Bangladesh v. Zimbabwe -2nd. Test

[Donny]

Blignaut to miss second Test

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Andy Blignaut will miss the second Test against Bangladesh due to injury. Blignaut recently became the first Zimbabwean to claim a hat-trick in a Test match.

During the first Test, which ended with Zimbabwe's 183-run victory at Harare Sports Club, Blignaut suffered a minor strain to his right thigh muscle. The Zimbabwe team management decided that he would stay behind in Harare to receive treatment and undergo rehabilitation, while the rest of the squad proceeding to Bulawayo for the second Test.

Bradley Robinson, the Zimbabwe team physiotherapist, conofirmed, "Andy will undergo fitness tests prior to the third Nissan one-day international against Bangladesh, at the Harare on March 10th. Of course, it will be a bonus if he is fit before then."

Zimbabwe's selectors have brought in Stuart Matsikenyeri to replace Blignaut in the squad. They will name their team on Wednesday, after taking a look at the Queen's Sports Club wicket.

[Donny]

The first day was washed out and today's play looks doubtful.

[commonwombat]

Looking at the Zimbabwe attack, it would appear that they're taking no chances and the local witchdoctors are earning their fee.

[Donny]

Play finally under way.

Bangladesh won the toss and batted and in the 24th. over, they're 2/73.
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Irvine (2/24) just took his second wicket. Sarkar for 25. Earlier, he dismissed the other opener, Hossain, for 31.

The Bangers are 3/77.

[Donny]

At stumps, the score is 5/88.

Irvine has 2 wickets and Streak, Hondo and Friend, 1 each.

[Donny]

No play again today. Too wet.

[Donny]

9/148 in the 66th. over as the last day's play goes on it's soggy way.

Manjural made 39 and Irvine has 3/46.
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9/168 with Rafique on 26 n.o. at lunch.
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The last wicket fell straight after lunch with no addidition to the score. Price finished with 3/20 and Rafique was 26 n.o.

[Donny]

Carlisle hundred the only saving grace

The Wisden Bulletin by Martin Williamson

Zimbabwe 211 for 2 (Carlisle 103*, Gripper 65) drew with Bangladesh 168

Stuart Carlisle's second Test hundred was the highlight of the final day of the second Test at Bulawayo's Queens Sports Club – but there were no other challengers for the champagne moment on a day where both sides did little more than go through the motions.

Carlisle brought up his century with a drive to the cover boundary, and the ball had barely hit the fence when the umpires removed the stumps and mercifully brought the rain-decimated match to an end. The loss of three full days was always going to make for a meaningless three sessions – the real puzzle was why as many as 50 spectators turned up to watch.

When Zimbabwe wrapped up Bangladesh's innings five balls after lunch, there was briefly a hope that Heath Streak might go for broke and try for quick runs, with the aim of bowling the fragile Bangladeshis out for a second time. The sight of Trevor Gripper striding out to bat ended any such fantasy.

There was another brief flurry of excitement when, in the third over, Dion Ebrahim edged Tapash Baisya to Hannan Sarkar at second slip for 2 (5 for 1) but that was as good as the afternoon session got. Gripper, who was dismissed cheaply in both innings at Harare, set out his stall for runs by any means, while Carlisle was only marginally more aggressive.

After tea, Gripper sped up, presumably for no reason other that had he continued at his pre-interval crawl he would have had no hope of reaching a hundred. As it was, that was academic - he tickled Tapash to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud for 65 (134 for 2). Carlisle increased his scoring and reached his hundred. His first Test century came against Australia at Sydney – there is little question which one he will look back on with more satisfaction.

In the morning Bangladesh's innings had been of a funereal pace. Play started on time - remarkable given the recent downpours - and Bangladesh's innings followed a to-be-expected course, with wickets falling and a sleep-inducing run-rate. The two-and-a-half hour session produced 80 runs and four wickets.

Zimbabwe broke through with the second ball of the day, Douglas Hondo trapping Mushfiqur Rahman leg-before for 0 (89 for 6), but for the next 90 minutes Manjural Islam Rana and Mashud held firm in a seventh-wicket stand of 37 runs made at under two an over. Sean Ervine ended the torpor when he dismissed Mashud leg-before for 9 (126 for 7), and then Ray Price grabbed two quick wickets, including Manjural for a top-score 39.


But Mohammad Rafique and Alamgir Kabir held firm for the last 40 minutes before lunch, Rafique clipping ones and twos while Kabir dropped anchor and showed little inclination to score. Their 24-run last-wicket stand was ended straight after the restart.