Zimbabwe secured the One-Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh with a game to spare after producing another spirited comeback to register a thrilling 13-run victory at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.
The win handed the Chevrons an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, extending an impressive run of form against the tourists.
Having stunned Bangladesh in the opening ODI by successfully defending a modest total of 141, Zimbabwe once again demonstrated resilience and composure under pressure to snatch victory from a seemingly difficult position.
Opening batsman Ben Curran starred with a superb maiden ODI century, scoring 111 to anchor Zimbabwe’s innings, while Brad Evans provided late fireworks with a rapid half-century that propelled the hosts to a competitive total of 247 for six.
Bangladesh began their chase confidently, with Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy both producing fluent half-centuries to keep the visitors firmly on course for victory.
However, Zimbabwe’s bowling attack staged a dramatic turnaround as the match entered its closing stages.
Fast bowler Richard Ngarava led the fightback with three crucial wickets, while Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans delivered decisive breakthroughs to derail Bangladesh’s chase. From a commanding position, the visitors collapsed spectacularly, losing their last seven wickets for just 65 runs before being bowled out for 234.
The 13-run victory completed another memorable comeback for Zimbabwe and capped a dominant home campaign against Bangladesh.
Earlier in the tour, Zimbabwe had crushed the visitors by an innings and 85 runs in the one-off Test match before carrying that momentum into the ODI series.
Attention now turns to the third and final ODI on Saturday, where the Chevrons will be aiming to complete a clean sweep and crown one of their most successful all-format home series in recent years.
