30 January 2005	Sunday	19 Zilhaj 1425

DHAKA, Jan 29: Manjural Rana and Mohammad Rafique spun Bangladesh to a 58-run victory over Zimbabwe in the day-night fourth one-day international to level the five-match series 2-2 on Saturday.

The left-arm spinners bagged four wickets each as Zimbabwe were skittled out for 189 chasing a target of 248 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Rana bagged 4-36 and Rafique 4-33 as Zimbabwe squandered a 102-run opening stand between Stuart Matsikenyeri (50) and Barney Rogers (49).

Rana, 20, ripped through the top-order while Rafique maintained the pressure as the Zimbabwean innings folded up in 47.2 overs.

Two twin-strikes by Rana, who won his second consecutive man-of-the-match award after returning a career-best 4-34 at Chittagong on Wednesday, broke the back of the visiting side and effectively ended the contest midway into the innings.

Rana bowled Matsikenyeri and then Dion Ebrahim (zero) fell to a fine catch by Khaled Mahmud at short fine-left as the batsman attempted a sweep shot in the same over.

Four overs later, Brendan Taylor (one) and captain Tatenda Taibu (zero) were dismissed in the space of three deliveries as Zimbabwe slipped to 117-5.

Rafique, who missed the first three matches because of an injury, was content playing second fiddle to Rana before finishing with a fistful of wickets himself.

Earlier, opener Nafis Iqbal (56) and former captain Khaled Mashud (51) came up with timely knocks to lift the home side to 247-9 after captain Habibul Bashar elected to bat.

Bangladesh established the basis for a competitive total thanks to Iqbal, who slammed his second half-century of the series and added a useful 71 for the second wicket with Aftab Ahmed (44).

The 20-year-old, who had scored 58 in the second one-dayer at Chittagong earlier this week, struck six fours and a six during his 76-ball innings before he was caught by Matsikenyeri at long-on off spinner Prosper Utseya.

Mashud later took control of the proceedings with a well-paced 62-ball knock, containing a six and two fours.

Mashud, who got to his sixth one-day fifty with a six off spinner Taylor, fell off the next ball as he tried another big shot and was caught by Utseya at long-on.

Taylor also bagged the wickets of all-rounders Rafique (one) and Mahmud (zero) to finish with 3-54.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh:

Rajin Saleh c Hondo b Mpofu 2

Nafis Iqbal c Matsikenyeri b Utseya 56

Aftab Ahmed run out 44

Habibul Bashar st Taibu b Hondo 16

M Ashraful c Matsikenyeri b Mpofu 36

Khaled Mashud c Utseya b Taylor 51

Mashrafe c Matsikenyeri b Panyangara 8

Mohammad Rafique lbw b Taylor 1

Khaled Mahmud b Taylor 0

Manjural Rana not out 15

Nazmul Hossain not out 6

Extras (b1, lb1, w8, nb2) 12

Total (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 247

Fall of wkts: 1-14, 2-85, 3-123, 4-132, 5-196, 6-217, 7-226, 8-226, 9-227

Bowling: Panyangara 8-1-36-1, Mpofu 8-0-39-2, Hondo 7-0-40-1, Rogers 10-0-40-0, Taylor 7-0-54-3, Utseya 10-0-36-1

Zimbabwe

S. Matsikenyeri b Rana 50

B. Rogers lbw b Rafique 49

D. Ebrahim c Mahmud b Rana 0

H. Masakadza b Mortaza 33

B. Taylor c and b Rana 1

T. Taibu lbw b Rana 0

E. Chigumbura b Rafique 7

T. Panyangara lbw b Rafique 5

P. Utseya c and b Rafique 6

D. Hondo run out 17

C. Mpofu not out 2

Extras (lb9, w5, nb5) 19

Total (47.2 overs) 189

Fall of wkts: 1-102, 2-105, 3-114, 4-117, 5-117, 6-133, 7-146, 8-158, 9-169

Bowling: Mortaza 9-0-39-1, Hossain 6-0-28-0, Rana 10-0-36-4, Mahmud 4-0-21-0, Rafique 10-0-33-4, Saleh 8.2-1-23-0

Man-of-the-match: Manjural Rana (BAN)

Toss: Bangladesh

Umpires: Asad Rauf (PAK) and A.F.M. Akhtaruddin (BAN)

TV umpire: Nadir Shah (BAN)

Match-referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Fifth match: Dhaka (Monday).-Agencies