Mehedi lifts under-19s

All all-round performance from skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz helped Bangladesh under-19s scalp a five-wicket win over their Zimbabwean counterparts at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday. Batting first, the visitors were bundled out for 145 on a slow and low track, where the batters found it difficult to negotiate spinners.

Miraz bowled a tidy spell that included four maidens and finished with figures of 1 for 25. Saleh Ahmed Shawon and Ariful Islam were the other bowlers who excelled, scalping three wickets each. For the visitors, opener Jeremy Ives top-scored with 41.

The hosts were in trouble soon after the exchange as they lost three wickets with just seven runs on the board. Off-break bowler William Mashinge ran through hosts top-order and left them clueless. It was only after the arrival of Mehedi that a partnership began to ensue. The skipper shared a 101-run stand with opener Saif Hassan to take the hosts to safety.

Mehedi scored 65 while Saif posted 51. However, Mashinge got rid of both the batsmen towards the end and finished with deserving figures of 5 for 27 in six overs.