Shakib ton steers Tigers

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Bangladesh batsman Junaid Siddique dispatches a short ball during the second ODI against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo Tuesday.-Cricinfo photo

50 overs Bangladesh 320 for 8 ( Shakib 104, Tamim 79) v Zimbabwe
Shakib Al Hasan starred with a delightfully aggressive ton to propel Bangladesh to their highest ODI score. Tamim Iqbal laid the platform with a patient half-century before Shakib took over to set a mammoth target for Zimbabwe in the second ODI in Bulawayo.
The innings lacked momentum before Shakib imposed himself on the proceedings, a disciplined bowling effort by Zimbabwe combined with cautious batting taking Bangladesh to 108 for 1 after 25 overs. Shakib then ensured that they finished strongly.
The feature of his innings was his skill in repeatedly picking the gaps: there were quite a few hits over extra cover, a few to the straight boundary and many swings to midwicket. He started carefully, dealing in singles and twos to reach 15, before breaking free with two pulled boundaries. The explosion started in the 38th over, bowled by the part-time spinner Sean Williams, with Shakib, who was denied the services of a runner just prior to the over, swinging twice over midwicket boundary. He went on to crash Ray Price to the straight boundary before lifting Prosper Utseya over long-off and twice over extra-cover as he made full use of the batting Powerplay.
He was aided by some poor fielding and was dropped twice in the inner circle: when he was on 59, Stuart Matsikenyeri spilled a sitter at midwicket off an attempted reverse-sweep against Utseya and when he was on 71, Price dropped another off a top-edged paddle-sweep.
Shakib went on the rampage after the twin drops. He looted 19 runs, with the help of three boundaries that included a stunning six over long-off, off the 44th over bowled by Chamu Chibhaba. He brought up the hundred in 63 balls and celebrated it with a cheeky scoop shot off Ed Rainsford before he was run out going for the third run after Mushfiqur Rahim had slashed to deep point. Rahim sought to make amends for his mistake with some big hitting in the end to push Bangladesh well past 300. — Cricinfo