Zimbabwe Beat Bangladesh By 99 Runs In Tri-Series Opener

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in the opening match of the ODI tri-series in Abu Dhabi, bowling the Bangladeshis out for 172 in 33.4 overs. Craig Ervine made 93 and was named player of the match. Zimbabwe had posted 271 for 8. Bangladesh were without their captain.

Litton Das was ruled out of the whole tri-series with a right hip joint injury, the ICC confirmed on Saturday. Mehidy Hasan Miraz missed this match with a fever. Towhid Hridoy led the side instead, taking over from a captain who had himself replaced Miraz in the job earlier this year.

Ervine and Taylor build 271

Zimbabwe's innings was built on two long stays. Ervine faced 106 balls for his 93. Brendan Taylor made 81 from 101. Between them they used more than 200 deliveries, which on a slow Abu Dhabi surface was the point rather than the problem.

Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with 3 for 44. Shoriful Islam took 2 for 47 and Saif Hassan 2 for 17. Zimbabwe scored at 5.42 an over and batted the full 50. No Bangladesh bowler ran through them.

Bangladesh fold for 172

The chase never took hold. Tanzid Hasan top scored with 46. Saif Hassan made 26 and Rishad Hossain 23, both from down the order. That usually means the top order has gone. Bangladesh lasted 33.4 overs and lost by 99 runs with more than 16 overs unused.

Brad Evans took 4 for 45 for Zimbabwe and Sikandar Raza 2 for 28, according to Prothom Alo.

Hridoy inherits a short-handed side

This was a first outing for a Bangladesh XI missing its appointed ODI captain and its previous one. Litton scored 102 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this month in the drawn Test. Hridoy now has at least one more group match in charge, and the selectors have a week to work out what the batting order looks like without either man.

Three teams, one ground

Every match in the tri-series is being played in Abu Dhabi. The remaining schedule, as published by the ICC:

• 19 October: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe
• 21 October: Afghanistan v Bangladesh
• 23 October: Final

Zimbabwe have the only win so far. Afghanistan begin on Monday against the same opponent. Bangladesh then meet Afghanistan on Wednesday, by which point the shape of the 23 October final should be clear.