Taylor and Ervine steady Zimbabwe ship after Taskin's early strikes
Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine staged a solid recovery for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten century stand after pace bowler Taskin Ahmed rattled the top order in Abu Dhabi.
Bangladesh made a flying start in their opening match of the UAE ODI Tri-Series against Zimbabwe at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi today. Leading the side in the absence of regular skipper Litton Das due to an injury, stand-in captain Tawhid Hridoy watched his pace attack dismantle the opposition top order.
Pacer Taskin Ahmed ripped through the batting lineup, dismissing the first three batters to reduce Zimbabwe to 24 for 3 in seven overs after they elected to bat first. Taskin struck in the very first over by trapping opener Brian Bennett lbw for a duck, before removing Ben Curran in the fifth over similarly for six runs.
The right-arm quick then accounted for debutant wicketkeeper-batter Tafadzwa Tsiga, who top-edged a pull shot into the safe gloves of wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan Sohan for 16. With Zimbabwe struggling at 28 for 3 in nine overs, Bangladesh appeared firmly in control of the contest.
However, Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine engineered a gritty rescue act for the batting side. The duo weathered the storm and formed an unbroken 101-run partnership for the fourth wicket to frustrate the bowling attack.
Taylor anchored the innings expertly, remaining unbeaten on 60 off 71 deliveries with nine boundaries. At the other end, Ervine provided solid support with an unbeaten 41 off 53 balls, hitting four fours.
The recovery pushed Zimbabwe to 125 for 3 in 26 overs, shifting the momentum back to the middle phase of the innings. Bangladesh deployed three pacers and two spinners in their bid to break the stubborn stand.
This fixture marks Bangladesh's first appearance in a tri-series format since they clinched their maiden title in Ireland back in 2019. The tournament also features Afghanistan alongside Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
With the partnership flourishing past the century mark, the bowling unit will need a quick breakthrough in the upcoming overs to regain the upper hand.