Bangladesh win 5th ODI, clinch series

Chittagong:

Rookie batsman Tamim Iqbal and Zunaed Siddique smashed half-centuries on Sunday to help Bangladesh win the fifth and final limited-overs international by six wickets and clinch the five-game series against Zimbabwe 3-1.

Bangladesh reached the winning run comfortably in reply to Zimbabwe's 188-6 with seven overs to spare at Chittagong's Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Bangladesh's chances of winning the match improved markedly after skipper Shakib Al Hasan earlier claimed three wickets and Mashrafe bin Mortaza took two to restrict the visitors to 188-6 in 50 overs.

Iqbal, dropped on 24 by Chris Mpofu, was five runs short of reaching his century when he was caught by Graeme Cremer off Keith Dabengwa in the 29th over. He was named man of the match for his 96-ball knock that included five boundaries and seven sixes in his home town.

Siddique made his sixth ODI 50 off 116 balls that included one boundary, and was unbeaten when Bangladesh sealed its win in the 43rd over.

Earlier, Imrul Kayes was caught by Tatenda Taibu off Mpofu for 2.

Cremer removed Raqibul Hassan, caught by Hamilton Masakadza, for a duck. Al Hasan was caught by Brendan Taylor off a Raymond Price delivery for 11.

For Zimbabwe, Tatenda Taibu top-scored with 64 while Craig Ervine made 46 after the visitors lost three early wickets.

Zimbabwe started out slowly as opener Brendan Taylor was run out by Shohrawardi Shuvo for no runs in the first over of the day.

Mortaza (2-25) then trapped Masakadza lbw for 6 runs and dismissed Dabengwa lbw for 9.

Ervine and Taibu tried to rally Zimbabwe in their partnership before Ervine was caught by Rahim off an Al Hasan delivery.

The visitors lost momentum when Taibu was dismissed, caught by Mortaza off Al Hasan, and Elton Chigumbura (23) was caught by Hassan.

Zimbabwe won the first match and Bangladesh took the second and third. The fourth match was abandoned due to a wet outfield.