Bowlers star with the bat as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh in low-scoring first ODI

By SABC Sport
6th July 2026

Zimbabwe fast bowlers Richard Ngarava and Newman Nyamhuri scored vital lower-order runs and then shared five wickets as the home side edged Bangladesh by 25 runs in the first of three ODIs in Harare.

Bangladesh, who had won the toss and elected to field, quickly had the hosts in trouble at 70-8 in the 20th over and it looked seemed as if the result was a forgone conclusion.

The lower-order resistance came when pace-bowling duo Nyamhuri and Ngarava, captaining Zimbabwe for the time in an ODI, added 63 for the ninth wicket that at least put some respectability to the total.

Nyamhuri scored 33 while Ngarava contributed 27 as Zimbabwe were eventually 141 all out in 36.4 overs, a total that still made Bangladesh heavy favourites to take a series lead.

The Tigers' bowling attack was excellent, led by 23-year-old paceman Nahid Rana who finished with career-best figures of 6-21 while fellow seamer Taskin Ahmed (2-32) chipped in with two scalps.

Bangladesh did not fare any better than their hosts with the bat as they slipped to 17-3 inside five overs with Blessing Muzarabani (2-24) and Ngarava (3-31) striking early in the wickets column.

Towhid Hridoy (25) and Nurul Hasan (31) led a brief recovery with a partnership of 49 but Nyamhuri (2-22) broke the stand when the left-arm seamer dismissed Hridoy in the 19th over.

Brad Evans (3-34) took the key scalp of Hasan and from their the procession of wickets continued as the tourists were bowled for a paltry 116 in the 34th over.