Williams gets fifty as Zimbabwe look to rebuild

Sports Desk: Sean Williams continued his great form on this Bangladesh tour, as he kept Zimbabwe afloat in the second session of day one. At tea, he was batting on 53, having already scored 226 runs in the ODI series in which he was dismissed just once. Zimbabwe: 164/4 * (66.4 ov)

Williams struck four boundaries in his 125 balls at the crease, adding 44 for the fourth wicket with Sikandar Raza after Hamilton Masakadza fell in the first over after lunch. Abu Jayed removed Masakadza with a delivery that moved sharply into the batsmen's front pad. Masakadza didn't add any runs to the 52 he made in the morning session.

Raza, who became Nazmul Islam's first Test victim, was bowled for 19 and his dismissal led to a slowdown in Zimbabwe's scoring, with Nazmul and Mehidy Hasan Miraz racking up six maidens in a row at one stage. But Williams and PJ Moor fought through that difficult period to take Zimbabwe to tea still four down.

Having chosen to bat, Zimbabwe had made 85 for 2 in a first session that had very little drama. Taijul Islam removed both Brian Chari and Brendan Taylor, while Hamilton Masakadza remained steadfast in scoring 52.

Masakadza struck three fours and two sixes, all off Taijul and all with power. Both sixes were struck straight down the ground while the fours were either cut or swept. Chari struck Abu Jayed, Bangladesh's only seamer in this attack, for two fours before his ugly slog off Taijul only caught air; he was bowled for 13.

Brendan Taylor also followed suit, although he was undone by a beautifully crafted delivery from Taijul, to which he employed the forward press. But the ball slid on with the angle and caught his inside edge, which was latched on to by Nazmul Hossain Shanto, playing his first Test since January 2017, at short leg.

Earlier, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first against hosts Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh decided to pick just the one seamer - Abu Jayed - as they bank on a three-man spin attack.

They handed debuts to middle-order batsman Ariful Haque and left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam as they made four changes from their last Test line-up.

Nazmul Hossain has been included in the playing eleven while pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped as Bangladesh opted for three spinners in Nazmul, Taijul Islam and Mehedi Miraz. Abu Jayed Rahi was picked in the side and he, along with Ariful are the only pace bowling options in the side.

Bangladesh: 1 Liton Das, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Nazmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah (capt), 7 Ariful Haque, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Nazmul Islam, 11 Abu Jayed


Zimbabwe: 1 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 2 Brian Chari, 3 Brendan Taylor, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 PJ Moor, 7 Regis Chakabva (wk), 8 Brandon Mavuta, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Tendai Chatara

The second Test of the series will be held at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from November 11.



risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 3, 2018/Mukul