HARARE, 11 March 2004 — Bangladesh ended their five-year wait for victory yesterday when they defeated Zimbabwe by eight runs to register only their second ever One-Day International win against a Test-playing nation.
Bangladesh’s last win came against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup but yesterday’s triumph now gives them the opportunity to wrap up the five-match series after the first two games were rained-off.
The win was also revenge for the tourists after they had lost their last ten matches to Heath Streak’s side.
“This was a great victory for us, especially after so long,” said Bangladesh batsman Habibul Bashar who topscored with 61.
“The tension in the dressing room was almost unbearable. But we managed it.”
Bangladesh reached 238-7 off their 50 overs before they restricted Zimbabwe to 230-9 at the Harare Sports Club.
Their triumph here was based firstly on the recovery powers of Habibul, whose emergence from a mini-slump was most timely, and Rajin Saleh. When the tourists were two down for 20 and scoring at 2.6 an over, Bashar (61) and Saleh (57) consolidated with a third wicket partnership of 114. Later in the innings man-of-the-match Mohammad Ashraful and Khaled Mahmood were able to launch a vicious attack on the Zimbabweans. Ashraful hit 51 not out in just 32 balls while Mahmood was also in aggressive mood with a rapid 22.
These two scored 89 runs in the last 10 overs, taking Bangladesh to a respectable, and eventually a winning, total of 238.
Ashraful was named man-of-the-match.
