The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE made a bad start in the three-match One Day International cricket series against Bangladesh when they were humiliated by 155 runs in the first ODI at Harare Sports Club on Friday.
Man-of-the-match Liton Das top scored with 102 runs off 114 balls, with the next best score being Afif Hossain’s 45 as the visitors, who lost the toss and sent in to bat recovered to post what proved a competitive 276/9 in 50 overs.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for a pitiful 121 in 28.5 overs, their highest run contributor being Regis Chakabva with 54 runs.
Pace bowler Luke Jongwe was the pick of the Zimbabwean bowlers with three wickets for 51 while fellow seamers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava had two wickets each.
Zimbabwe’s run chase got off to a terrible start when Tadiwanashe Marumani went for a four-ball duck and his opening partner, Wesley Madhevere departed for nine runs.
Captain Brendan Taylor played some gorgeous shots but did not hang around that long to see the team over the line in his 200th ODI as he departed for 24 runs.
Chakabva top scored for Zimbabwe but his effort was also not good enough for the home team.
Left arm spinner, Shakib Al Hasan bamboozled the Zimbabwean batsmen to finish with five wickets for 30 runs in 9.5 overs.
The two teams clash in the second ODI at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
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