Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh, 3rd ODI at Harare, Aug 16 2011 - Match Result

A game that burst into a frenetic flurry of wickets and boundaries in the end. Zimbabwe have their first series win over Test-level opposition in five years. That is all from us, join us for the fourth game from Bulawayo on Friday at 9.30 am local time (1.30 pm Bangladesh time). This is Abhishek Purohit signing off, with a final mention of the spunky Mushfiqur Rahim's valiant effort. Cheers.

Taylor: "I am over the moon, Credit to the work we have put in over the months, to the support staff as well. I thought we had done about enough, the ball doesn't do much in the afternoon, but we had the bowlers, the guys kept their heads together and pulled it off. I just thought I would keep changing my bowlers around. With no Price to contain the bowlers, Jarvis showed a mature head. [We will have] a bit of celebration tonight."

Mushfiqur Rahim is the Man of the Match. He has done some damage to his hamstring apparently and Shakib accepts the award on his behalf.

Shakib: "Not close enough, We bowled well, I think fielding cost us the game, with such fielding it is very hard to win a game, but nothing to take away from Zimbabwe. We knew the wicket would be better in the afternoon, and if we batted well we should win. We knew Rahim had the ability to score big runs, the way he played we can take lots of positives. The young legs are doing well at the moment, the experienced ones are starting to chip in, we are getting it together, but it is too late."

Zimbabwe are doing a lap of the Harare Sports Club, in scenes reminiscent of the win in their comeback Test some days ago

Mushfiqur Rahim battled Zimbabwe and Bangladesh for 100 deliveries, but it was too much for him in the end. Zimbabwe kept coming back with wickets at the other end, Bangladesh kept making it tougher for him with mindless running. He kept finding the boundaries with nerveless regularity, but the final one proved elusive and led to his downfall.

Hugh: "Absolutely devastated for Mushfiqur - that has to go down as one of the finest innings in ODI history - perfectly paced. But for shambolic batting from his partners (although well done to debutant Hom) he would have led them to a famous victory."

Tim: "Mushfiqur should still be MOTM"

Elphas: "The chess game ends,with the closest of margins.Well done Zimbabwe."

Bilal: "Cricket at its finest.It proves whether the giants or minnows of the game play ,it is always great fun to watch a nail bitter."

bandish: "watching a desolate mushfiqur walk past the rejoicing zimbabweans, in heart of my heart, i was expecting a lee-flintoff moment! alas, it never came!"

Harsha: "Self destruction at its worst!! This game could have lifted Bangladesh's spirit to keep fighting...But thoughtlessness prevailed..."

49.2

Mpofu to Mushfiqur, OUT

Rahim cannot do it for Bangladesh, what a tragic end, one scoring shot away from glory, it was pitched up and he went for it, for the big one down the ground, but did not get enough on it, it swirled towards long on who grasped it in near-darkness, the crowd erupts, Zimbabwe have won the series, Mpofu has uprooted a stump and taken off

Mushfiqur Rahim c Sibanda b Mpofu 101 (100b 8x4 1x6 148m) SR: 101

49.1

Mpofu to Mushfiqur, 2 runs

it is too dark at the ground, Rahim somehow slaps this fullish one past extra cover, and gets back for the second, maiden ODI hundred, he aint celebrating yet

Hunbbel: "This game is just ain't finishing!!! Amazing stuff. Cricket at its best!"

Over49

8 runs, 2 wickets

BAN 243/9CRR: 4.95 RRR: 8.00

Mushfiqur Rahim 99 (98b 8x4 1x6)

KM Jarvis2/52 (10)

48.6

Jarvis to Rubel, OUT

Jarvis roars again, this game has turned again, pinpoint yorker on the middle stump, too good delivery to get at any time, much too good in fading light, perfect against No 10, wood is uprooted and the crowd gets behind Jarvis

Rubel Hossain b Jarvis 1 (2b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 50

48.5

Jarvis to Mushfiqur, 1 run

he moves to 99 with a slap towards extra cover, one ball left in the over

48.4

Jarvis to Mushfiqur, SIX runs

Rahim refuses to let it go away, his will is immense, his sight is working well in the dying light, and he whacks Jarvis' length ball way over the deep midwicket buundary

Kamal: "This is ridiculous. I coudn't see the ball even in replays. Reminds me 2007 WC final."

