Bangladesh win series against Zimbabwe in style

Nazmul Hossain is mobbed by mates after he had taken a spectacular diving catch at point to get rid of Malcolm Waller.

Bangladeshi cricketers celebrate after wrapping off the Zimbabwean innings during the fourth one-day international match at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.

Bangladesh won their five-match one-day international cricket series against Zimbabwe in style after beating the visitors by six wickets in the fourth match at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Tuesday.

The visitors were all out to one-day international cricket's fifth lowest total, setting the hosts an easy target of 45 to seal the series 3-1 before Thursday's final match.

In reply, Bangladesh overcame some moments of panic, losing four wickets in five runs after the openers added 33 runs in 6.3 overs, before cruising home to a well-deserved victory in front of 20,000 fans at the stadium.

Stand-in Zimbabwean captain Hamilton Masakadza won the toss but came to rue his decision to bat first as Bangladesh opted for the same pace-spin opening attack that paid rich dividends on Saturday.

The visitors lost their four top batsmen for eight runs, due largely to some innocuous shots on a wicket that was forecast to be a batting paradise. Zimbabwe's innings folded up for just 44 in 24.5 overs.

Shakib, the world's number one one-day allrounder and Wisden magazine's international cricketer of the year, was the wrecker in-chief, picking up three wickets and conceding just eight runs in 6.5 overs.

Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque got three wickets, repeating his brilliant feat on Saturday.
But it was the pace-spin opening attack of Nazmul Hossain and Abdur Razzak which triggered the collapse, both grabbing two wickets each while giving away only 10 runs apiece.

Nazmul was adjudged man of the match for picking the heavyweight wickets of Masakadza and Charles Coventry and the brilliant catch that sent back Waller.

In reply, Tamim Iqbal played a quick-fire 22 in front of his home crowd. But once he was gone, trying to sweep Raymond Price, three more followed in some unnecessary panic that the hosts are known for. It needed the steady hands of Raqibul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to guide Bangladesh to one of their best victories in one-day cricket.

Both sides play the fifth and final match at the same venue Thursday.