22/07Result
1st T20I, Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Jul 22 2021
Bangladesh won by 8 wkts (7b rem)
Player of the Match
Soumya Sarkar
Soumya SarkarBangladesh
22/07Result
1st T20I, Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Jul 22 2021
Bangladesh won by 8 wkts (7b rem)
Player of the Match
Soumya Sarkar
Soumya SarkarBangladesh

And much like the other matches of tour, Bangladesh emerge winners after Zimbabwe seemed to have the upper hand. The hosts must win tomorrow to remain alive in the series, so don't forget to join us for the action in the second T20I. Until then, it's a goodbye and goodnight from our side!

tjrp: "Despite another loss ZIM's future looks a lot better than anticipated a year ago. Mazurabani, Myers and Madhevere promising prospects that showed they can compete at this level"

Here's Mahmudullah, the winning captain: "The situation was like that [to hit from first ball]. We wanted to show intent, and credit goes to our top-order batters. The bowlers also came back nicely after the first ten overs. Last seven or eight games [here] have been won by the chasing team... and we wanted to use our batting depth. The openers used their opportunity well."

Soumya Sarkar is the Player of the Match: "Thanks to God for me having come here. It was a good catch that I took. And when I got the ball, I tried to bowl as the captain wanted. It would have been really good to finish off the game with the bat, though."

Raza, the host captain, will speak first: "We were looking at 170-plus. I think the middle order and the lower-middle order didn't fire. I myself take that responsibility as well. Not batting that last over was criminal. But there were a lot of positives we achieved today. We came out of the powerplay all right [with the ball]... But these are the challenges you take on. Tomorrow hopefully the new ball comes out right."

Time for the post-match presentations.

Tanvir Islam: "Zimbabwe needed only one more bowler who could match Muzarabani's excellence to keep the match on their court."

Sampath pings that with this being Bangladesh's 100th T20I, they have joined Australia and Pakistan to be the only teams to win their 100th match in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

Ankur: "Because Zim doesnt have A team from which they can select replacement. There is dearth of talent in such team! They are a developing team. "

Jezza: "Ngarava was the wrong person to bowl. That over has just cost Zimbabwe the match "

4.04pm And a familiar story unfolds. Bangladesh win by eight wickets with seven balls to go after Zimbabwe were the dominant side for a fair bit of the match. Naim carries hit bat with 63* following a century opening partnership with Soumya, who hit 50 himself. The fact that both Bangladesh wickets were off run-outs pretty much sums up the hosts' bowling - having hardly any threat of picking up a wicket.

18.5
1
Muzarabani to Mohammad Naim, 1 run, opens the bat face, and lifts that over mid-off, with the man inside the circle. Slower delivery on a fullish length on off, and he lofted that over the fielder, who chased it by running back, but that would have hardly mattered

1 to win

18.4
2
Muzarabani to Mohammad Naim, 2 runs, guided to the left of third man, with Muzarabani going on a back of a length outside off, and the batter rides the bounce to dab that close to his body

Naim again tightens his right pad, as Muzarabani waits

18.3
1
Muzarabani to Nurul Hasan, 1 run, slower ball outside off, tapped to point for a quick single. That also brings up the 150 for his side
18.2
6
Muzarabani to Nurul Hasan, SIX, full-toss on off, and clipped to fine leg for the maximum. Perhaps misses out on an attempted yorker, and the batter simply helps that along for a six to the right of the man on the fence. Bangladesh just one hit away now

Over the wicket to Nurul as well. Mid-off and mid-on inside the circle

18.1
1
Muzarabani to Mohammad Naim, 1 run, plays across the line, but gets it to the left of mid-off, with Muzarabani going full on middle and off

Just 11 required from 12 balls. Muzarabani is back, over the wicket

Kapil Baldawa: "Ngarava bowls in PP, goes for a plenty, bowls at death, goes for a plenty. How he keeps getting game after game?"

