Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series

Bangladesh win the first T20I of the 2-match series against Zimbabwe by 4 wickets and register their third victory in four T20I games played versus the African nation.

A straight six from Tigers captain Mashrafe gave his team the winning lead in the T20I series, and he looked forward to carry the momentum in the next match on November 15, Sunday.

Malcolm Waller was adjudged the player of the match for his brilliant knock, as he recorded the fastest T20I fifty for his country today.

Although Graeme Cremer gave the home side a scare with 3 wickets for 29 runs in four overs, handy contributions from the lower-order allowed Bangladesh to reach their target with 14 balls to spare.

Tamim top-scored with 31 from 28 balls, while Mahmudullah was unbeaten on 22 when Mashrafe struck the winning hit.

Partnerships of 39, 25 and 38 were crucial in taking Bangladesh home as Zimbabwe made it difficult for Tigers with wickets at regular intervals.

Liton Das was dismissed for 17 when Bangladesh were 14 runs short of victory in the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe at Mirpur stadium.

Graeme Cremer turned the match on its head with a double-strike in his third over. First he trapped Nasir in front for 16, and two balls later sent back Tamim after the Tigers opener had held the innings together with 31 runs.

Tamim’s 31 came from 28 balls with three boundaries to his name.

Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t last long at the crease, played five balls and skied a short, loopy ball from Cremer. Zimbabwe looked to pulled things back after their opening bowlers got some stick at the hands of Tamim and Sabbir.

Bangladesh lost their second wicket when Sabbir Rahman was dismissed for 18 after an enterprising partnership of 39 runs with Tamim Iqbal.

Sabbir's cameo came from 16 balls with three hits across the fence.

The home team's chase got off to a disastrous start when Anamul Haque was run out in the first over after Tamim took a risky single.

Tamim drilled an overpitched ball from Panyangara to the covers and took off. Sikandar Raza made a tumbling save and threw the ball quickly to the keeper who under-armed it to the stumps.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were restricted to a below-par total of 131 by disciplined Bangladeshi bowling in the first T20I of the 2-match series.

Mashrafe, Al-Amin, Mustafizur and Jubair took two wickets each while Mahmudullah and Nasir also contributed with a wicket in their respective spells.

Malcolm Waller’s record fifty, and his brutal assault on the Bangladesh bowlers enabled him to score 68 runs, the top-scorer for his team today.

Mustafizur took the last wicket to fall for the visitors and his swinging yorker was too good for Panyangara, and the tailender was found plumb in front of the wickets.

AL-Amin Hossain came back in his last spell and dismissed Graeme Cremer with shortish ball angled in wide from the crease.

Mustafizur Rahman picked up his first wicket of the match when he sent back Malcolm Waller who smashed 68 from 31 balls in the first game of the series.

Waller kept the Zimbabwean innings together with a brave knock in face of adversity, and walloped four 4s and six 6s during his stay at the wicket.

Struck for 17 in the first over, Jubair came back with two wickets in his second over and allowed the Tigers to pull back things after the Waller-Ervive stand.

First Jongwe was trapped in front for naught and then Madziva holed out to Nasir at long-off after getting off the mark.

Zimbabwe’s charge late in the innings got stalled by quick wickets from Jubair and Mahmudullah against the run of play.

The visitors fought back with positive batting at Mirpur after the early wobble with Malcolm Waller’s fifty in 20 balls, the fastest fifty by a Zimbabwe batter in T20I cricket.

Zimbabwe found themselves in a rut after Nasir Hossain chipped in with a wicket in his second over.

Sean Williams skipped down the wicket, couldn’t connect with a big swish and saw his leg stump pegged back to the delight of the home team. He scored 15 runs.

Bangladesh bowlers were on the money to begin the innings, and hardly allowed the visiting batsmen width or half-volleys to score off.

Both Mashrafe and Al-Amin kept the batsmen honest with a mix of slower deliveries and a probing length around middle and off.

Mashrafe got the dangerman Elton Chigumbura with a swinging full ball that bowled the Zimbabwe batter for naught hook, line and sinker.

AL-Amin further vindicated Bangladesh skipper’s to bowl first when he saw Regis Chakabva threw his wicket away with an outrageously silly attempt of a ramp shot.

Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim held on to a tough catch as the umpire raised his finger.

Struck for a boundary in the previous ball, Mashrafe came back and dismissed Sikandar Raza with a slower ball in the first over of the match.

Sikandar was caught comfortably at mid-off by Liton Das to the loud applause of the home crowd.

Bangladesh T20I captain Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss, and decided to bowl first in the first T20 match of the 2-game series against Zimbabwe at Mirpur stadium.

Tigers skipper would like to end this fabulous year on a high with victories in the shorter format, after whitewashing Zimbabwe in the 3-match ODI series.

Bangladesh Team:

Tamim, Liton, Anamul, Mahmudullah, Mushfiq, Sabbir, Nasir, Mashrafe, Mustafiz, Al-Amin, Jubair.

Zimbabwe Team:

Raza, Chakabva, Chigumbura,Ervine, Williams, Waller, Chisoro, Panyangara, Madziva, Jongwe.