Bangladesh complete Chevrons whitewash
Bangladesh 302 beat Zimbabwe 298 behind to loose shots.
Two in-form senior batters gone in a matter of minutes must have worried the Bangladesh dressing room, but Nurul didn’t seem too bothered.
He opened his account, off the hat-trick ball, with a steered four through point, before hammering Jongwe for two fours; a whip across square leg, and chipped over mid-on. Nurul had another brace of boundaries off Tiripano during his nine-ball over, which ended with wicketkeeper Chakabva dropping Mithun.
It didn’t cost Zimbabwe anything as Mithun fell on the same score, 30, by holing out to longoff off Madhevere.
Hossain then completed the job by hitting three fours and a six, two of those taking Bangladesh to the target.
Zimbabwe’s bowling had fallen apart by then, having conceded 27 extras, apart from missing a few run-out chances and Chakabva dropping a chance.
But it was a much-improved batting effort from the home side. Chakabva’s career-best 84 kept the Zimbabwe innings together, as he struck seven fours and a six in his 91-ball knock while being promoted to open.
He added 71 runs for the third wicket with the rookie Dion Myers, but Zimbabwe were in the middle of a mini-collapse when Chakabva got out.
But Raza’s six fours and a six in the next seven overs; sweeping, pulling and driving with class, calmed the home side’s nerves.
Burl, who had nurdled 12 runs off 25 balls until the 45th over, then took over with his burst of boundaries.
He struck 47 runs off his next 18 balls, that started with two fours off Taskin Ahmed in the 45th over, before flat-batting Mustafizur Rahman for his first six.
Next over, he flicked Mohammad Saifuddin for two consecutive sixes on the leg side. When Shakib dropped him at the deep-fine-leg boundary, Burl reached his second ODI fifty, off 38 balls.
Rahman stopped the carnage by removing Raza in the 48th over for 57 off 54 balls, with seven fours and a six, before Saifuddin dismissed Burl, Tiripano and Chatara in the following over.
This 13-ball phase had a big impact on the game ultimately, as a further 15 runs may have given Zimbabwe a psychological advantage. — ESPNcricinfo