END OF OVER:
18 | 16 Runs | BAN: 142/2 (11 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.88, RRR: 5.50)

  • Mohammad Naim59 (48b)
  • Nurul Hasan9 (6b)
  • Richard Ngarava4-0-46-0
  • Wellington Masakadza3-0-20-0
17.6
1
Ngarava to Mohammad Naim, 1 run, short of a length and slightly outside off, parried to deep point to complete the over with 16 runs
17.5
2
Ngarava to Mohammad Naim, 2 runs, slower ball on a full length on off, pushed back to the bowler and that's two runs out of nowhere! Ngarava throws to the stumps on his side after seeing the batters take off for a single, but it goes for an overthrow and that's an extra run conceded
17.4
4
Ngarava to Mohammad Naim, FOUR, bisects deep midwicket and long-on. Very full ball on middle and off, and he flicks from deep in his crease to collect a crucial four. Bangladesh getting closer
17.3
1
Ngarava to Nurul Hasan, 1 run, slower ball on a short of a length on off, and he pulls to deep midwicket
17.3
1w
Ngarava to Nurul Hasan, 1 wide, goes for the slog to the on side to this full ball outside leg, but this one is a wide. So the free-hit stands
17.3
1nb
Ngarava to Nurul Hasan, 1 no ball, short of a length on middle and leg, and he's hit on the helmet as he tries to back away and the bowler follows him. Guess what? It's a no-ball, and that will be a free-hit for the batter

Fine leg back, long-off in

Jisan: "well!!!!! the mighty Bangladesh is showing again how to make an easy match a difficult one by not searching for singles every time"

17.2
2
Ngarava to Nurul Hasan, 2 runs, much fuller outside off, and drilled to deep point's right. Good running to complete the second, which puts further pressure on the bowler now
17.1
4
Ngarava to Nurul Hasan, FOUR, hammers a pull to the right of deep square leg. Short of a length ball on off, and he is deep in his crease to pull that away fiercely of the man diving to his right. Brilliant start to the over for Bangladesh

Ngarava around the wicket. 27 to win off 18

END OF OVER:
17 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | BAN: 126/2 (27 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.41, RRR: 9.00)

  • Nurul Hasan2 (2b)
  • Mohammad Naim52 (45b)
  • Wellington Masakadza3-0-20-0
  • Luke Jongwe3-0-28-0
16.6
1
Masakadza to Nurul Hasan, 1 run, steps across to try and slog-sweep this full ball outside off. But he can get that only off the inside half of the bat to short fine leg
16.5
1
Masakadza to Mohammad Naim, 1 run, short of a length on leg and dug into the pitch. Pulled to deep midwicket
16.4
1
Masakadza to Nurul Hasan, 1 run, plays the reverse-scoop first ball to this full delivery on off, and gets a tickle to the left of short third man

Around the wicket

Anyway, here's Nurul

16.3
W
Masakadza to Mohammad Naim, OUT, direct hit at the keeper's end. And Mahmudullah is short of the crease. Yorker on middle and he jams that to short fine leg, from where Muzarabani fires a throw bang at the stumps to find the batter short. Could this wicket just be the opening for Zimbabwe?

Mahmudullah run out 15 (19m 12b 1x4 0x6) SR: 125.00

16.2
0
Masakadza to Mohammad Naim, no run, Naim too tries to the ramp off the full ball outside off, but is beaten
16.1
1
Masakadza to Mahmudullah, 1 run, goes for the lap by stepping across with the ball being a low full-toss on off. Gets it high off the bat, and the keeper intercepts to his right

31 needed off 24 balls

Simba: "Funny how the Zim worm has been higher for most of the game. Just shows how good Chakabva was, and how spectacularly Zim collapsed again."

END OF OVER:
16 | 7 Runs | BAN: 122/1 (31 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 7.62, RRR: 7.75)

  • Mahmudullah14 (11b)
  • Mohammad Naim51 (42b)
  • Luke Jongwe3-0-28-0
  • Wellington Masakadza2-0-16-0
15.6
3
Jongwe to Mahmudullah, 3 runs, yorker length on middle and leg, and he swings his bat hard to get an inside edge to the right of deep square leg. They complete a hurried third run, with Naim having to dive to try and avoid the quick throw
15.5
0
Jongwe to Mahmudullah, no run, beaten by the lack of pace. On a good length and outside off, he can't connect with his pull after backing away

Bangladesh 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st102Soumya SarkarMohammad Naim
2nd21MahmudullahMohammad Naim
3rd30Nurul HasanMohammad Naim