Ben Curran, Brad Evans star as Zimbabwe seal ODI series against Bangladesh

Ben Curran's composed hundred, Brad Evans' all-round performance and disciplined bowling helped Zimbabwe win the second ODI against Bangladesh by 13 runs as they clinched the series with a game left to play. Zimbabwe posted 247 for 6, with Curran's 111 not out off 135 and Evans' quick-fire unbeaten fifty helping them finish well after they had slipped to 148 for 6. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Towhid Hridoy struck half-centuries and Bangladesh looked in control for large parts of the chase. However, from 207 for 5, Bangladesh ended up getting bowled out for 234 as Zimbabwe took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Asked to bat, Zimbabwe did not have the best of starts, slipping to 8 for 2 and later 32 for 3, inside the first nine overs. A nip-backer from Taskin Ahmed castled the stumps and sent Brian Bennett back for a duck, while Innocent Kaia came down the track and top-edged a hoick off the same bowler to depart for 4. Curran and Craig Ervine tried to build a partnership but the latter fell for 9, bowled by Nahid Rana. At the end of the 10th over, Zimbabwe were in a spot of bother, having managed 37 for 3.

Curran, who had started in a steady manner, started finding the boundaries and was supported by Wessly Madhevere, who struck two fours off Rana in one over. They added 34 before Madhevere tried to go for a big shot off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and toe-ended a catch to long on. Sikandar Raza then tagged along with Curran for a 68-run stand for the fourth wicket that helped Zimbabwe reestablish a platform. Curran got to 50 off 59 balls and both batters kept the boundaries coming at a regular frequency. Raza, however, fell to Mehidy for 33, punching one straight to cover, which left Zimbabwe at 134 for 5 in the 33rd over. It became six down when Clive Madande was caught behind looking to cut a Rishad Hossain delivery in the 37th over.

That they reached close to 250 was thanks to Curran and also a valuable half-century from Evans, with the seventh wicket pair putting on a brisk 99-run stand in 80 deliveries. Zimbabwe were 162 for 6 after 40 overs, with Curran batting in the 80s. There were a couple of quiet overs before Evans got into the act with a six over deep mid wicket off Rishad. But Taskin and Mehidy kept it disciplined, with Zimbabwe struggling for momentum at 187 for 6 after 45 overs.

Curran eventually cut loose, hitting two successive fours off Taskin to bring up a 122-ball hundred in the 46th over. Evans then hit a six off Rana and a four off Shoriful Islam. Zimbabwe added 22 more in the last over thanks to Evans, who struck three sixes and a four as he brought up his maiden ODI fifty and finished unbeaten on 58 off 38.

As has been the case in this tour, Bangladesh continued to be troubled by deliveries lifting off from a length, with one such ball from Blessing Muzarabani taking Soumya Sarkar's leading edge en route to slip. Tamim struck a slot delivery from Richard Ngarava for the first six of the innings before Evans struck in his first over, getting one to nip back into Najmul Hossain Shanto to have him caught behind off an inside edge, and finished with a wicket maiden to leave Bangladesh at 38 for 2 in the ninth over.

Tamim, meanwhile, was playing his shots confidently, timing his drives well and even coming down the track to Evans and Raza for a few boundaries. Hridoy assisted the opener in building a steady partnership, with the third wicket pair raising a half-century stand in 63 deliveries. Tamim then brought up a 59-ball fifty and Bangladesh crossed the 100-run mark in the 22nd over, with the game looking in their control despite the required rate crossing 5 an over. They added 84 before Tamim was bowled attempting a slog-sweep, giving Brian Bennett his first ODI wicket.

Nurul Hasan joined Hridoy and they began a watchful partnership, which saw the required rate going up. Hridoy and Nurul eased the pressure with a flurry of boundaries, with the former also bringing up his fifty. But he fell going for a pull off Wessly Madhevere, while a short delivery from Richard Ngarava accounted for the wicket of Mosaddek Hossain as Bangladesh slipped to 176 for 5. The equation was a run-a-ball at the end of the 38th over, and the rate came down thanks to boundaries from Nurul and Mehidy, with Bangladesh needing 57 off the last 10 overs.

The see-saw battle intensified in the closing stages, with boundaries and wickets arriving in quick succession, with the visitors resting their hopes on skipper Mehidy to take them across the line. A boundary for Shoriful Islam helped Bangladesh, but his dismissal didn't as he was bowled by Evans. Ngarava wrapped it up in the 49th over by dismissing his counterpart, with Evans holding on to his second catch to round off a fine day for him.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 247/6 in 50 overs (Ben Curran 111*, Brad Evans 58*; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-32, Taskin Ahmed 2-57) beat Bangladesh 234 in 48.1 overs (Towhid Hridoy 60, Tanzid Hasan Tamim 57; Richard Ngarava 3-55, Blessing Muzarabani 2-33) by 13 runs.