Sports Reporter :The touring Zimbabwe leveled the four-match Twenty20 International series 2-2 with Bangladesh beating the hosts by 18 runs in the fourth and final T20 match at the crowd-packed Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna on Friday.Chasing Zimbabwe’s massive total of 180 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs, Bangladesh were all out for 162 off 19 overs.Bangladesh faced an early debacle losing their five wickets for 53 runs.Then Mahmudullah Riyad and Nurul Hasan fought back contributing together 57 runs for the sixth wicket partnership before Nurul Hasan was caught at the long-off by Elton Chigumbura off Sikandar Raza when Bangladesh’s score was 110 for the loss of six wickets.After dismissal of Nurul Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad could stay at the crease for a short period as he was bowled by Tendai Chisoro when Bangladesh’s total was 134 for the loss of seven wickets.Mahmudullah Riyad hit a superb 54 from 41 balls featuring five fours and two sixes. It was Riyad’s third T20 half century. After departure of Riyad, Bangladesh failed to build any notable partnership.Mashrafe Bin Mortaza tried to resist Zimbabwe’s bowling attack making 22 off 12 balls hitting two huge sixes and one four before he was caught at the long-off by Vusimusi Sibanda off Luke Jongwe when Bangladesh’s score was 139 for the loss of eight wickets.Then Neville Madziva removed Arafat Sunny for 10 runs and dismissed Abu Haidar for 14 runs when Bangladesh’s innings came to an end.Earlier, Madziva plucked opener Soumya Sarkar for 11 runs and picked up Tamim Iqbal for just one run.Madziva was the day’s most successful bowler with four wickets at the cost of 34 runs. Tendai Chisoro and Sikandar Raza gave him a good support in wrecking Bangladesh’s innings bagging three and two wickets for 17 and 31 runs respectively.Earlier, Zimbabwe had a poor start as they lost their opener Vusimusi Sibanda for four runs.Later, opener Hamilton Masakadza and one-down Richmond Mutumbami repaired the damage adding together 80 runs for the second wicket stand before Mutumbami was cleanly bowled out by Abu Haidar when Zimbawe’s score was 84 for the loss of two wickets.Hamilton Masakadza remained unbeaten with 93. He hit five sixes and eight fours in his hurricane 58-ball innings. Hamilton was adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-winning innings and was adjudged the Player of the Series for his consistent batting performance.After removal of Mutumbami, Masakadza and Malcolm Waller put on together 61 runs for the third wicket stand before Waller was bowled out by Taskin Ahmed when Zimbabwe’s total was 145 for the loss of three wickets.Later, Sikandar Raza (2) was stumped out by Nurul Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan when the African’s total was 149 for the loss of four wickets. It was Shakib’s 50th wicket in his T20 career. Shakib Al Hasan was the only Bangladeshi who captured 50 T20 wickets.Waller and Mutumbami added 36 and 32 runs respectively to the Zimbabwe total.Taskin Ahmed, Abu Haidar, Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took one wicket apiece.
