Zimbabwe complete series victory

Zimbabwe completed a five-match whitewash of Test nation newcomers Bangladesh when they won the second of two Test matches at…

Zimbabwe completed a five-match whitewash of Test nation newcomers Bangladesh when they won the second of two Test matches at Harare today.

Requiring only 100 for victory Zimbabwe got there with two wickets to spare for an eight wickets win to add to their innings victory over Bangladesh at Bulawayo last week.

Bangladesh scored 254 in their first innings and added 266. But Zimbabwe's 421-9 declared proved a match-winning effort.

Guy Whittall led the way with 60 and Stuart Carlisle was 29 not out at the end.

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The day began with Bangladesh on 219-5, an overall lead of 52. Overnight batsmen Habibul Bashar and Naimur Rahman began confidently enough and for a while it seemed they might go on to set Zimbabwe a challenge.

But once Bashar was out for a fighting 76 and with the score then on 246-6, the Bangladesh tail collapsed, adding only another 20 runs.

The Zimbabwe seamers Brighton Watambwa and Heath Streak took two wickets each, Watambwa ending with figures of 4-64.

Bangladesh showed steady improvement through the tour, indicated by their making it to the fifth day for the first time.

Zimbabwe will have a much tougher tour when India, conquerers of Australia, arrive here at the end of May for a two-test series and a one-day triangular involving West Indies.

Bangladesh's next international encounters will be against their three sub-continental neighbours India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in a Test knock-out competition. - AFP