Price Stars With Bat And Ball As Zimbabwe Win

Price Stars With Bat And Ball As Zimbabwe Win

Ray Price (centre) celebrates one of his four wickets with Tatenda Taibu (left) as Roqibul Hassan departs.

©REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Zimbabwe 127-8 (Waller 24, Price 23no) beat
Bangladesh 124 (Price 4-22, Dabengwa 3-15) by two wickets
Scorecard
1st One Day International, Mirpur, Dhaka

Ray Price took four wickets and then hit the winning runs as Zimbabwe took a nervy two-wicket win in the first One Day International against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Bangladesh's batting let them down once again as they were bowled out for 124, spinners Price and Dabengwa sharing seven wickets before Price hit two fours from the first two balls of the final over to seal the win.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Bangladesh were off to yet another awful start, losing openers Tamim Iqbal (13), Zunaed Siddique (3) and captain Mohammad Ashraful (4) inside 18 overs to pace bowlers Hamilton Masakadza, Ed Rainsford and Elton Chigumbura.

The rest of the batsmen fell to the spinners Price and Dabengwa with only Roqibul Hassan (28) and Mushfiqur Rahim (22) showing any resistance.

Shakib Al Hasan threatened a counter-attack but all too briefly, hitting a six before becoming another of Price's victims for 15.

Off-spinner Price returned four for 22 with Dabengwa taking a career-best three for 15.

However, just as he has done all summer, Mashrafe Mortaza steamed in with purpose and skill, and swiftly had Zimbabwe reeling at 23 for three with the wickets of Hamilton Masakadza (2), Tatenda Taibu (14) and Elton Chigumbura (0).

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan also removed Stuart Matsikenyeri (7), Sean Williams (8) and Keith Dabengwa (1) to leave the match in the balance.

Max Waller chipped in with a crucial 24 in 48 balls and when he was dismissed Prosper Utseya made 22 but when he was dismissed, Bangladesh thought they were back in it, but Price's cool head and a useful 10 in 22 balls from Tawanda Mupariwa ensured that it was Zimbabwe who went 1-0 up.

With six needed from the final over, Price took matters into his own hands by hitting Nazmul Hossain for two boundaries from the first two balls.

Mortaza finished with three for 21 and Shakib three for 11.

The second match takes place on January 21st.

© Cricket World 2009