16 January 2005	Sunday	05 Zilhaj 1425

DHAKA, Jan 15: Zimbabwe's Douglas Hondo took career-best figures of six for 45 as Bangladesh slumped to 169 for eight after day two of the second and final Test on Saturday.

Hondo removed six of the top seven as the home side, 1-0 up in the series and replying to Zimbabwe's first innings of 298, collapsed after a half-century opening stand.

Six wickets fell for 49 before Mohammad Rafique, batting at eight and struggling with a left hamstring problem, limited the damaged with a top score of 56, hitting a six and seven fours.

Hondo's performance all but matched that of Bangladesh spinner Enamul Haque junior, the man of the match in the first Test and who took seven for 95 off 35 overs during Zimbabwe's knock.

Visiting captain Tatenda Taibu, seeking his first Test century, was left stranded on 85 not out from 218 balls as Haque cleaned up the tail with the last three wickets.

Taibu, who also made 92 in the first Test, said: "I think I batted well with the lower order batsmen and the bowlers kept it simple. They bowled to their plans. So it's definitely a best day so far.

"The pitch surface is crumbling. Batting on the last day won't be easy." Hondo added: "At the start when the ball was a bit newer I just tried to keep my line and length. Then when it started reversing, I started to play around with it."

Zimbabwe's openers began well in reply, Javed Omar and Aftab Ahmed putting on 58 before Omar was caught behind off Hondo for 34. Nafis Iqbal (28) was Hondo's second victim, also edging behind, and the fast-medium seamer then trapped Mohammad Ashraful leg before to make it 84 for three at tea.

Bangladesh, who won their first-ever test in Chittagong, were immediately in trouble after the break when Hondo bowled skipper Habibul Bashar for 10, then removed batsman Aftab Ahmed and Khaled Mashud for ducks.

"We expected more better performance from our batsmen," Bashar said. "But I think we can stay in the match." Zimbabwe have just returned from suspension after the International Cricket Council ruled their team was too weak to play Test cricket.

SCOREBOARD



Zimbabwe (1st innings) (overnight 244-6) 



S.Matsikenyeri b Haque jnr                  51 



B.Rogers b Enamul jnr                       29 



D.Ebrahim lbw b Enamul jnr                  12 



H.Masakadza c Aftab b Tapash                43 



B.Taylor lbw b Enamul jnr                   2 



T.Taibu not out                             85 



E.Chigumbura c Ashraful b Tapash            34 



T.Panyangara c Khaled b Mashrafe            21 



G.Cremer b Enamul jnr                       1 



D.Hondo b Enamul jnr                        9 



C.Mpofu c Ashraful b Enamul jnr             0 



Extras (lb-6 b-4 nb-1)                      11 



Total (all out, 118 overs)                  298



Fall of wkts: 1-65 2-96 3-107 4-111 5-171 6-221 7-257 8-262 9-298



Bowling: Tapash Baisya 22-7-67-2, Mashrafe Mortaza 23-5-69-1, 
Mohammad Rafique 38-14-57-0, Enamul Haque jnr 35-9-95-7 (nb-1)



Bangladesh (1st innings)



Javed Omar c Taibu b Hondo                  34 



Nafis Iqbal c Taibu b Hondo                 28 



Habibul Bashar b Hondo                      10 



Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Hondo               5 



Rajin Saleh c Masakadza b Cremer            24 



Aftab Ahmed c Matsikenyeri b Hondo          0 



Khaled Mashud b Hondo                       0 



M. Rafique c Ebrahim b Masakadza            56 



Mashrafe Mortaza not out                    4 



Tapash Baisya not out                       0 



Extras (lb-3 nb-5)                          8 



Total (for eight wkts, 63 overs)            169



To bat: Enamul Haque jnr



Fall of wkts: 1-58 2-71 3-84 4-85 5-103 6-107 7-132 8-168



Bowling: Panyangara 13-5-31-0 (nb-5), Mpofu 11-3-28-0, 
Hondo 17-6-45-6, Chigumbura 5-0-23-0, Cremer 10-1-23-1, 
Masakadza 7-1-16-1. -Reuters