Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
50 | 15 Runs 1 Wkt | ZIM: 318/8 (5 runs required, RR: 6.36)

  • Donald Tiripano55 (28b)
  • Carl Mumba0 (0b)
  • Al-Amin Hossain10-0-85-1
  • Shafiul Islam9-0-76-1

9.11pm And breathe... Zimbabwe pulled the chestnuts out of the fire, and put on 110 runs off the last 10 overs, where they needed just five runs more. They came within a couple of hits of pulling off one of the best heists in this format in all time, and that will give them massive confidence ahead of the final match of this ODI series on Friday. Look forward to your company from Sylhet again. From Ranjith P and Liam Brickhill, this is Debayan Sen saying goodbye and good night from this particular match. Catch you then -- that game begins an hour later, 2 pm local time.

Tamim Iqbal is the player of the match. Says: "A lot of the credit goes to the team management, because they always believed in me. I was batting well in the Test matches and in the nets, and I knew something big was coming from me. It was a bit up and down, but on the whole it was a really good battng wicket. Mushy was batting beautifully at the other end. The young ones, the way Liton batted well in the first match. Shanto is looking well. he's going to get a big one pretty soon. We are batting well, and it's good. At one point they had it, and we pulled it back from there."

9.03pm Time for the presentation. Sean Williams speaks: "Coming from the first game, and almost winning this game, we take a lot of positives. The young guys taking us close to winning this game is huge for us. Generally, Raaz (Raza) played a crucial role for us. Wesley is an extremely good find for us. I wish Donald could have gotten us over the line. He's very disappointed right now, but he can hold his head high. We have (had our problems with injuries). I am sure Craig can hear us in the hotel room, but the guys came together, and fought well."

Mashrafe Mortaza: "I think a win is a win, but it was a close win. We held our nerves well in the win. Winning is something we'll take to the next match. (On Tamim) I think he's always been our special (player). Good thing is he's happy after scoring runs. The others batted well around him, and that was good to see. After this match, everybody will ask what about the bowling, but this was a very good wicket, and there was also some dew. It was difficult for the bowlers. When you win a tight game, it gives you a lot of confidence going forward."

Aunim: "Who will be the MOTM? " --- I'd be tempted to split it among four or five Zimbabweans, but I think it should go to Tamim Iqbal for setting this win up with the bat

Moloy : "Remember BD was not full strength.Otherwise the win margin would have been much higher." ---Er, Zimbabwe also missed Craig Ervine and Chris Mpofu, surely? Let's just celebrate this for what it was, an absolutely cracking game of ODI cricket!

Tasmeem: "What a mockery of death bowling. Can't understand the reason behind not bowling out Miraz. Serving up wide half-volleys and half trackers to tail-enders to swing at. SMH."

Pias: "What a fight from ZIm! But what was Umpire Masudur Rahman doing there? Bangladesh very well know how little decisions like this have affected them in the past.Could have been a different story." --- Yes, not a great decision, but one made in the heat of the moment, and one would assume in good faith. Perhaps the rules could be amended to have technology overrule errors that could make a difference in a close game like this?

Muntasir: "I wanted Zimbabwe to fight,not give me heart attack!! Good game"

Desmond Mareya: "Umpire is a disgrace he robbed us the wide ball."

Seth Miller: "WOW, Zimbabwe!! So close. As a BD fan I must admit I'm relieved at the end result, but really feel like ZIM should've won after that ridiculous effort. Also, I'm pretty sure this game would've been totally different if Saif hadn't been rested. In all likelyhood the total would've been higher and the new ball bowling much better. But well played to first Raza then Mutombodzi and Tiripano"

Quazi Faisal: "If Bangladesh were batting and that no-ball incident happened, most of us would have gone crazy here. But errors are part of the game I guess. And hats off to Zimbabwe and Tiripano for an almost perfect chase!"

