zimcricketnews.com

Zimbabwe came within a whisker of a consolation in the final ODI in Chittagong, but three sixes in three balls by Naeem Islam, off the bowling of Chamu Chibhabha, ensured a win for the home side that was, if we're to be honest, probably deserved.

Batting first after being put in by Bangladesh, Zimbabwe would have repeated their dismal performance of the 4th ODI were it not for the hard work of one Brendan Taylor, who was one of only two batsmen to show some backbone as he put on an impressive 118 not-out from 125 balls. Next best was Elton Chigumbura's 38, and after that it was woeful all the way - no-one else passed 13 as Zimbabwe meekly finished their innings on 221/9. Hardly anything to write home about, but enough at least to give Zimbabwe's bowlers at target they could work with. Three of Bangladesh's bowlers took three wickets apiece, led by Shakib Al Hasan's 3/29.

For most of the Bangaldesh innings, it looked as though that 221 would be enough, too - Zimbabwe were able to take regular wickets and kept the run-rate below the required target for almost the whole innings, and when three wickets fell in quick succession in the 42nd and 43rd overs to leave Bangladesh on 179/8, it looked as though Zimbabwe had the game in the bag. Then came those three sixes, in the 48th over, and suddenly Zimbabwe were staring down the barrel as Bangladesh were left needing just 5 runs from 12 balls to win. It was only a matter of time, and Bangladeshi hero Islam (73*) knocked of the winning run at the end of the 49th over to secure the win. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 221/9 (50 overs; Taylor 118*, Shakib Al Hasan 3/29), Bangladesh 222/9 (49 overs; Naeem Islam 73*, Matsikenyeri 2/25). Bangladesh win by 1 wicket.

Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum)  	
                                                        R  	B  	4s  	6s  	SR  	
H Masakadza* 	c Junaid Siddique b Abdur Razzak 	10 	22 	2 	0 	45.45 	
MA Vermeulen 	c Junaid Siddique b Abdur Razzak 	7 	16 	1 	0 	43.75 	
BRM Taylor† 	not out 	                        118 	125 	7 	4 	94.40 	
E Chigumbura 	c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mahmudullah 	38 	38 	6 	0 	100.00 	
MN Waller 	b Mahmudullah 	                        0 	2 	0 	0 	0.00 	
S Matsikenyeri 	st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mahmudullah 	8 	14 	1 	0 	57.14 	
F Mutizwa 	c & b Shakib Al Hasan 	                5 	16 	0 	0 	31.25 	
CJ Chibhabha 	c Junaid Siddique b Shakib Al Hasan 	0 	2 	0 	0 	0.00 	
AG Cremer 	b Shakib Al Hasan 	                10 	27 	0 	0 	37.03 	
RW Price 	lbw b Abdur Razzak 	                13 	32 	1 	0 	40.62 	
CB Mpofu 	not out 	                        0 	6 	0 	0 	0.00 	
	Extras 	(lb 1, w 11) 	                        12 					
	Total 	(9 wickets; 50 overs) 	                221 	(4.42 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Vermeulen, 5.4 ov), 2-18 (Masakadza, 7.2 ov), 3-80 (Chigumbura, 19.3 ov), 
4-80 (Waller, 19.5 ov), 5-104 (Matsikenyeri, 24.6 ov), 6-113 (Mutizwa, 28.3 ov), 
7-113 (Chibhabha, 28.5 ov), 8-145 (Cremer, 36.4 ov), 9-199 (Price, 47.1 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 		
Nazmul Hossain 	10 	2 	27 	0 	2.70 		
Abdur Razzak 	10 	0 	56 	3 	5.60 	(3w) 	
Shakib Al Hasan 	10 	1 	29 	3 	2.90 		
Enamul Haque jnr 	10 	0 	41 	0 	4.10 		
Mahmudullah 	9 	0 	52 	3 	5.77 	(4w) 	
Naeem Islam 	1 	0 	15 	0 	15.00 		
	

Bangladesh innings (target: 222 runs from 50 overs) 	
                                                        R 	B 	4s 	6s 	SR 	
Tamim Iqbal 	        run out (Mutizwa) 	        2 	5 	0 	0 	40.00 	
Junaid Siddique 	c Waller b Mpofu 	        19 	31 	3 	0 	61.29 	
Mohammad Ashraful 	run out (Matsikenyeri) 	        5 	5 	1 	0 	100.00 	
Raqibul Hasan 	        st †Taylor b Cremer 	        31 	51 	3 	0 	60.78 	
Shakib Al Hasan* 	st †Taylor b Matsikenyeri 	20 	30 	2 	0 	66.66 	
Mushfiqur Rahim† 	c Cremer b Matsikenyeri 	23 	20 	2 	1 	115.00 	
Mahmudullah 	        run out (Chibhabha) 	        33 	53 	1 	1 	62.26 	
Naeem Islam 	        not out 	                73 	90 	4 	4 	81.11 	
Abdur Razzak 	        c Mutizwa b Chibhabha 	        0 	2 	0 	0 	0.00 	
Enamul Haque jnr 	lbw b Chibhabha 	        0 	4 	0 	0 	0.00 	
Nazmul Hossain 	        not out 	                1 	4 	0 	0 	25.00 	
	Extras 	(lb 6, w 8, nb 1) 	                15 					
	Total 	(9 wickets; 49 overs) 	                222 	(4.53 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Mohammad Ashraful, 2.3 ov), 2-42 (Junaid Siddique, 10.6 ov), 
3-75 (Raqibul Hasan, 17.3 ov), 4-102 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 22.2 ov), 5-105 (Shakib Al Hasan, 24.3 ov), 
6-174 (Mahmudullah, 41.4 ov), 7-179 (Abdur Razzak, 42.2 ov), 8-179 (Enamul Haque jnr, 42.6 ov), 
9-187 (Tamim Iqbal, 44.5 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 		
CB Mpofu 	10 	1 	38 	1 	3.80 	(3w) 	
RW Price 	10 	2 	33 	0 	3.30 	(2w) 	
E Chigumbura 	7 	0 	31 	0 	4.42 	(1nb, 1w) 	
CJ Chibhabha 	7 	1 	52 	2 	7.42 		
AG Cremer 	10 	0 	37 	1 	3.70 		
S Matsikenyeri 	5 	0 	25 	2 	5.00 	(2w)