Zimbabwe 227 for 9 (Sean Williams 67, Nick Welch 54; Taijul Islam 5-60) vs Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe's strong start in the second Test against Bangladesh fizzled out spectacularly yesterday, as left-arm spinner Taijul Islam tore through the Chevrons' batting line-up to leave them tottering at 227 for 9 at the close of play.
At one point, Zimbabwe seemed poised for a dominant first innings total, sitting comfortably at 200 for 4, with Sean Williams and Nick Welch building a solid foundation. But the home side, led by the outstanding Taijul, who claimed 5 for 60, his 16th Test five-wicket haul, stormed back to take five wickets for just 27 runs, flipping the match on its head.
Williams top-scored with a resilient 67, while Welch showed his growing maturity with a fighting 54 before retiring hurt due to cramping hands shortly after tea. Though Welch later returned to the crease, his second stay was brief, as Taijul bowled him to seal his five-wicket performance.
After Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine won the toss and elected to bat, the Chevrons got off to a confident start under the humid Chattogram skies. Brian Bennett, continuing to impress in his fledgling Test career, struck five boundaries inside the first ten overs. While fortunate with his first scoring shot, Bennett followed it up with elegant strokes through the covers and down the ground.
However, youthful exuberance proved his undoing. Attempting an expansive drive, Bennett edged debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib behind to hand Bangladesh their first breakthrough.
Zimbabwe's fortunes could have nosedived further had Shadman Islam held on to a regulation slip catch off Welch early in his innings. Given a lifeline on just 1, Welch made the most of his reprieve, joining Ben Curran in a brisk counter-attack. Curran launched Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a massive six over midwicket, while Welch pulled Tanzim handsomely into the stands before slog-sweeping Mehidy for another maximum.
The spirited stand was broken when Taijul trapped Curran with an arm-ball that squeezed an inside edge onto his leg stump. Yet, Zimbabwe held firm through the second session, avoiding further damage as Welch dug in and Williams played fluently at the other end.
Williams was the more assertive of the pair, stroking seven fours and a towering six off Mehidy to bring up his half-century. Bangladesh nearly broke the stand with a chaotic mix-up between Williams and Welch, but poor communication and sloppy fielding saw Zimbabwe escape unscathed.
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The stifling conditions eventually caught up with the Zimbabwe batsmen. Both Williams and Welch suffered visible discomfort, requiring medical attention for cramps. Welch retired hurt shortly after the tea break, while Williams battled on gallantly before falling for 67, Tanzim taking a superb catch at backward square leg.
Nayeem Hasan then claimed the key wicket of skipper Ervine, who fell cheaply for 5, and the pressure ratcheted up as runs dried up. Bangladesh conceded just 18 runs in the first 16 overs after tea, squeezing Zimbabwe into errors.
Wessly Madhevere briefly countered with a couple of eye-catching boundaries but was undone by a turning delivery from Taijul.
With the second new ball, Taijul struck twice in one over, removing Wellington Masakadza and Richard Ngarava in quick succession.
A chaotic run-out ended Tafadzwa Tsiga's brief stay, and although Welch bravely returned to continue his innings, he was soon castled by Taijul to end a spirited but ultimately disappointing Zimbabwean effort.
With just one wicket in hand and a modest total on the board, Zimbabwe will need something special from their bowlers to claw their way back into the contest.
The Chattogram pitch is already offering some turn and uneven bounce, which could yet keep the Chevrons' hopes alive if they strike early on Day Two. -- espncricinfo.com/ Sports Reporter.
