1st Test: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Bulawayo, 19-23 Apr 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh at Bulawayo, 19-23 Apr 2001
John Ward

Bangladesh 2nd innings: Day Four - Lunch,
Live Reports from previous days

ZIMBABWE ON THE VERGE OF VICTORY DESPITE JAVED OMAR'S HEROICS

By lunch on the fourth day, Zimbabwe were on the verge of completing their first victory at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, as Bangladesh, with effectively one wicket left, were still 39 runs behind Zimbabwe in their second innings. Zimbabwe's pacemen did the damage, despite bowling too many loose deliveries, and their only serious obstacle was opener Javed Omar, still unbeaten with 84 and on the verge of carrying his bat on his Test debut.

Play started 25 minutes early due to the early stoppage on the third evening, with Bangladesh 91 for two. Javed Omar, helped again by too many inaccurate deliveries from Zimbabwe's pace bowlers, soon moved from 47 to the second 50 of his Test debut.

Aminul Islam, though, was not content to feed off the diet of leg-side balls coming the batsmen's way and, lashing at a short ball from Streak outside the off stump, he was caught for 11 by Ebrahim running in from third man. Akram Khan scored a laborious eight before flicking Andy Blignaut behind square leg directly at the same fielder who made a very sharp chance look easy. Naimur Rahman (six) soon followed, pushing a return catch to Mluleki Nkala, and Bangladesh were 129 for four, still 71 behind, and with Khaled Mashud not expected to bat with a broken ankle.

The tail was now in, and Mushfiqur Rahman made only two before being caught in the slips off Brighton Watambwa, while Hasibul Hussain (six), determined to do or die, managed both before snicking the third ball he faced to third slip off Heath Streak. Mohammad Sharif (eight) lasted just 12 balls before being out to a sharp catch in the gully by Grant Flower off Blignaut, when perhaps the tail-enders should have made more effort to support Javed, who was approaching a debut century.