Bangladesh clinch T20 series to finish forgettable Zim tour

Bangladesh outclassed Zimbabwe by four wickets in the third T20 to secure the series, ending a disappointing tour with high at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday.

It was Bangladesh's only success of the tour after suffering an innings and 85-run defeat in the lone Test and losing the three-match ODI series 2-1.

They had also dropped the opening T20, raising the prospect of a clean sweep across all formats before bouncing back to win the final two matches.

Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim anchored the chase with an unbeaten 66 off 58 balls, his second successive half-century, as Bangladesh reached 144-6 with two balls to spare after restricting Zimbabwe to 143-7.

Tanzid who struck one four and four sixes stitched two important partnerships-- 55 runs for the second wicket with Parvez Hossain Emon (24) and 63 for the third wicket with captain Towhid Hridoy (24), steering Bangladesh towards victory after Richard Ngarava removed Saif Hasan for 4 in the opening over.

Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza dismissed both Emon and Hridoy to briefly revive the hosts' hopes before late drama unfolded in the final over. 

Brad Evans removed Mosaddek Hossain Saikat and Mohammad Saifuddin off successive balls to leave Bangladesh needing four runs in three balls. Mahedi Hasan, however, held his nerve and struck the winning boundary to complete the chase.

Earlier, Dion Myers waged a lone battle with an unbeaten 73 off 53 balls, smashing seven fours and two sixes as he contributed more than half of Zimbabwe's total.

Opener Brian Bennett made 38 off 47 deliveries with eight boundaries and shared a 71-run second-wicket partnership with Myers after Tadiwanashe Marumani fell for 4 to Mahedi Hasan.

Mohammad Saifuddin broke the stand by dismissing Bennett, while Bangladesh's disciplined bowling and sharp fielding prevented Zimbabwe from capitalizing on the platform. The visitors also effected two run-outs in the closing stages.

Saifuddin was Bangladesh's most successful bowler with 2-35, while Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain claimed one wicket apiece.

Bangladesh will return home on Monday before turning their attention to a historic two-match Test series in Australia, their first Test tour there in 23 years.    �"BSS