48.3

Jarvis to Rubel, 1 run

that is a classy looking cover drive off a full and widish one, there is a man there, but Rahim will get on strike

48.2

Jarvis to Shafiul, OUT

Jarvis has gone through Shafiul in fading light, Shafiul going for another heave, this time Jarvis was on target, Shafiul missed again, Jarvis found leg stump with a full length and roared, Rahim stood helpless

Shafiul Islam b Jarvis 0 (3b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 0

48.1

•

Jarvis to Shafiul, no run

Rahim is at the non-striker's end, he can only watch as Shafiul has a go at a widish length ball and misses

Robert: "never over until the Fat Lady sings, and she sure is not singing yet."

Over48

6 runs, 1 wicket

BAN 235/7CRR: 4.89 RRR: 8.00

Shafiul Islam 0 (1b)Mushfiqur Rahim 92 (96b 8x4)

CB Mpofu1/41 (9)

47.6

1lb

Mpofu to Shafiul, 1 leg bye

Mpofu hurls in another yorker, bat cannot get down in time, he finds the pad, looked to be going down leg, not given

47.5

Mpofu to Mushfiqur, 1 run

the yorker, he digs it out on the leg side and they scamper through without any issues

47.4

Mpofu to Mushfiqur, FOUR runs

Rahim decides to do it alone, and that seems to be the right way, gets the pull wide enough of deep midwicket, immense composure under pressure

47.3

•

Mpofu to Mushfiqur, no run

Mpofu bowls the slower one in to the batsman, he cannot get it past midwicket, non-striker has to get back in time

47.2

Mpofu to Nasir, OUT

he has found Taylor this time, it is rest of Bangladesh against Rahim, and the former is hanging in there, Nasir tries to smoke another short ball over midwicket, top edge swirls in the air and finds Taylor as it comes down

Nasir Hossain c Taylor b Mpofu 0 (2b 0x4 0x6 2m) SR: 0

47.1

•

Mpofu to Nasir, no run

falls short of short midwicket, he looked to pull a rising shortish ball, it came slowly and he almost hit it straight to Taylor

Fredrick: "Wicket keepers Day."

Karn: "Hitherto, Mushy has played wonderfully. What impresses the most about this innings is how he rotated the strike; and now he's pulling out the boundaries at just the perfect time. Wonderful!"

Qavi: "if this would have been test match then umpires would have called light, its very dark there."

Over47

9 runs, 1 wicket

BAN 229/6CRR: 4.87 RRR: 7.33

Mushfiqur Rahim 87 (93b 7x4)

BV Vitori1/45 (10)

46.6

Vitori to Mahmudullah, OUT

Vitori gets a wicket, bangs it in short with the angle, he goes for the pull from outside off, and finds long on, still Bangladesh's game, but they keep shooting themselves in the foot

Mahmudullah c Masakadza b Vitori 14 (11b 1x4 0x6 27m) SR: 127.27

46.5

•

Vitori to Mahmudullah, no run

there was width this time from a length, but Mahmudullah could not bat on to it as he reached out

46.4

Vitori to Mushfiqur, 1 run

low full toss fired in around off, he eases it past the bowler down the ground

46.3

Vitori to Mushfiqur, FOUR runs

he betters himself, makes room as Vitori gets it very full for once, but Rahim manages to squeeze it in the air between short third man and backward point

46.2

Vitori to Mushfiqur, FOUR runs

Rahim gets another one off the middle of the bat, Zimbabwe keep bowling it around a length, and RAhim keeps tonking them, over midwicket with the angle, just bounces inside the boundary

46.1

•

Vitori to Mushfiqur, no run

bowls it in from wide of the crease, Rahim backs away for the cut, but is beaten by the angle and the pace

Tim: "This is almost Bevanlike from Mushy."

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Best performances - batters

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Mushfiqur Rahim

BAN

101 runs (100)

8 fours1 six