Zimbabwe skittled for measly 44

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 21:50

BANGLADESH dismissed Zimbabwe for just 44 runs before easing to a six-wicket victory and an unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match one-day international series yesterday.

Pacer Nazmul Hossain and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak shared two wickets apiece to reduce the visitors to 8-4, a position from which Zimbabwe could never recover.

Left-arm spinners Enamul Haque Jr and Shakib Al Hasan took over as chief tormentors, grabbing three wickets each to bowl out Zimbabwe, who had won the toss and opted to bat, for the lowest total by any team against Bangladesh. Hong Kong held the previous mark of 105 in a 2004 Asia Cup match.

The final match of the series will be held at the same venue tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter has been called into the England Performance Programme squad despite not yet being qualified for his adopted country.

Kieswetter, 21, was born in South Africa and represented the Proteas at Under-19 level but moved to Somerset in 2006 and has long been talked about as a potential England player.

His qualification period is up in February and the England management have apparently endorsed his credentials as a future international by adding him to the training squad that will gather in Loughborough and South Africa during November and December. Kieswetter has been named as a 'category B' squad member, designed for players with first-class experience who could graduate to the senior side.

If he does step up in the future, he would join the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and captain Andrew Strauss in playing for England despite being born in South Africa.