Debutant opening batsman Tanzid Hasan guided Bangladesh to an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Chittagong on Friday.
The hosts raced to 126-2 in under 16 overs after bowling out Zimbabwe for 124, with Tanzid finishing on 67* and Towhid Hridoy 33*.
Tanzid smashed eight fours and two sixes in his 47-ball maiden T20I, lofting Luke Jongwe over mid-off for a boundary to complete the match.
A record stand by Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza earlier helped Zimbabwe recover from an early collapse that left the tourists languishing on 41-7.
The pair put on 75 runs together for Zimbabwe’s highest eighth-wicket partnership.
Taskin Ahmed bowled Madande for 43 off 39 balls to break the stand, but Masakadza (34) stayed at the crease until he was run out on the last ball of the innings.
Put into bat first, Zimbabwe lost Craig Ervine for a duck in the second over.
Mohammad Saifuddin then forced debutant fellow opener Joylord Gumbie (17) to give a catch to Taskin at fine leg.
Mahedi Hasan’s next over saw Brian Bennett run out for 16 with captain Sikandar Raza out lbw first-ball.
Taskin also sent back Sean Williams and Ryan Burl, both of them also going for golden ducks to make it three in the innings, off back-to-back deliveries in the following over, and Saifuddin dismissed Luke Jongwe for two.
Madande was given lbw off Saifuddin on 28 but the decision was reversed after review.
Chittagong hosts the second match of the series on Sunday.
The series is Bangladesh’s last before next month’s T20 World Cup.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: BCB
