Tamim outshines Coventry’s record knock

By pratik
for Cricketain.com

Published: August 17, 2009

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Bulawayo: Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry equalled the highest individual score in one-day internationals but saw his big-hitting party gatecrashed by Tamim Iqbal as Bangladesh wrapped up the one-day series giving them their third consecutive series win.

Coventry smashed an unbeaten 194 as he equalled former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar’s 12- year long record of the highest score in a one-day innings. Zimbabwe amassed a score of 312-8 on the board, far more than Bangladesh have ever chased, but Tamim Iqbal hit his country’s highest individual score of 154 as the tigers reached home with 13 balls to spare.

Coventry dominated the Zimbabwe innings with the next highest score being 37. He hit seven sixes and sixteen fours in his mammoth knock. He accelerated from 129 in the 42^nd over to 180 in the 47^th as fans wondered if he would become the first player in history to hit a one-day international double century.

But he had to settle for a share of Anwar’s record although Bangladesh could have dismissed him earlier when Mahmudullah dropped him at square leg on 137.

Defending a good total of 312, Zimbabwe would have hoped to level the series at 2-2 but Tamim Iqbal had some other plans. Chasing 313, Bangladesh needed a good start to their innings and that’s what Iqbal and Siddique provided them with. They added 68 for the 1^st wicket in just 9.4 overs with Siddique being the aggressor making 38 off 27 balls.

But it was the 20-year-old left hander Tamim Iqbal who first of all made his 3^rd half century of the series before going on to hit his highest score in his 60^th one-day international. Tamim’s 154 came off 138 balls with seven fours and six sixes.

Zimbabwe skipper Prosper Utseya looked for positives in defeat. “The innings of 312 wasn’t enough. But our game is improving. We’re playing international cricket and we missed chances that should have been taken. 3-2 sounds better than 4-1 and we need to come back strong and play well for the fans.”

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was overjoyed at another series win which followed their historic Test and ODI sweep in the West Indies.

“Tamim batted magnificently, can’t get better than that. We played very good cricket against West Indies and this series too, everyone chipped in but we need to improve our fielding,” said Shakib. “Cricket is the most popular game in Bangladesh and we thank our fans for their support.”

“I was due for a big innings. I was getting good starts but not big hundreds. It would have felt better had I finished the innings,” said Tamim who was named joint Man of the Match with Charles Coventry.

Coventry praised the tourists for their battling response. “Well done to the Bangladeshis for the way they chased. We’ll be out there trying the hardest the next time,” said the 26-year-old, who was playing in his 15th one-dayer.

The final match of the series will be played on Tuesday with Bangladesh already having won the series 3-1.

Brief Scores:

Bangladesh 313 for 6 (Tamim 154, Price 3-60) beat

Zimbabwe 312 for 8 (Coventry 194*, Haque 2-51) by four wickets

Man of the Match: CK Coventry (Zimbabwe) and Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)

Tagged with: Bangladesh, CK Coventry, Prosper Utseya, Saeed Anwar, Shakib al hasan, Tamim Iqbal, West Indies, Zimbabwe

Tamim outshines Coventry’s record knock

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