Shakib Al Hasan slammed 104 to help propel Bangladesh to a 49-run win over Zimbabwe and establish a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five one-day international series at the Queen’s Sports Club on Tuesday.
Al Hasan’s efforts helped his country to their highest ODI score of 320-8 in 50 overs with Zimbabwe totaling 271 all out in 46.1 overs.
Tamim Iqbal’s beefy 79 likewise underpinned the tourists before he was run out — with Al Hasan himself suffering a similar fate.
PHOTO: AP
That proved too tough a call for Zimbabwe to match, though half-centuries from Charles Coventry and Sean Williams saw them put up a strong fight.
Coventry found offspinner Naeem Islam to his liking as he slammed two big sixes, but the pressure of keeping that going proved too much for both him and Williams.
Elton Chigumbura also weighed in with a defiant 31, but could not save a result for the hosts — beaten by eight wickets in the first match on Sunday — as he was run out at the death.
Shakib began slowly but then found increasing momentum and took full advantage of the batting powerplay with some spectacular hitting — as well as some less than neat fielding, which saw him dropped twice.
Thereafter he raced on gratefully to bring up his hundred in 63 balls off Ed Rainsford before he was run out as he and Mushfiqur Rahim went for an over-ambitious three.
Mohammad Ashraful, whose weekend ton in Bulawayo helped land the opening ODI, this time could only manage 22 before falling LBW to Chamu Chibhabha.
■SRI LANKA V BLACK CAPS
AFP, COLOMBO
World bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan will reinforce Sri Lanka for next week’s first Test against New Zealand after missing the Pakistan series due to injury.
Muralitharan recovered from the knee injury and was included in a 15-man squad for the first Test at Galle from Tuesday, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a media release.
Prasanna Jayawardene, who also missed the three Tests against Pakistan because of a finger injury, was back in the squad for the first of two Tests against the Black Caps.
The second Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo from Aug. 26.
SRI LANKA’S TEST SQUAD:
Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath.
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