Zimbabwe’s middle order found itself in familiar trouble on Thursday, but one man refused to let the innings fall apart. Ben Curran ground his way to an unbeaten 111 as the hosts posted 247 for 6 in 50 overs against Bangladesh in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club, setting up a tense finish to a series that is already delicately poised.
It wasn’t a straightforward day at the crease. An early start brought plenty of movement for the bowlers, and Zimbabwe lost both openers cheaply before captain Craig Ervine was also sent packing, bowled by a searing delivery inside the first hour. At 32 for 3 within nine overs, the hosts were staring down the barrel against a Bangladesh attack that had bowled them out for just 116 earlier in the series.
Curran, though, had other ideas. Batting through discomfort against the moving ball, he rebuilt the innings patiently, finding support first from Wessly Madhevere and then Sikandar Raza, who added a valuable 68 runs together before Raza fell to the impressive Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Wickets kept tumbling around him, but Curran simply refused to budge, eventually bringing up his second ODI hundred of the year and stretching a rich vein of form that has seen him cross fifty in four of his last five knocks.
The real fireworks, though, came from an unlikely source. Brad Evans walked in at number eight and looked distinctly uncomfortable early on, managing just two runs off his first seven deliveries. Then something clicked. Evans exploded in the closing stages, launching three sixes off Taskin Ahmed in a single over and finishing unbeaten on 58 as Zimbabwe’s last recognised pair added 99 runs at a strike rate nudging 124. It was exactly the kind of late surge Zimbabwe needed after threatening to fall short of a defendable total.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the standout with the ball, finishing with 2 for 32 and generally keeping things tight through the middle overs, while Taskin Ahmed will be disappointed with how his final over went after troubling the top order early. With both sides desperate to avoid a series defeat, Zimbabwe’s total of 247 gives them something to defend, but on a ground known for rewarding fast bowlers, Bangladesh’s chase promises to be anything but straightforward.
This ZIM vs BAN series has swung wildly from one extreme to the other, and neither side will be taking anything for granted heading into the business end of this second ODI.
