The Sunday Mail
The first day of Test cricket in Sylhet will be remembered for Sean Williams’ fine 88, which frustrated the Bangladesh spinners.
Zimbabwe ended the day on 236 for five, and possibly feeling happier than the home side.
PJ Moor and Regis Chakabva, batting on 37 and 20 respectively, played out the last hour without further damage after Williams fell on the brink of the final drinks break.
Williams, who struck nine fours in his 173-ball stay, was involved in two partnerships that promised much before ending in the 30s, with Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza.
The loss of those two batsmen in the second session left Zimbabwe at an uncertain 129 for 4; their best period came after that.
Zimbabwe only added 64 in the middle session, in 31 overs, as they slowed down after Raza’s dismissal for 19.
At one stage, Williams and Moor played out six successive maidens from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nazmul Islam.
But they hung on, and their partnership grew in confidence, and grew to 72, after the tea break.
Moor’s cover-driven boundary off Taijul Islam, in the second over after tea, injected life into the innings, and Williams struck the same bowler for successive fours through point and midwicket in his next over.
Williams’ dismissal came against the run of play, when Mahmudullah brought himself on and found some turn to draw his edge, which Mehidy caught very well at slip.
Masakadza earlier had struck three fours and two sixes in scoring 52 in the first session.
But there was trouble at the other end as Brian Chari was bowled slogged Taijul across the line, while Taijul then removed Brendan Taylor.
Williams and Sikandar Raza added 44 for the fourth wicket, before Nazmul picked up his maiden Test wicket, clean-bowling Raza through bat and pad for 19.
Williams and Moor made a slow start thereafter but as their confidence grew, the Bangladesh spinners found it hard to beat their bat for 29 overs.
Taijul finished with two wickets, having bowled 27 overs.
Mehidy was tidy, not giving away too many runs, while Jayed and Nazmul took one wicket each without offering too much of a spark. — cricinfo
