Pacers set up Zimbabwe's stunning defence of 141

Nahid Rana recorded career-best figures of 6 for 21, which was also the best by a Bangladesh player in ODI cricket. However, his efforts went in vain as a collective bowling performance helped Zimbabwe prevail in a low-scoring first ODI in Harare.

Reeling under Rana's pace and bounce, the hosts were bowled out for 141 after being asked to bat, with No. 9 Newman Nyamhuri (33) being the highest run-getter in the innings. Zimbabwe then used only four bowling options, all pacers, to bowl Bangladesh out for 116 on a pitch that had plenty of help for the quicks. Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava bagged three wickets apiece while Blessing Muzarabani and Nyamhuri picked up two each to star in Zimbabwe's 25-run win.

Zimbabwe's innings unravelled in dramatic fashion after a fluent opening stand of 36. The openers looked in control until Ben Curran was run out off the fourth ball of the seventh over, a dismissal that swung the momentum firmly in Bangladesh's favour. Two deliveries later, Taskin Ahmed accounted for Brian Bennett before Nahid Rana burst into the attack and triggered a collapse.

Zimbabwe slipped to 38 for 3 in the ninth over when Taskin bagged his second wicket by having Craig Ervine bowled. From there, Rana's sheer pace took centre stage. Bowling at a good pace, the fast bowler hurried the batters with sharp lift and relentless hostility, adding the wickets of Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande, Innocent Kaia and Evans to complete a stunning five-wicket haul as Zimbabwe slipped to 70 for 8 in the 20th over. Barring a four and a six for Kaia off Soumya Sarkar, there wasn't much going the home team's way.

Skipper Richard and Nyamhuri offered some resistance with a gritty partnership, holding Bangladesh at bay as they brought up Zimbabwe's 100 in the 27th over. Nyamhuri was confident with his shot-making, targeting the spinners for regular boundaries. Ngarava got a reprieve in the 30th over, put down at long-on and the ball went for a four, followed by another boundary which raised the half-century stand. They extended their partnership to 63 before it ended when Rana picked up his sixth wicket, having Ngarava bowled for 27. Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz wrapped up the innings in the 37th over with the wicket of Nyamhuri as Zimbabwe finished short of 150.

Zimbabwe needed early wickets to make a game out of it, and they got exactly that as Muzarabani and Ngarava combined to reduce the visitors to 17 for 3. Tanzid Hasan Tamim was the first to depart, caught at fine leg off Muzarabani, with Nyamhuri taking an excellent catch. Najmul Hossain Shanto was caught at third man in Muzarabani's second over while Sarkar also top-edged to third man off Ngarava. A watchful partnership between Towhid Hridoy and Nurul Hasan ensued, with the former also copping a blow on his elbow from a Muzarabani delivery. Nurul broke the shackles with a pull for six off Evans, taking Bangladesh to 32 for 3 after 10 overs.

Muzarabani continued to trouble Hridoy, getting a short-of-length delivery to cut in sharply and hit his rib-cage. Zimbabwe kept things tight, with Muzarabani and Evans bowling maidens, and they minimised the boundaries. But the fourth wicket pair motored along, adding 49 off 88 deliveries but their association ended when Nyamhuri got the extra bounce to cause Hridoy's downfall. Mosaddek Hossain fell in Nyamhuri's next over, pushing at a delivery outside off to edge it behind, leaving Bangladesh in a spot of bother at 74 for 5.

Mehidy, who got off the mark with a streaky boundary off Ngarava, was dismissed by the Zimbabwe captain a short while later, with the short ball doing the trick again. From 89 for 6, it became 99 for 8 as Nurul was trapped in front and Rishad Hossain edged to slip, both dismissed by Evans, who also bowled a wicket maiden. Evans bagged his third as Taskin fell soon after getting a four, hitting a short ball to extra cover to leave Bangladesh at 105 for 9. Mustafizur Rahman got a four off Muzarabani before Ngarava returned to the attack and dismissed him, helping Zimbabwe wrap up the game in the 34th over.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 141 in 36.4 overs (Newman Nyamhuri 33, Richard Ngarava 27; Nahid Rana 6-21, Taskin Ahmed 2-32) beat Bangladesh 116 in 33.1 overs (Nurul Hasan 31; Brad Evans 3-34, Richard Ngarava 3-31, Blessing Muzarabani 2-24) by 25 runs.