Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe Series

[mhnew]

Aminul Islam boosts Bangladesh in First Test against Zimbabwe
John Ward - 19 April 2001

On a hot sunny day at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Heath Streak of Zimbabwe won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat on a pitch containing an unusual amount of grass for this venue.

However, with Streak himself well below his best form and his three fellow seamers inexperienced, the team wasted their advantage and were undoubtedly relieved to take five wickets in the final session after Bangladesh had reached 194 for four. Bangladesh, for their part, would have settled for a total of 256 for nine at the close.

It was a notable first day in Test cricket, though, for all-rounder Andy Blignaut, who took four wickets with the new ball, effected a brilliant run-out and took a slip catch. A pity there was a crowd of only about 100 to appreciate it. For Bangladesh, Aminul Islam nearly followed up his century in Bangladesh's inaugural Test with another here, being dismissed for 84.

Queens normally provides batsmen with the perfect conditions to practise their trade, but this pitch was obviously intended to assist Zimbabwe's strong pace attack; to what extent remained to be seen. It has been usual for Zimbabwe to play two spinners at this venue, but instead left-armer Raymond Price was made 12th man, giving Zimbabwe four pace bowlers – two of them debutants Blignaut and Brighton Watambwa.

In the event, Javed and Mehrab Hussain, the more aggressive of the two, handled good bowling by Streak and Blignaut competently. The bowlers extracted some pace and movement from the pitch, but it was never as venomous as it can be at Harare Sports Club. It was 50 minutes before Mehrab (16) snicked a fast, high catch to third slip, where Mluleki Nkala parried it for the catch to be completed by Guy Whittall at fourth. Bangladesh were 26 for one and Blignaut had taken his first Test wicket.

He took another in his next over, as Habibul Bashar (0) slashed at a wide ball, only to hammer a catch straight at Brian Murphy at backward point. Watambwa came on to bowl faster than either of his predecessors, but without success. None of the Zimbabwean pace bowlers was able to put the ball in the right spot consistently enough to pressurise the batsmen, and Streak in his later spells was unimpressive and occasionally awful.

After lunch Javed slashed Streak and Blignaut in turn just past the heads of statuesque slips to the boundary before another slash backward of point for four brought him his fifty. Zimbabwe kept an attacking field but too many loose deliveries thwarted their plans. The 84-run partnership came to an end when leg-spinner Murphy came on for the first time and had Javed adjudged caught bat-pad by debutant Dion Ebrahim for 62 with his second ball.

Aminul and Akram Khan appeared to be settling in for another good partnership when a brilliant turn and throw from Blignaut at third man ran out the latter for 21, and Bangladesh were 149 for four just before tea.

Naimur Rahman (22) was another batsman to get a start but fail to build on it, Blignaut taking a catch at second slip to give Watambwa his first Test wicket. Aminul had by now passed his fifty and gave rise to hopes that he might become the first batsman in history to score centuries in both of his country's first two Test matches. However, he showed signs of lapses in concentration and finally fell for 84, driving at Blignaut armed with the second new ball and snicking a catch to the keeper.

Khaled Masud (30) batted positively against the second new ball before finally giving Streak his wicket, edging a catch to the wicket-keeper. Streak followed up by trapping Hasibul Hossain (1) lbw in his next over, and then catching Mushfiqur Rahman (4) off the bowling of Blignaut to end the day.

[kaiser_alam]

Bangladesh face an uphill struggle to avoid defeat despite six for 81 on his Test debut by medium pacer Manjural Islam.

They were 109 runs behind when bad light ended play nine overs early at the Queens Sports Club with Javed Omar maintaining his good form by adding an unbeaten 47 to his 62 in the first innings.

The day started badly for the tourists when wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud fractured an ankle during the morning warm-up.

Mehrab Hossain was behind the stumps when Heath Streak and Grant Flower came out to resume Zimbabwe's innings.

