Weather prevents a gripping finale

Zimbabwe 258 and 353 for 8 (Masakadza 131, Mufambisi 45, Matsikenyeri 41) drew with Bangladesh 380 and 356 for 6 dec
Scorecard

The second A-team Test at Mutare between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh ended in a nail-biting draw when bad light prevented what was set to be a gripping finale. When the players trooped from the field, Zimbabwe needed 28 more to win with two wickets in hand and three overs remaining.

That they had got so close to their target was thanks to a six-hour hundred from Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe's captain, who struck 131 to provide the platform for the chase. Tafadzwa Mufambisi (45) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (41) then took Zimbabwe within sight of victory before the weather intervened.

Givemore Makoni, the Zimbabwe A manager, was delighted with the team's performance. "The guys played good cricket this time around and it was a marked improvement in batting compared to the first game," he told The Herald. "We scored about 600 runs in total and a number of the top-order and middle-order batsmen like Masakadza and Matsikenyeri are showing signs of improving.

"We could have won this game but the performance and the result leaves us in a stronger position ahead of the decider in Bulawayo and we are now looking forward to a competitive match at Queens."

The third and final match starts at Bulawayo on Friday before the teams meet in a five-match one-day series in Bulawayo and Kwekwe.