17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

DHAKA, Jan 16: 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 on Sunday.

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.

Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore told reporters: "It's heading towards a Zimbabwe victory unless our batsmen can really produce something extra special." 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.

Part-time spinner Mohammad Ashraful removed Chigumbura, caught behind, for no score shortly before the close. "We were under pressure after lunch and Taibu showed what he can do," said Taylor. "We are all inexperienced players but it was a better performance from us today.

"Now we need to make sure we have enough of a lead. Maybe around 380 runs." 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) 298 (T. Taibu 85 not out, 
S. Matsikenyeri 51; Enamul Haque 7-95)



Bangladesh (1st innings) (overnight 169-8):



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



M. Mortaza c Chigumbura b Panyangara          26



Tapash Baisya c Chigumbura b Cremer           13



Enamul Haque not out                          3



Extras (lb7, nb5, 78.4 overs)                 12



Total:                                        211



Fall of wkts: 1-58, 2-71, 3-84, 4-85, 5-103, 6-107, 7-132, 
8-168, 9-203.



Bowling: Panyangara 17-5-37-1, Mpofu 11-3-28-0, Hondo 22-7-59-6, 
Chigumbura 9-1-32-0, Cremer 12.4-1-32-2, Masakadza 7-1-16-1.



Zimbabwe (2nd innings):



S. Matsikenyeri lbw b Mortaza                 14



B. Rogers lbw b Mortaza                       20



D. Ebrahim lbw b Mortaza                      1



H. Masakadza c Saleh b Rafique                1



B. Taylor b Haque                             78



T. Taibu not out                              81



E. Chigumbura c Mashud b Ashraful             0



T. Panyangara not out                         2



Extras (lb2, nb4)                             6



Total (for six wkts, 72 overs)                203



Fall of wkts: 1-30, 2-36, 3-37, 4-37, 5-187, 6-196.



Bowling: Mortaza 16-6-45-3, Baisya 10-2-32-0, Rafique 18-6-47-1, 
Haque 22-4-67-1, Ashraful 6-2-10-1.



Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan) and Gamini Silva (SL)



TV umpire: Mahbubur Rahman (BD)



Match-referee: Roshan Mahanama (SL). -AFP