Bangladesh opener Tanzid Tamim scored a fifty to guide his side to a comfortable eight-wicket win against Zimbabwe in the T20I opener of the five-match series against Zimbabwe in Chattogram on Friday.

Tanzid, who put away eight fours and two sixes for his unbeaten 47-ball 67, became only the second Bangladesh player to score a T20I fifty on debut after Junaid Siddique achieved the feat with his 49-ball 71 against Pakistan in Cape Town in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

The left-handed batter capitalised on three reprieves and made Zimbabwe pay with a 52-run stand with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and an unbeaten 69-run partnership with Towhid Hridoy who remained not out on 33 off 18 that featured five fours and  a six, as the Tigers chased a 125-run target in 15.2 overs. 

Earlier,  Zimbabwe staged a recovery to post 124 all out, courtesy of a 75-run stand by Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza after the Chevrons were reduced to seven down for 42 after eight overs in the first of the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday. 

Madande top-scored as he put away six fours for his 39-ball 43 and Masakadza hit two sixes and as many fours in a 38-ball 34 that came as saving graces for the visitors who saw as many as four batters go back to the pavilion without opening their account after they were put into bat first. 

Debutant Joylord Gumbie scored a 14-ball 17 featuring four boundaries and Brian Bennet managed a 15-ball 16 while Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, and Ryan Burl were dismissed for nought. 

Bangladesh pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin picked up three wickets each, while off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan scalped two in an impressive display. 

Tanzid hits fifty on debut 

Bangladesh debutant Tanzid Tamim smashed his maiden T20I fifty in the T20I opener of the five-match series against Zimbabwe in Chattogram on Friday. 

The left-handed opener, who capitalised on three reprieves, reached the milestone in 36 balls as he put away six fours and two sixes to motor Bangladesh pursuit of a 125-run target. 

Tanzid became only the second Bangladesh player to score a T20I fifty on debut after Junaid Siddique achieved the feat with his 49-ball 71 against Pakistan in Cape Town in the 2007 T20 World Cup. 

His fifty propelled the Tigers to 79 for the loss of two after 11 overs, with Towhid Hridoy unbeaten on a run-a-ball three at the other end.

Tigers ahead in DLS as rain stops play, again

Bangladesh were ahead by one run in the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method when batters Tanzid Tamim and Najmul Hssain Shanto rushed back to the pavilion as rain stopped play for the second time in the T20I opener of the five-match series in Chattogram on Friday.

The hosts, in pursuit of a 125-run target, were at 44 for the loss of one after 7.2 overs, five runs ahead of the the DLS par score determined at 39, with Tanzid unbeaten on 28 off 24 balls and Shanto not out on a 17-ball 12. 

Play has been scheduled to resume at 9:40 pm without the loss of overs. 

No respite for Liton as rain halts play

Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani prolonged Bangladesh opener Liton Das's woes as he castled the out-of-form batter for one in only the second over of the innings before rain stopped play in the T20I opener of the five-match series in Chattogram on Friday.

In pursuit of a 125-run target, the Tigers were 10 for the loss of one after three overs. 

Liton, who has struggled in the white-ball formats, scored a 41 not out in Bangladesh's victory over New Zealand in Napier in December last year and is without a fifty in his last eight innings in the 20-over format. 

The right-handed batter played three balls for his solitary run before he failed to make contact with an in-swinger off a good length, losing his middle stump. 

Zimbabwe recover to post 124

Zimbabwe staged a recovery to post 124 all out, courtesy of a 75-run stand by Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza after the Chevrons were reduced to seven down for 42 after eight overs in the first of the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday. 

Madande top-scored as he put away six fours for his 39-ball 43 and Masakadza hit two sixes and as many fours in a 38-ball 34 that came as saving graces for the visitors who saw as many as four batters go back to the pavilion without opening their account after they were put into bat first. 

Debutant Joylord Gumbie scored a 14-ball 17 featuring four boundaries and Brian Bennet managed a 15-ball 16 while Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, and Ryan Burl were dismissed for nought. 

Bangladesh pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin picked up three wickets each, while off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan scalped two in an impressive display. 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Zimbabwe in tatters with seven down in 10 overs

Zimbabwe were left in tatters as they lost seven wickets for 49 runs on the board after the first 10 overs in the first of the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday.

Bangladesh off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin picked up two wickets each and the Tigers executed a runout to have the visitors in trouble.  

Debutant Joylord Gumbie scored a 14-ball 17 featuring four boundaries and Brian Bennet managed a 15-ball 16 while four other batters -- Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, and Ryan Burl -- failed to open their accounts. 

Zimbabwe lose six, including Raza, in seven overs 

Zimbabwe lost six wickets, including their skipper Sikandar Raza, as they were reeling at six down for 38 after seven overs in the first of the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday.

Bangladesh off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan struck twice, pacer Taskin Ahmed scalped two in one over, Mohammad Saifuddin picked up one and the Tigers executed a runout to have the Chevrons in trouble. 

Debutant Joylord Gumbie scored a 14-ball 17 featuring four boundaries and Brian Bennet managed a 15-ball 16 while four other batters -- Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, and Ryan Burl -- failed to open their accounts. 

Zimbabwe lose four, including Raza, inside Powerplay

Zimbabwe lost four wickets, including their skipper Sikandar Raza, inside the Powerplay in the first of the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday.

Bangladesh off-spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan struck twice, pacer Mohammad Saifuddin picked up one and the Tigers executed a runout to have Zimbabwe four down for 38 after the first six overs.

Tanzid debuts as Tigers bowl first in T20I opener against Zimbabwe 

Opener Tanzid Tamim was handed his T20I debut as Bangladesh opted to field first in the opener of the five-match series against Zimbabwe at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Friday.

Tanzid has played 15 ODIs so far for the Tigers, amassing 263 runs, a tally which included two half-centuries.

The hosts will be without the services of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the the first three matches in Chattogram. 

The Chevrons also have a debutant in their side as they included wicket-keeper batter Joylord Gumbie. 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said he expected the fresh wicket to aid seamers early on and with a cloud-covering over the ground the Tigers pace unit will be hoping to capitalise on the conditions. There is also forecast for rain later on in the evening.

"It looks like a fresh wicket. We are expecting seam and swing early," Shanto said after the toss. 

Bangladesh: Tanzid Tamim, Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Sheikh Mahedi, Rishad Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (c), Craig Ervine, Joylord Gumbie, Brian Bennet, Sean Williams, Clive Mandande (wk), Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

More to follow..