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