The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : First series win for Bangladesh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005

Sport

Sport - Cricket

First series win for Bangladesh

DHAKA, JAN. 18. Opener Nafis Iqbal hammered his maiden Test century on Tuesday to help Bangladesh draw the second Test match against Zimbabwe and record its first-ever series triumph by 1-0.

Chasing a target of 374 runs, Bangladesh posted 285 for five in the second innings with Iqbal scoring 121 off 354 balls, including 18 boundaries. Rajin Saleh was undefeated on 56 while the other opener, Javed Omar, chipped in with 43.

The host was under pressure after conceding an 87-run first innings lead to Zimbabwe which made 298 in the first innings followed by 286 in the second.

Mixing caution with determination, Iqbal, who will turn 20 on January 31, held the innings despite losing opener Javed Omar for 43, captain Habibul Bashar for two and Mohammad Ashraful for three.

Iqbal was dismissed just after the tea break, lofting a Tinashe Panyangara delivery to Brendan Taylor. Aftab Ahmed continued his poor form and was caught behind off Panyangara leaving Bangladesh under pressure at 206 for five.

But Saleh shared an unbeaten sixth wicket 79-run partnership with Khaled Mashud (28) to bail out Bangladesh. Fast bowler Panyangara claimed three wickets for 28 runs, while spinner Graeme Cremer snared two.

Omar was the first to fall — dismissed by Cremer — after Bangladesh resumed with an overnight score of 98 for no loss. Bashar was dismissed after lunch, caught by Hamilton Masakadza off Tinashe Panyangara. Mohammad Ashraful (3) was brilliantly caught at slip by Dion Ebrahim off Cremer — his second wicket.

At the lunch break Bangladesh had scored 135 runs, losing only opener Omar who was caught at slip by Taylor off Cremer. Iqbal was batting on 77 with captain Bashar who was yet to score. The draw gave Bangladesh its first-ever Test series win.

The host won the first Test by 226 runs last week. It was Bangladesh's first-ever Test triumph since it gained full membership of the International Cricket Council in 2000. — AP

Zimbabwe — 1st innings: 298

Bangladesh — 1st innings: 211

Zimbabwe — 2nd innings: 286

Bangladesh — 2nd innings: J. Omar c Taylor b Cremer 43, N. Iqbal c Taylor b Panyangara 121, H. Bashar c Masakadza b Panyangara 2, Mohd. Ashraful c Ebrahim b Cremer 3, R. Saleh (not out) 56 A. Ahmed c Taibu b Panyangara 5, K. Mashud (not out) 28, Extras: (b-13, lb-6, nb-8) 27. Total: (for five wkts.) 285.

Fall of wickets: 1-133, 2-148, 3-153, 4-196, 5-206.

Zimbabwe bowling: Panyangara 21-10-28-3, Mpofu 22-10-29-0, Hondo 21-7-37-0, Chigumbura 19-7-31-0, Cremer 34-9-61-2, Matsikenyeri 8-0-41-0, Masakadza 10-3-11-0, Taylor 4-0-11-0, Rogers 3-0-17-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport