The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
DAVE Houghton continued with his fine start in his latest stint as Zimbabwe senior men’s cricket team coach when the Chevrons tamed the Tigers of Bangladesh by 17 runs in the first Twenty20 International contest at Harare Sports Club yesterday on a day Sikandar Raza continued to shine in Zimbabwean colours.
Richard Ngarava
Player of the Match Raza was the second highest run scorer for Zimbabwe with 65 runs off 26 deliveries coming in top bat at number six, Wessley Madhevere, who retired hurt had best score of 67 from 46 balls, the home team coasting to 205/3 in 20 overs. It was Zimbabwe’s second highest team total in T20I after the 236/5 they compiled against Singapore at the just ended International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B held in Bulawayo.
Bangladesh could only manage 188/6 in 20 overs to fall short of their victory target. Pace bowler Luke Jongwe picked up two wickets for 34 runs in four overs while there was wicket each for Raza, Wellington Masakadza and Richard Ngarava.
Houghton has now won six T20Is in a row since taking over as Zimbabwe’s head coach from Lalchand Rajput last month. Before Houghton assumed the role of coach, Zimbabwe had lost seven consecutive international matches which started with going down to Namibia in the fifth T20I at Queens Sports Club before they lost three One Day Internationals and same number of T20Is at Harare Sports Club to Afghanistan.
The second T20I is on this afternoon while the final match of the series is scheduled for Tuesday. After that, the three teams meet in three ODIs, on 5, 7 and 10 August, all the matches at Harare Sports Club.
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