Women BD Desk: Bangladesh have won the third and final T20I by five wickets to clinch the three-match T20I series at Harare today. Soumya Sarkar’s 68 off 49, laced with nine fours and a six provided the platform to chase down Zimbabwe’s 193 for 5 before Shamim Hossain laid the finishing touch as Bangladesh won with four deliveries and five wickets to spare.
The Tigers lost opener Mohammad Naim early after the left-hander tried to hit Muzarabani over mid off but managed to slice the angled delivery to man at mid off. Soumya Sarkar was looking to find his feet but managed to keep up to the task during his initial 30 deliveries faced. Shakib Al Hasan was the one trying to accelerate and two sixes off Luke Jongwe in the eighth over saw Bangladesh get back into the flow of things. However, Shakib mistimed one in the same Jongwe over to depart for a 13-ball 25.
Soumya accelerated with Mahmudullah Riyad providing a steady hand at the other end. The duo put on 63 runs off 35 deliveries before Soumya departed, holed out at long off as he tried to go big against Jongwe in the 14th over with Bangladesh at 140 for 3.
Afif showed promise with a first-ball six but his innings lasted only five deliveries as he was bowled by Wellington Masakadza. Needing 40 off the last four overs, Shamim Hossain hit Blessing Muzarabani for four in the 17th over before hitting the last three deliveries of the 18th over from Dion Myers for four to bring the equation under control. Mahmudullah departed, nicking a Muzarabani delivery in the 19th over after a 28-ball 34 but Shamim saw it through to the end with an unbeaten 31 off 15 deliveries, hitting six fours as Bangladesh won the match and the series 2-1.
