Islamabad, 21 April 2025: Craig Ervine-led side carved out a narrow advantage in the first Test of the two match series against Bangladesh.
Young opener Brian Bennett and senior batter Sean Williams helped steer their team to a lead on a challenging pitch.
Batting in the second innings, Bennett played a crucial knock of 57 runs from just 64 deliveries, laced with 10 boundaries.
The 21-year-old laid a solid foundation with a 61-run opening stand alongside Ben Curran, who played a patient knock of 18 off 55 balls.
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Despite a minor collapse that left the visitors at 88 for three, Bennett held firm and built two key partnerships that pushed Zimbabwe to 175 for five.
By the end of the day’s play, Zimbabwe had taken a 59-run lead with eight wickets down.
Lower-order batters Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani remained unbeaten on 20 and 11 runs, respectively.
Earlier, the home side had opted to bat first but faltered on a spin-friendly track, getting bowled out for just 191.
Former captain Mominul Haque provided some resistance with a gritty 56 off 105 balls, after the opening pair had fallen cheaply for 14 and 12 runs.
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Najmul Hossain Shanto added 40 runs from 69 deliveries, while Jaker Ali chipped in with 28 in the middle order. However, the hosts failed to capitalise on their starts.
Zimbabwe’s bowling unit, led by Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza, took full advantage of the surface.
Both claimed three wickets apiece and consistently troubled the Bangladeshi batters with tight lines and subtle variations.
As the Test progresses, Zimbabwe will look to stretch their lead and put further pressure on the home side.
With two days of play remaining, the match is delicately poised, but the visitors have edged ahead thanks to disciplined performances with both bat and ball.
