DHAKA, 17 January 2005 — Captain Tatenda Taibu struck an unbeaten 81 to put Zimbabwe in a strong position against Bangladesh on the third day of the second and final Test yesterday.
Zimbabwe, 1-0 down in the series, recovered from a faltering start to reach 203 for six in their second innings by the close, a lead of 290 runs. Taibu, who was left stranded on 85 not out in the first innings, shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 150 with Brendan Taylor (78) as the visitors wrested back the advantage gained by Bangladesh early in the afternoon session.
Zimbabwe, who took a first-innings lead of 87 after dismissing the hosts for 211 earlier in the day, had been reduced to 37 for four shortly after lunch.
Having won just eight times in 76 tests, Zimbabwe are bidding to win their first match since beating Bangladesh by 183 runs in Harare last February.
The home side had resumed on their overnight score of 169 for eight and the tail-enders combined to add 42 more runs before seamer Tinashe Panyangara and spinner Graeme Cremer brought the innings to an end.
Mashrafe Mortaza was caught by Elton Chigumbura at mid-off for 26 as he tried to hit Panyangara to the boundary.
Tapash Baisya then became the final wicket to fall when he was caught by Chigumbura off the bowling of Cremer for 13.
Zimbabwe seamer Douglas Hondo finished with career-best figures of six for 59 while Cremer took two for 32. Medium pacer Mortaza picked up his first wicket in the Zimbabwe second innings when he trapped Stuart Matsikenyeri leg before wicket for 14 with the score on 30. Resuming on 30-1 after lunch, Zimbabwe then lost three wickets for seven runs as Mortaza removed Dion Ebrahim (one) and Barney Rogers (20) and Mohammad Rafique dismissed Hamilton Masakadza (one).
However, Taibu and Taylor steadied the innings for the southern Africans before Taylor was bowled by Enamul Haque junior for a career-best 78, his second Test fifty.
