DHAKA: Bangladesh now will look to whitewash Zimbabwe as the host won the fourth One Day International (ODI) against the visitors by 21 runs in the five-match Bashundhara Cement ODI series in Chittagong Friday.
In response to the Bangladesh-set 257-run target, the visitors played 50 overs to score 235 runs losing eight wickets at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
BRM Taylor and SF Mire hit fifties scoring 63 and 52 runs while H Masakadza and RW Chakabva contributed 28 and 25 runs respectively.
Tigers altogether struck on the visitors. Shakib Al Hasan, Rubel Hossain, and Jubair Hossain took two wickets each while Mashrafe Mortaza bagged one wicket.
Winning captain Mashrafe said: "There is no dew, that's why we chose to bat. The way Mahmudullah and Mushfiq batted was brilliant, we came back into the game and the bowlers bowled very well after that.”
“That's my job, to get some runs for the team, and I think I did well today. Jubair is our main bowler, it was his first match and we had to back him. He did well," he added.
Mahmudullah was the man of the match. "The wicket wasn't that good, but Mushy and I did well. He came in and attacked and I was playing the anchor role. We can play the situations now, and that's the important thing, and we are gaining some experience as well," he said.
Earlier, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe won the toss and decided to bat first.
At the beginning, the tigers got tattered losing four top order wickets within first 13-over. A 134-run partnership by the middle order batsmen propelling Bangladesh to end the innings with 256 runs losing eight wickets.
Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim made timely come back hitting fifties. Mahmudullah scored 82 not out and Mushfiqur added 77 runs to the scoreboard.
Mashrafe made a dashing contribution scoring 39 runs off 25 balls with four fours and two over boundaries.
Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Imrul Kayes and Shakib Al Hasan came back to pavilion. They scored 16, 5, 5 and 1-run respectively.
Zimbabwe’s N Madziva and SF Mire took three wickets each while T Kamungozi picked up one wicket.
Defeated captain Elton Chigumbura said: "It's always disappointing to lose a game. Taylor and Mire played fantastic, but both went out at the wrong time, just before the powerplay. We had some other positives.”
“The way we bowled at the start, but after four wickets we didn't manage to put more pressure on Mushfiq and Mahmudullah and that's the partnership that took the game away from us. It was a good score to chase down, the way we batted in the middle period, but we lost those two and it's always hard for the guys coming in at six and seven," he added.
Prior to the match began. Both teams observed a minute-silence in memory of recently passed Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, 25.
Bangladesh have already clinched the 5-match series winning first three matches on the trot.
BDST: 2058, NOV 28, 2014
**Tigers set 257-run target
**Mushfiqur’s fifty steadies Bangladesh
** Tigers facing Zimbabwe bowlers
** Bangladesh to bat first