Streak was the more positive of the two batsmen and reached the fifth half century of his Test career off 102 balls with four boundaries.



Islam enjoyed a memorable debut with the ball. He went past his previous Test best of 54 but tamely surrendered his wicket when Islam returned for a new spell as a loose shot was taken in the covers by substitute Mohammad Rafique.

Streak's dismissal for 67 brought Blignaut to the middle for his first Test innings after taking five for 73 earlier in the game.

It was short-lived as he attempted to flick the ball on the leg-side but only succeeded in giving Islam a return catch.

Mluleki Nkala survived the hat-trick delivery but should have been dismissed soon after when he edged Mushfiqur Rahman to slip, only for Akram Khan to spill the chance.

Flower batted for four hours and 21 minutes in total to make 68 but was then caught by youngster Mohammed Sharif of Hasibul Hussain.

There was no respite for Bangladesh as Nkala and Brian Murphy added 56 for the ninth wicket with some enterprising batting.

Nkala hit seven fours in his 47 before being caught behind off Islam and Murphy was last man out for 30 when he was dismissed by off-spinner Naimur Rahman.

Bangladesh made the worst possible start to their reply when Hossain was bowled by Streak for a duck with the third ball of their second innings.

Omar and Habibul Bashar batted fluently in a second wicket stand of 56 in 14 overs.

Bashar struck three fours before falling victim to Brighton Watambwa for 24, with Murphy taking the catch.

It was Zimbabwe's final success of the day as Omar and Aminul Islam hung on for 49 minutes before the umpires called a halt.

[kaiser_alam]

First Test, day four, Bulawayo: Bangladesh 257 & 168-9; Zimbabwe 1st innings 457
Zimbabwe win by an innings and 32 runs
Click here for scorecard
Bangladesh crashed to an innings and 32-run defeat after a collapse on the fourth day..

The Test newcomers, playing just their second Test, slumped to a heavy defeat after resuming on 91 for two.

Zimbabwe claimed their first ever Test win in Bulawayo after Bangladesh's Khaled Mashud could not bat.

The wicket-keeper fractured a bone in his ankle on the third day while warming up prior to play.

Gutsy opener

Victory was assured once Andy Blignaut picked up his eighth wicket of the match to claim Manjural Islam caught and bowled.

Javed Omar, who finished unbeaten on 85, became the first Bangladesh batsman to carry his bat in a Test match, but his was the only form of resistance.

Bangladesh's problems began in the fifth over of the fourth day when Aminul Islam, on 11 and with the score on 105, slashed a ball from fast bowler Heath Streak to Dion Ebrahim at third man.

His dismissal sparked a slide that saw six wickets fall for 55 runs.

Streak triple

Ebrahim took a second catch at short square leg to remove Akram Khan off fast bowler Blignaut.

Five overs later it was 129 for five when seamer Mluleki Nkala held a juggling return catch from Bangladesh captain Naimur Rahman.

Mushfiqur Rahman then edged a drive off fast bowler Brighton Watambwa to Nkala at third slip, who dived forward to take a low catch, and Hasibul Hussain sent his third delivery flying to Grant Flower at fourth slip to make it 149 for seven, giving Streak a third wicket.

Mohammed Sharif lasted five overs before an edged drive off Blignaut was caught by Guy Whittall in the gully.

Bangladesh only have 10 batsmen after wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud fractured an ankle during the warm-up on the third day.

[Star]

it's the mental attitude that's wrong.

same thing happnd in bd's first test.

they can't maintain their discipline through to the 2nd innings - the pressure of the 1st innings deficit got to them.

this omar chap seems good to me on recent form.

and i'm impressed with the bowling actions of the quickies...need a decent spinner though.

and akram khan is too old surely..

[mhnew]

Well as with Zimbabwe and Srilanka the old guys would play a lot in the first few years. After that Inshallah the regular generation of young talent would take over. Need to get good infrastructure in place though.