Bangladesh Prevail On Record-Breaking Day

Bangladesh Prevail On Record-Breaking Day In Bulawayo

Tamim Iqbal's innings turned out to be the match-winner for Bangladesh.

©Action Images / Carl Recine

Bangladesh 313-6 (Tamim Iqbal 154, Price 3-60) beat
Zimbabwe 312-8 (Coventry 194no) by four wickets
Scorecard | Zimbabwean Record Scores | Bangladeshis | All-Time List
Fourth One-Day International, Bulawayo

Zimbabwean Charles Coventry thumped a national record unbeaten 194 but ended up on the losing side as Tamim Iqbal's 154 propelled Bangladesh to a series-clinching four-wicket win in the fourth One-Day International in Bulawayo.

Both players set national records with their career-best scores in a high-scoring game that Bangladesh eventually sealed with 13 balls to spare to go 3-1 up with one match to play.

Taking full advantage of a batting Power Play in the final five overs, Coventry motored past the previous record of 172, set by Craig Wishart against Namibia in 2003, to finish on 194 in 156 balls having hit 16 fours and seven sixes, batting for all but 11 balls of the innings and but for a flurry of wickets at the death, he would have been eyeing up the first double-century in ODI cricket.

Also heavily involved in giving the Bangladesh bowlers and captain Shakib Al Hasan headaches were Stuart Matsikenyeri (37), Hamilton Masakadza (21) and Elton Chigumbura (15) but they were completely overshadowed by Coventry.

He made sure his maiden ODI century was a big one, and not only does he now stand clear on the list of Zimbabwean high scorers, he equalled the score made by Saaed Anwar in Chennai in 1997, although Coventry's feat of remaining unbeaten will put him above the great Pakistani in the archives.

Enamul Haque just about survived to return two for 51 while there was also two wickets for Mahbubul Alam, and one apiece for Syed Rasel, Mohammad Ashraful and Naeem Islam.

Unlike in game three, when Bangladesh suffered a poor start in pursuit of a big total, they were given a flyer by Iqbal and Junaid Siddique, who crashed 38 in 27 balls before he was dismissed by Masakadza.

Despite losing partners Mohammad Ashraful (10), Roqibul Hasan (35) and Shakib Al Hasan (19), Iqbal propped up the run chase, accelerating after a steady start that saw him take 61 balls to make 50, to reach his second career ODI century and when he was fifth to be dismissed, he had hit 154 in 138 balls with eight fours and six sixes and his side were 279 for five in the 45th over.

He became Ray Price's third victim, the spinner finishing with three for 60 and although Bangladesh still had work to do, an unbeaten 21 in 11 balls from Mahmudullah saw them home with a degree of comfort.

© Cricket World 2009

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