Tanzid Fifty Powers Bangladesh to Defeat Zim to Clinch T20I Series

BULAWAYO: Bangladesh pulled off a thrilling four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the third and final T20I at the Queens Sports Club, clinching the three-match series 2-1. 

Chasing a target of 144 on a sluggish track, the visitors overcame a late-innings stumble to cross the finish line with just two balls to spare, wrapping up a challenging multi-format tour with a hard-fought piece of silverware. Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch expected to slow down as the game progressed. 

The hosts suffered an early setback when opener Tadiwanashe Marumani was dismissed in powerplay. However, a resilient second-wicket partnership between Brian Bennett and Dion Myers injected momentum into the Chevrons' innings. Bennett took the attack to the Bangladeshi pacers, smashing eight boundaries in a quick-fire 47 off 38 deliveries. At the other end, Myers anchored the innings beautifully, crafting a superb 73 runs from 53 balls, accented by seven fours and two towering sixes. 

Despite their stable platform, Zimbabwe failed to launch a late-overs assault. Bangladesh’s bowling unit, spearheaded by Taskin Ahmed’s incredibly restrictive spell of 0 for 16 across his four overs, completely choked the scoring rate. Mohammad Saifuddin picked 2 for 35 as Zimbabwe collapsed from a promising position to finish on 143 for 7. 

Bangladesh’s chase began with a slow start in powerplay. However, opening batsman Tanzid Hasan took center stage, neutralising Zimbabwe’s new-ball threat with a mix of elegant drives and aggressive pulls. Tanzid anchored the pursuit with a commanding 66 off 58 balls. Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy chipped in with matching contributions of 24 runs each. 

Just as the visitors looked to cruise toward an easy victory, Zimbabwe’s spin maestro Sikandar Raza pulled his side back into contention. Raza claimed two crucial wickets for 38 runs, while medium-pacer Brad Evans bowled a brilliant death-overs spell, registering figures of 2 for 26 to trigger a sudden panic in the Bangladeshi camp.

With the match hanging on a knife-edge in the final over, it was Mahedi Hasan who showed nerves of steel. He sliced a boundary on the fourth delivery of the 20th over to secure the victory. 

Tanzid Hasan's sensational match-winning half-century earned him the player of the match honors. He also got player of the match award.