BCB XI too good for Zim

Struggling Zimbabwe cricket team’s morale  suffered a big blow the before the five-match one-day international series when they lost to Bangladesh Cricket Board XI by 88 runs in a warm-up in Chittagong on Wednesday.Discarded national middle-order batsman Nasir Hossain struck the only half-century as BCB XI post sizable 282 runs in their 50 overs and in reply Zimbabwe were all out for 194 runs.Put into bat first the BCB XI made an unexciting start reaching 118-5 before Nasir and Shuvagata Hom seized the control of the game with their 104-run sixth wicket stand.
Nasir hit 61 off 62 balls with three fours and two sixes while Shuvagata added 40 off 43 balls.

Abul Hassan used the platform to strike four sixes making 33 off 16 balls while Mukter Ali chipped in with 17 off seven balls.Among the other batsmen, Shamsur Rahman made 49 at top of the order.Vusimuzi Sibanda, who played in the first Test in Dhaka but was dropped in the next two Tests, claimed last four BCB XI wickets to finish with 4-44.Neville Madziva and John Nyumbu grabbed two wickets each.The BCB XI were also benefited by 29 extra runs which included 24 from wide balls.The new-look Zimbabwe side that included at least four players, who were not part of their Test squad, had a quiet start as they reached 55-2 in 5.3 overs.Out-of-form skipper Brendan Taylor, who opened the innings, made 28 off 49 balls.
However, Sikandar Raza and newcomer Timycen Maruma put 77 runs for the third wicket to give them some hope.Sabbir Rahman dismissed Raza for 44 before Shafiul Islam removed Maruma, the only half-centurion in Zimbabwe innings with 50 off 79 balls to throw them out of contest.
Abul Hassan took two wickets in two balls to expedite their collapse.Richmond Mutumbami, who batted at number nine, scored 22 off 16 balls but it came too late.Abul, Shafiul, Sabbir and Mohammad Shahid each grabbed two wickets for the BCB XI.The five-match ODI series will begin in Chittagong on Friday.
BCB XI captain Anamul Haque, who is also a member of Bangladesh one-day squad, hoped if they can maintain the performance, they should win the impending series easily.’‘In one-day cricket one or two players can change the momentum,’ Anamul said after the match.‘But we should not be worried. If they can perform as a team, there could be intense competition; otherwise we are ahead of them.’‘They lost three Test matches, so I guess they are mentally down. This could be a turning point and we have to use it,’ said Anamul.

 

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