Associated Press

Chittagong, January 24:

Captain Tatenda Taibu and opener Barney Rogers smashed fifties to help Zimbabwe recover from a shaky start, post a challenging 237 and beat Bangladesh by 31 runs in the second limited-overs match.

In reply to Zimbabwe’s 237-5, Bangladesh got off to slow start, losing two wickets for 40 before opener Nafis Iqbal smashed a maiden half-century and took a 90-run third wicket stand with captain Habibur Bashar to propel the hosts to 205 all out.

Christopher Mpofu, Douglas Hondo and Barney Rogers took two wickets each to dismiss Bangladesh in 47.1 overs.

Bangladesh lost its first wicket for 13 runs in just 3.3 overs when opener Rajin Saleh (6) played a pull shot off Mpofu straight to substitute Vusimuzi Sibanda.

Tinashe Panyangara then had Aftab Ahmed (15). Iqbal and Bashar took Bangladesh to 130, before Douglas Hondo dismissed the pair with two successive deliveries. Bashar (44) was run out first and Iqbal (58) fell next when Hondo trapped him lbw. Iqbal hit his maiden fifty off 65 balls.

Earlier, Taibu made an unbeaten 64 off 80 balls, including three sixes, after Rogers hit 66 — his third one-day fifty. Lower-order batsman Elton Chigumbura played a cameo smashing 30 off 22 balls to take Zimbabwe to the competitive score in 50 overs.

Chigumbura struck three sixes as he shared sixth-wicket, 84-run partnership with Taibu. Rogers shared a second wicket, 86-run stand with Dion Ebrahim after losing opening partner Stuart Matsikenyeri — run out for duck in the first ball of the day. Zimbabwe lead the five-match series 2-0.