Tamim 158 helps Bangladesh clinch series with win over Zimbabwe in thriller

Opener Tamim Iqbal’s career-best 158 has propelled Bangladesh to a 2-0 ODI series win with a narrow victory over Zimbabwe in a last-over thriller in Sylhet.

The tourists were 4 runs shy of Bangladesh’s total of 322 with two wickets in hand when Donald Tiripano scored only a single in the last ball off Al-Amin Hossain in the second match at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Tiripano finally smashed 55 off 28 to worry the hosts and the fans at the stadium as the match hung in balance until the end.

Al-Amin’s fifth delivery of the last over went over Tiripano’s head but the umpire ruled it right, warning the bowler about the quota and leaving Zimbabwe needing a six in the last ball.

A nervy Tiripano, however, managed to drive the ball straight to the fielder at long-off for only one run.

After opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe (51 off 70) steadied the innings with small partnerships, Wesley Madhevere and Sikandar Raza raised the hopes of a victory for the visitors with an 81-run stand.

All hopes appeared lost for Zimbabwe after Madhevere and Raza were out for 52 and 66 runs respectively off 57 balls each.

But Tiripano took his side on the brink of what could be a sensational victory with an 80-run partnership with Tinotenda Mutombodzi (34 off 21).

Tiripano smashed five sixes and two boundaries. Al-Amin conceded three of Tiripano’s over-boundaries, including two in the final over, and Shafiul Islam the two others in the 47th over.

The bowlers were included in the Playing XI in places of Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin, whose all-round performance along with a swashbuckling century from opener Liton Das had fired Bangladesh to victory in the first match.

Liton was run out on Tuesday in the seventh over when Tamim drove Carl Mumba down the pitch and Mumba deflected it onto the stumps at the bowler's end.  Najmul Hossain Shanto was also run out in the 11th over following a mix-up with Tamim.

But fending off criticisms over poor performance for a long time, Tamim continued with Mushfiqur Rahim (55 off 50) and Mahmudullah (41 off 57) as partners to the record highest ODI innings for any Bangladeshi batsman.

His previous best was 154. No other Bangladeshi batsman has 150-run innings in ODI.

The opener also crossed the milestone of 7,000 total ODI runs in another first for Bangladesh in his 136-ball innings.

After he was out in the 46th over, Bangladesh had five wickets in hand and looked set to take the total near 350 but only Mohammad Mithun could make the most of the powerplay smashing 32 off 18.

Bangladesh finally posted 322, their highest against Zimbabwe breaking the record highest of 321 set in the previous match, which the hosts won by 169 runs, the highest margin of win in runs for the Tigers.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 322 for 8 in 50 overs (Tamim Iqbal 158, Mushfiqur Rahim 55; Donald Tiripano 2-55) beat Zimbabwe 318 for 8 in 50 overs (Sikandar Raza 66, Donald Tiripano 55*; Taijul Islam 3-52) by 4 runs.