 overs before R Mutumbami was caught by Sabbir Rahman off Shakib. Same combination of Sabbir-Shakib dismissed Vusi Sibanda soon at 89/3 in 10.5 overs. V Sibanda was out for 44 off 33 balls that included six boundaries and one six. Sean Williams scored 32 off 26 balls with two fours and one six while H Masakadza (20 off 14b; 5×4), R Mutumbami (20 off 14b; 1×4; 1×6) and Peter Moor (not out 10 off 4b; 1×6) were the other double figure scorers for the visitors. World famed all-rounder Shakib captured three wickets for 32 runs in his four-over spell while T20I debutant Abu Hider Rony took two wickets for 40 runs also in four overs. Another T20I debutant Mohammad Shahid took one wicket for 32 runs in three overs. Bangladesh started the series with a winning note. Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets with 8 balls remaining in the first match on January 15 and extended the lead beating the visitors by 42 runs in the second match on January 17, both at SANS.
