Zimbabwe take giant step towards Test victory

Tino Mawoyo (35) and Vusi Sibanda (38) were instrumental in giving the hosts a good start in their second innings. Zimbabwe, who lost their first wicket in Sibanda on 69, lost three quick wickets shortly after to end the day with the 92 runs on the board.

Earlier, having made 370 in their first innings, the hosts bowled the tourists out for 287 at the tea break with Brian Vitori, Ray Price and Christopher Mpofu taking the majority of Bangladeshi wickets.

Vitori, a left-arm seamer of some pace, took four for 66 in 16 overs on his debut for Zimbabwe. Price took two for only 34 with his usual aggressive spin, while Mpofu weighed in with two for 72.

Bangladesh found only two batsmen to make sizeable scores. Skipper Shakib Al Hassan claimed his sixth half century on his way to a 68 that included seven fours. Mohammad Ashraful, meanwhile, hit ten boundaries when he extended his overnight 34 to 73, his fourth half century.

Resuming on 107 for three, the Bangladesh innings might have gone either way. They were 200 for five at lunch, but with the new ball soon due their chances of a first innings lead from that point were remote.

SCORE BOARD
ZIMBABWE (I Innings): 370 all out
BANGLADESH (I Innings):
Iqbal c Taylor b Vitori    15
Kayes c Price b Vitori    4
Nafeez b Price    50
Ashraful c Taibu b Chigumbura    73
Mahmudullah c Mawoyo b Vitori    13
Shakib c Taibu b Mpofu    68
Rahim c Mpofu b Vitori    27
Razzak lbw Mpofu    11
S Islam b Jarvis    5
Hossain (not out)    16
R Islam lbw Price    0
Extras (B-1, NB-4)    5
Total (all out, 96.2 overs)    287
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-36, 3-102, 4-136, 5-190, 6-246, 7-258, 8-267, 9-275.
Bowling: Jarvis 16-1-67-1; Vitori 24-5-66-4; Mpofu 23-5-72-2: Chigumbura 19-4-47-1; Price 14.2-4-34-2.
ZIMBABWE (II Innings):
Mawoyo b R Islam    35
Sibanda c sub b Hossain    38
Masakadza c&b Shakib    5
Taylor (batting)    5
Price lbw Razzak    4
Taibu (batting)    0
Extras (LB-1, W-3, NB-1)    5
Total (for 4 wkts, 34.3 overs)    92
Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-79, 3-83, 4-92.
Bowling: S Islam 5-2-6-0, R Islam 9-1-26-1, Razzak 5-0-22-1, Hossain 7-1-25-1, Mahmudullah 2-1-3-0, Shakib 6.3-3-9-1.