DanielAlexander: "Ball 49.5 was a clear wide. Zimbabwe robbed "


8.53pm And so, one of the epic ODIs comes to an end in Sylhet. Tiripano throws his head back as soon as he hits the ball, because he knows he hasn't timed it that well. Brave couple of balls from Al-Amin as well, on an evening when he and Shafiul Islam got that chance, but both travelled for a fair few. Zimbabwe have thus lost the ODI series, but they have shown enough improvement to set us up for a cracking final match of the series on Friday!

323 was always an imposing target, but young Kamunhukamwe and Madhevere set things rolling with some positive cricket at the top of the order. Zimbabwe will feel Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams got in, but just couldn't carry their form through on the night. Sikandar Raza with an enterprising fifty in the middle order, and then a sting in the tail from Donald Tiripano and Tinotenda Mutombodzi to bring Zimbabwe within a sparrow's whisper of this target. Sensational stuff in Sylhet!

49.6
1
Al-Amin Hossain to Tiripano, 1 run, length ball, around off, and he smacks this down to long-off. No fairytale ending, but what a fightback from Zimbabwe!

Lots of discussions going on. Tiripano walks away and gives himself a peptalk

49.5
0
Al-Amin Hossain to Tiripano, no run, short, and this is a good response from Al-Amin! This is fast, and perhaps goes over the head of DT. He could have had a wide here, but didn't!

Millat: "Sensing a epic finish. "

Massive conference on, with Mashrafe and Mahmudullah converging to chat with Al-Amin

49.4
6
Al-Amin Hossain to Tiripano, SIX, he's got a hold of this! Al-Amin has missed the yorker again, and Tiripano just leans back and gives it everything. Gets it wide, and way high over long-on. Fifty for Tiripano! And an unlikely victory very much in sight now!

12 runs off three needed. Tiripano two short of fifty

49.3
6
Al-Amin Hossain to Tiripano, SIX, Tiripano clears long-on! Skips down the track, and hammers this over long-on. Just short of the sightscreen. This is fabulous from Zimbabwe
49.2
W
Al-Amin Hossain to Mutombodzi, OUT, straight shot, but doesn't carry beyond long-on! Brave, brave effort from Mutombodzi comes to an end. Was this a slower ball, perhaps? Because he seemed to get a good hold of it, but it just held up a touch, and ended up being a comfortable catch for the man stationed precisely for that shot. A six there, and the match would really have been on with four balls to go!

CT Mutombodzi c Litton Das b Al-Amin Hossain 34 (21b 5x4 0x6) SR: 161.90

49.2
1w
Al-Amin Hossain to Mutombodzi, 1 wide, short, and this might be a wide. Yes it is! Mutombodzi was looking to use his feet, and Al-Amin may have shortened his length in response, but it goes too short
49.1
1
Al-Amin Hossain to Tiripano, 1 run, length, and he has hit this hard, but not too far from long-on. They can only pick a single, as this has travelled quickly

Third man and backward point inside the ring

This is the highest 8th-wicket partnership ever in ODIs in Bangladesh

END OF OVER:
49 | 14 Runs | ZIM: 303/7 (20 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.18, RRR: 20.00)

  • Tinotenda Mutombodzi34 (20b)
  • Donald Tiripano41 (23b)
  • Shafiul Islam9-0-76-1
  • Al-Amin Hossain9-0-70-0

He has done well here, to leave 20 to win off the last six balls! It's the bare minimum that Shafiul would have wanted to leave for Al-Amin, presumably, to defend. And it's also the maximum possible these two would have wanted to hunt down

48.6
2
Shafiul Islam to Mutombodzi, 2 runs, makes room, and smacks this inside out, to the left of long-off

Zimbabwe 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st15RW ChakabvaTS Kamunhukamwe
2nd29BRM TaylorTS Kamunhukamwe
3rd23SC WilliamsTS Kamunhukamwe
4th35TS KamunhukamweW Madhevere
5th81Sikandar RazaW Madhevere
6th30R MutumbamiSikandar Raza
7th12Sikandar RazaCT Mutombodzi
8th80CT MutombodziDT Tiripano
9th13DT TiripanoCT Mumba