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Enamul restrics Zimbabwe

1/15/2005

Teenage left-arm spinner Enamul Haque restricted Zimbabwe to 244-6 with a four-wicket haul on the opening day of the second and final Test against Bangladesh here Friday.
The 18-year-old spinner did not allow Zimbabwe to make the most of a solid start as he grabbed three quick wickets in the afternoon session to put the tourists on the back foot.
Zimbabwe were comfortably placed at 96-1 before floundering against Haque, who was Bangladesh's hero in their maiden Test victory at Chittagong with six wickets in the second innings of the opening match.
Skipper Tatenda Taibu made a brave attempt to prop up the innings with an unbeaten 49. He put on 60 for the fifth wicket with Hamilton Masakadza (43) and 50 for the next with Elton Chigumbura (34).
Haque troubled Zimbabwe again with his clever variations to finish with 4-74. He was brilliantly supported by left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, who kept the batsmen silent from the other end as he conceded just 48 off 32 overs.
Zimbabwe started strongly after electing to bat when they added 65 for the opening wicket through Stuart Matsikenyri (51) and Barney Rogers (29).
They suffered a setback soon after Haque was pressed into the attack. The spinner struck in his first over when he got rid of Rogers, who inside-edged the delivery on to his stumps while attempting to sweep.
The teenager put Zimbabwe under pressure in the afternoon session when he dismissed Matsikenyeri, Dion Ebrahim (12) and Brendan Taylor (two) in his five overs of probing spin.
Matsikenyeri was unlucky to be bowled after hitting eight fours in his second Test half-century. He played a defensive shot, but the ball hit the bottom of his bat and then the boot before rolling on to the stumps to disturb the bails.
The Zimbabwean opener was dropped on five by Mohammad Ashraful in the slips off paceman Mashrafe Mortaza and survived a run-out chance, but went on to play a few exciting shots to give his team a good start.
But Zimbabwe failed to capitalise on the opening-wicket stand, losing Masakadza, Ebrahim and Taylor in the second session.