HARARE, July 29: Stuart Matsikenyeri struck a career best 89 from 101 balls to take Zimbabwe to victory over Bangladesh in the first One-day International on Saturday.
Zimbabwe struck 248 for eight in reply to Bangladesh's 246 for seven to win by two wickets with five balls to spare.
Matsikenyeri scored a feisty 89 off 101 balls with seven fours and a six. His previous highest score was the 73 he made against England in Bulawayo in 2004-05.
Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura shared a matchwinning stand of 114 after Zimbabwe's top order had failed.
Chigumbura clipped his unbeaten 70 off 68 balls with six fours and a six.
Opener Shahriar Nafees faced 116 balls and hit seven fours and a six in his 78, Bangladesh's top score.
Pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa took four for 61, improving on the career-best figures of three for 19 he took against Bermuda in Trinidad in May.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH:
Javed Omar c Taylor b Mupariwa 8
Shahriar Nafees b Rainsford 78
Aftab Ahmed c Taylor b Mupariwa 0
M. Ashraful c Higgins b Masakadza 25
Habibul Bashar c Chibhabha b Mupariwa 40
Alok Kapali st Taylor b Masakadza 23
Mohammad Rafique b Mupariwa 39
Khaled Mashud not out 14
Mashrafe Mortaza not out 7
EXTRAS (LB-5, W-7) 12
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 246
FALL OF WKTS: 1-15, 2-16, 3-75, 4-146, 5-185, 6-188, 7-238
DID NOT BAT: Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain
BOWLING: Rainsford 10-1-35-1 (3w), Mupariwa 10-1-61-4, Rinke 7-0-36-0, Masakadza 5-0-33-2 (2w), Utseya 10-0-35-0, Higgins 7-0-34-0 (2w), Matsikenyeri 1-0-7-0
ZIMBABWE:
V. Sibanda b Shahadat 22
C.J. Chibhabha c Javed b Mashrafe 1
H. Rinke c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe 10
H. Masakadza c Ashraful b Shahadat 7
B.R.M. Taylor b Rafique 25
S. Matsikenyeri c Mashrafe b Shahadat 89
E.. Chigumbura not out 70
P. Utseya b Mashrafe 8
R.S. Higgins lbw b Mashrafe 0
T. Mupariwa not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-8, NB-3) 15
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 49.1 overs) 248
FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-38, 3-50, 4-50, 5-101, 6-215, 7-242, 8-242
DID NOT BAT: E.C. Rainsford
BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-1-41-4 (3w); Shahadat Hossain 10-3-34-3 (3nb, 3w); Abdur Razzak 10-1-49-0 (2w); Aftab Ahmed 2.1-0-17-0, Mohammad Rafique 10-0-50-1; Alok Kapali 5-0-36-0, Mohammad Ashraful 2-0-17-0.
RESULT: Zimbabwe won by two wickets.
UMPIRES: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe) and I.L. Howell (South Africa).
TV UMPIRE: I.D. Robinson (Zimbabwe).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Stuart Matsikenyeri.—Agencies