Coventry's 194* equals record

Bangla win series as Tamim scores ton

Coventry blasted an unbeaten 194 to equal former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar’s 12-year record, as Zimbabwe piled up 312-8 in their 50 overs, but Bangladesh opener Tamim then hit his country’s highest individual score of 154 as the tourists took victory with 13 balls to spare.

Coventry dominated Zimbabwe’s innings with the next highest score a more modest 37.  He hit seven sixes and accelerated from 129 in the 42nd over to 180 in the 47th as fans wondered if he would become the first player to hit a one-day international double century.

But he had to settle for a share of Anwar’s record although Bangladesh could have dismissed him earlier when Mahmudullah dropped him at square leg on 137. Coventry shared an 82-run stand for the second wicket with Hamilton Masakadza as the home side eyed levelling the five-match series at 2-2. But they reckoned without 20-year-old left-hander Tamim who first of all made his third half-century of the series before going on to hit his highest score in his 60th international.

Tamim’s 154 came off 138 balls with seven fours and six sixes.

Score board

ZIMBABWE

Vermeulen c Siddique b Alam    5
Masakadza c Hasan b Ashraful    21
Coventry (not out)    194
Taylor lbw Haque    9
Williams b Islam    4
Matsikenyeri (run out)    37
Chigumbura c Islam b Haque    15
Waller b Alam    3
Mupariwa lbw Rasel    0
Utseya (not out)    7
Extras (B-1, LB-3, W-12, NB-1)    17
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs)    312
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-87, 3-102, 4-111, 5-218, 6-282, 7-302, 8-303.
Bowling: Rasel 9-1-52-1, Alam 8-0-63-2, Shakib 9-0-70-0, Haque 9-0-51-2, Mahmudullah 6-0-32-0, Ashraful 4-1-11-1, Islam 5-0-29-1.

BANGLADESH

Iqbal c Sibanda b Price1    54
Siddique c Williams b Masakadza    38
Ashraful c Coventry b Price    10
Hasan b Price    35
Shakib c Waller b Masakadza    19
Rahim lbw Utseya    15
Mahmudullah (not out)    21
Islam (not out)    4
Extras (LB-1, W-15, NB-1)    17     
Total (for 6 wkts, 47.5 overs)    313
Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-94, 3-213, 4-246, 5-279, 6-300.
Bowling: Mupariwa 8.5-0-65-0, Chigumbura 9-0-63-0, Utseya 10-0-46-1, Masakadza 7-0-52-2, Price 10-0-60-3, Waller 3-0-26-0.