Match report: Zimbabwe A v Bangladesh A 3rd match day 2 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe A v Bangladesh A

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DateLine: 2nd March 2005

 

Overnight: Zimbabwe A 266/8 off 110 overs (Ervine 68*, Macmillan 6*)
Lunch: Zimbabwe A 269; Bangladesh A 77/2 off 25 overs (Imran 38*, al Hasan 22*)
Tea: Bangladesh A 161/6 off 47.5 overs (Rahim 4*, Ghosh 4*)
Close: Bangladesh A 223/7 off 63 overs (Rahim 19*, Rasel 3*)

 

The situation was interestingly even at the end of the second day’s play at Kwekwe Sports Club. Zimbabwe A, after being bowled out for 269, had taken seven Bangladeshi wickets for 223 runs, with Blessing Mahwire having dismissed four batsmen. It was an intriguing day’s play with the advantage changing several times.

 

Bangladesh A began the day with the second new ball, 30 overs later than they could have taken it, and it took them just 13 balls to finish the innings. Craig Ervine added just a single to his overnight 69, and then lashed at a ball from Shafaq al Zabir outside the off stump, diagonal bat, and edged a catch straight to the keeper; 267 for nine.

 

Last man Hilary Matanga picked up a couple of runs, but with the first ball of the next over Syed Rasel produced a beauty that straightened off the pitch, beating Campbell Macmillan all ends up and hitting the top of his stumps. He made 6, and Zimbabwe A were all out for 269.

 

Left-arm spinner Shakib al Hasan was their most successful and economical bowler, taking three for 49 off 28 overs. Zabir took two for 17 and Sanuar Hossain two for 30, but the tourists must have been most disappointed with themselves for allowing Zimbabwe A to wriggle off the hook.

 

The home bowlers soon struck when Bangladesh A responded – or rather it was Andy Blignaut, who is not expected to bowl in this match but picked up a brilliant low catch to his right at second slip off Blessing Mahwire. The victim was Roqibul Hassan, who had scored 5 of an opening partnership of 11.

 

New man Tushar Imran had a narrow escape when he too was on 5, as he tried to turn a ball from Mahwire to leg, only to get a leading edge; the ball lobbed just over the head of mid-off, who was a little slow to sight it and unable to reach it as he ran back. But in the next over Nafees Ahmed fell, also to a poor shot, badly miscuing a half-hearted drive and giving Matanga at mid-on a simple catch off Macmillan. The tables were turning rapidly as Bangladesh A were 20 for two.

 

Imran and al Hasan dug in, playing with great care for at least half an hour before they felt secure enough to start attacking the bowling. When Dion Ebrahim brought on spinners Keith Dabengwa and Matanga just before lunch, the runs really began to flow, including a six over long-on by Imran off Matanga. After lunch it was Macmillan’s turn to suffer, travelling for 14, including a wide, in his first over after the break. In the next over Imran swept Dabengwa fine for four to bring up his fifty and the team hundred, in the 28th over.

 

Al Hasan also was no slouch, hitting Dabengwa over his head for six a ball before a light shower drove the players from the field. 24 minutes’ play, and therefore six overs, were lost. Afterwards the opening bowlers Mahwire and Macmillan returned and pinned down the batsmen with some accurate, determined bowling, interspersed with the odd no-ball. Macmillan broke the partnership, which had reached 106, with a ball that took the edge of al Hasan’s bat and was caught at the second attempt by Terry Duffin at first slip. He made 47 and Bangladesh A were 126 for three.

 

He was almost immediately followed back to the pavilion by Imran (47), who drove at Mahwire but only hit a curving low catch to Ebrahim, who fell almost on his face in the covers to secure it; 128 for four. In the same over Mahwire produced a superb faster delivery that moved back off the pitch and trapped Hossain plumb lbw without scoring; 129 for five, and once again the match had swung dramatically.

 

Once again it was shutters up for Bangladesh A, as Mahmud Ullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim dug in to stem the flow of wickets. They scratched for 40 minutes, during which time Rahim managed a single, before Riyah opened up, hit Cham Chibhabha for two fours in an over, and then was dropped off an overhead chance in the covers. But Chibhabha got his man in the next over, as Riyad (23) played defensively, misjudged the line and edged a catch to the wicketkeeper, Wisdom Siziba; 156 for six.

 

At this stage Zimbabwe A had just brought on Blignaut to bowl, although he had not been expected to. He immediately showed more pace than anybody else thus far in the match, but was rather erratic. Another, longer, shower interrupted play just before tea and altogether just over an hour’s play was lost, although time could be made up during the extra half-hour if the weather permitted.

 

The batsmen, Rahim and Dhiman Ghosh, proved obdurate and Blignaut, who looked scarcely threatening, decided to bowl around the wicket. It certainly livened things up; he sprayed the ball several times wildly down the leg side, bowled three no-balls, and twice beat the wicketkeeper to record four byes. In addition an overthrow turned a single into a five, so by one means or another 17 runs came off the over. After this Ebrahim sent Blignaut off to the knacker’s yard and recalled Mahwire.

 

After a wide, Mahwire induced Ghosh to flash outside the off stump, but the edge hit first slip Duffin on the shoulder and the chance went down. Rahim also gave a chance off the unlucky Mahwire, a very difficult low one to the gully fielder. But Mahwire ultimately got his man in Ghosh, although it appeared he may have had a little help from the umpire. A quick ball cut in sharply and defeated Ghosh, but looked to be missing leg stump despite umpire Kevan Barbour raising his finger for lbw. He made 33, and after a valuable partnership of 61 Bangladesh A were 217 for seven.

 

The sun was still shining at 6 p.m., after the extra half-hour, but there were long shadows across the field. Rasel stayed with the obdurate Rahim (19 not out) until the close, when the match appeared to be well balanced.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2005 John Ward)