Taylor heroics in vain as BD level Test series

DHAKA: Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor fought valiantly with his second century of the Test but Bangladesh won the final match by 218 runs to end the series at 1-1 on Thursday.

Needing a mammoth 443 to win, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 224 in the second session on the fifth day in Dhaka with Taylor remaining unbeaten on 106.Taylor’s knock of patience and controlled aggression came from 167 balls and featured ten fours. He had hit 110 in Zimbabwe’s first essay of 304.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan was the wrecker-in-chief on the final day as he returned bowling figures of 5-38.Mehidy denied Zimbabwe any chance of repeating their clinical performance of the first match that they won by 151 runs in Sylhet.

Taijul Islam added two more wickets to his five in the first innings and finished the series with a career-best haul of 18 scalps in two matches. He was named the player of the series.The home side declared the first innings on 522 for seven with Mushfiqur Rahim hitting an unbeaten 219 — the first time a wicketkeeper hit two double tons in Test cricket.

The visitors’ hopes of securing a draw rested on the pairing of Taylor and Peter Moor, whose 139-run sixth wicket stand in the first innings took the visitors past the 300 mark.But once Moor departed after a 79-ball vigil for a paltry 13 runs, smartly caught at short leg by Imrul off Mehidy, the Zimbabwe batting fell flat.

Resuming the fifth and final day at 76 for 2, Zimbabwe lost another key man Sean Williams for 13 after pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman provided Bangladesh with the day’s first breakthrough.

Spinner Taijul dismissed Sikandar Raza for 12 by taking a sharp return catch to reduce Zimbabwe to 120 for 4.But Taylor and Moor saw their side through to the lunch break with an unbeaten 41-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Despite the defeat, captain Hamilton Masakdza praised his team,“We knew Bangladesh would come hard at us...but I thought the boys showed character,” he said.

Bangladesh won toss

Bangladesh 1st Innings 522-7 dec (Mushfiqur 219 not out; K Jarvis 5-71)

Zimbabwe 1st Innings 304 (B Taylor 110; Taijul 5-107)

Bangladesh 2nd Innings 224-6 dec (Mahmudullah 101 not out)

Zimbabwe 2nd Innings

*H Masakadza c Mominul b Mehidy 25

B Chari lbw Taijul 43

B Taylor not out 106

S Williams b Mustafizur 13

S Raza c and b Taijul 12

P Moor c Imrul b Mehidy 13

†R Chakabva run out 2

D Tiripano c Liton b Mehidy 0

B Mavuta c Taijul b Mehidy 0

K Jarvis c Khaled b Mehidy 1

T Chatara absent hurt

Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 5) 9

Total (all out, 83.1 overs) 224

Fall: 1-68, 2-70, 3-99, 4-120, 5-186, 6-199, 7-201, 8-213, 9-224, 10-224

Bowling: Mustafizur 10-2-19-1, Taijul 37-5-93-2, Khaled 12-4-45-0, Mehidy 18.1-5-38-5, Ariful 3-1-7-0, Mahmudullah 1-0-1-0, Mominul 2-0-17-0

Result: Bangladesh won by 218 runs

Man of the Match: Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh)

Man of the Series: Taijul Islam (Bangladesh)

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (England) and Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: Rod Tucker (Australia). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)