Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, Game Six Zahid Newaz in Dhaka - 25 March 1999 CricInfo report

Despite showing a fighting sprit, Bangladesh lost by three wickets to Zimbabwe in the last league match of Meril International Cricket Tournament at Bangabandhu National Stadium Thursday. Zimbabwe, who defeated Bangladesh by 126 runs in the first match, completed their league journey with an unbeaten record. They will take on Kenya in the final on March 27.

Chasing a respectable 257 runs of Bangladesh, Zimbabwe reached the target scoring 261 runs for seven wickets with three balls to spare. Skipper Alistair Campbell played the key role contributing 97 runs to overcome the host team target. He struck 10 boundaries facing 114 balls.

He fell victim to run out by Enamul Haq Moni leaving the team total 243 in 47.2 overs. He reached the fifty hitting a boundary in the mid-wicket off a Rahul ball.

In the crucial moment of the match, left-handed Campbell was dropped by Mahbubur Rahman Selim at long-off when he was on 75 with the team score 181 for 5 in 37.1 overs. He was also dropped by Biddyut earlier when he was on 5.

After the dismissal of three batsmen for 58 in 8.4 overs, Andy Flower and Alistair Campbell gave a solid position adding 51 runs in the fourth wicket stand. Andy made 17 runs off 41 balls.

But a 76-run sixth wicket partnership of Alistair Campbell and Stuart Carlisle guided the Zimbabweans towards victory. Carlisle hammered 43 runs off 47 balls with four hits across the rope. New ball bowler Hasibul Hossain Shanta claimed two wickets for 66 runs.

Earlier, Mehrab Hossain Opee made history in Bangladesh cricket hitting his country's first ODI century and helping the host team score highest 257 runs for five wickets in stipulated 50 overs.

The score incidentally was the same that Bangladesh made against Zimbabwe in the tri-nation series in Nairobi in 1997.

The match also saw Opee and Shahriar Hossain Bidyut surpass the previous Bangladesh highest partnership in the opening stand contributing 171 runs. The previous best was 137 runs made by Athar Ali and Mohammad Rafique against Kenya last year in India.

Right-handed Opee struck nine boundaries and two over boundaries for his 101 runs off 117 balls. He completed 50 with a square drive to the rope against Campbell facing 73 deliveries and reached the hundredth mark with a single off Guy Whittall in 41.5 overs.

Opee returned to the pavilion caught at mid-on by Viljoen off Adam Huckle with scoreboard showing 212 in 42.3 overs. He hit two sixes - one with a sweep shot over mid-wicket against Andrew Whittall in the 34th over and another the same way in the next over against Grant Flower.

Openers Bidyut and Opee gave a flying start to the Bangladesh innings scoring the first fifty in only 8.3 overs and 100 runs in 23.3 overs. Bidyut, who earlier missed a century just five runs short against Kenya in the tournament, today scored 68 runs off 116 balls with six fours before stumped by Andy Flower off Andrew Whittal. He completed half century playing 50 balls with five fours.

Former national skipper Akram Khan played a sparkling, unbeaten knock of 50 runs off 44 balls that featured five boundaries. This was his fourth one-day half-century, the most by any Bangladeshi batsmen.

Skipper Aminul Islam Bulbul again failed to excel with the bat when bowled by pacer Neil Johnson with his individual score at 10. One-day debutante Mahbubur Rahman Selim scored only 3 runs in the match.

Bangladesh batsmen could not fully utilise the slog overs quickly losing four wickets. They managed 66 runs in last 10 overs. Zimbabwe's two leading bowlers - pacer Heath Streak and leggie Paul Strang - did not play in the match. Neil Johnson and Andrew Whittall picked up two wickets each for 42 and 47 runs respectively while Adam Huckle took one for 46.