Riding on the outstanding batting display by Wessley Madhevere, Regis Chakabva and Ryan Burl, Zimbabwe posted 193 for five in 20 overs in the third and final T20I against Bangladesh on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club.
It is now the highest T20 total by Zimbabwe against Bangladesh. Their previous highest was 187 for six in 2016 what was notched up in Khulna.
In Sunday’s game, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bat first.
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Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Madhevere added 63 runs in just 5.6 overs. In the fourth over of the innings, Madhevere struck five fours off Taskin Ahmed. Madhevere took only 13 balls to score his first 30 runs.
Before falling out by Mohammad Saifuddin, Marumani scored 27 off 20 balls. Madhevere was doing some damage at the other end of the wicket.
Regis Chakabva was more destructive than Madhevere. He struck 48 off 22 balls with six sixes. Soumya Sarkar managed a breakthrough for the Tigers removing Chakabva and Sikandar Raza in the same over.
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But that was not enough to wrap Zimbabwe in something less than 150 or 160 runs.
Ryan Burl did the final damage scoring 31 off 15 balls with three fours and two sixes.
It was a nightmarish outing for the Bangladesh bowlers. Saifuddin conceding 50 runs in four overs and bagged only a wicket. Nasum Ahmed, who got a chance in the XI for the first time in this series, conceded 37 runs.
Soumya was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking two wickets conceding 19 runs in three overs.
Bangladesh won the first match of the three-match series, but the hosts made a good comeback in the second. So the third match became the final of the series.