ZIM vs BAN 2nd T20I Commentary - Bulawayo (17 July 2026)

 Appeal for stumping! Full and outside off. Ngarava clears his front leg out of the way going for the slog, but misses completely. The keeper gathers it cleanly and whips off the bails in a flash, up goes the appeal for a stumping, and it's straight upstairs to the third umpire. The replay shows Ngarava's back foot did lift off the ground, but the keeper, Nurul Hasan, is just that fraction too slow to whip the bails off, and Richard manages to drag it back in the nick of time. NOT OUT!

A flighted delivery, full, and around off. Ngarava tries to heave it across the line, but gets a top edge. But luckily for him, the ball sails over the fielder at backward point, and they hustle back for a couple.

Tossed up, full, around off. Ngarava mistimes this one too, but it drops just short of the sweeper coming in from cover, and they scamper through for a single.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Rishad wraps things up in style and finishes with a 4-wicket haul. BANGLADESH WIN BY 34 RUNS! And they level the series 1-1, pushing it into a decider. Full and around off. Blessing dances down the track going for the big shot, but plays all over the wrong line and the ball beats him for pace and reach, cannoning into the off stump.

WIDE! Pushes it far outside the tramline, on off. Richard Ngarava reaches out but cannot connect.

Wide yorker, outside off. Richard Ngarava carves it back to the bowler.

Clever bowling! Slower one, around off and full. Richard Ngarava clears the front leg to dump that ball to Harare. Tries to smoke it over deep mid-wicket, but is undone by the lack of pace and is beaten all ends up.

Short and slow, outside off. Richard Ngarava drags it across off the back foot and pulls it to widish long on for just one run. Bangladesh won't mind that at all. This is excellent death bowling from Saifuddin.

OUT! CAUGHT! A stunner from Emon and Saifuddin gets the reward for his disciplined bowling. Full and around off, from around the stumps, with the pace taken off it. Evans goes deep in his crease and gets down low for the sweep, but the change of pace deceives him completely, and he can't generate the elevation he's looking for. Ends up miscuing to deep mid-wicket, where Emon sprints across to his left, throws himself airborne, and clings on tight even as he tumbles to the ground. Zimbabwe are 149/9, needing 38 runs from 10 balls.

A bit down the leg stump, on a length. Blessing Muzarabani looks to tuck it to the leg side, but the ball grazes the thigh pad and rolls back to the keeper.

 Chance of a run out, missed! Full and outside off, this is punched away to cover. Blessing sets off for the single but gets sent back. There's a bit of a mix-up between the two in the middle, though they scramble through unscathed in the end as the fielder misses his shy at the batting end. The ball rolls to the leg side, but it is backed up.

 Back of a length and around off, Richard drags it down to long on for a single.

 FOUR! Put away in disdain! A little bit wide from around the stumps, very full outside off. Brad Evans stays deep in the crease, gets the bat under the ball and carves it over cover, finding the gap in the deep for a boundary. 50 needed off 16 balls.

Beaten! A deceptive slower one, on a length, outside off. Brad leans back to cut it square on the off side, but misses to get any connection.

 SIX! WALLOP! Evans is playing a fantastic hand here. Half-volley, on off. Brad Evans gets to free his arms. He clears the front leg and golfs it powerfully over long off for a big six. 44 needed from 14 now.

 FOUR! This is turning out to be a big over. An attempted yorker on the stumps. Evans smartly moves outside off and plays the scoop shot, well over the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. 15 runs off the over with a ball to go.

 Big swing and a miss! Evans curses himself for not putting bat on the ball. Back of a length, a slower one by the looks of it, wide outside off. Brad Evans has a massive swing at it, only to miss out.

WIDE! Sprays it far down leg, full in length. Let through.

SIX! He has picked the bones out of it! Full and wide outside off. Evans walks out of the crease, gets under the ball and pumps it solidly over the sightscreen for a massive six.

Deceptive slower one, short and on off. Brad Evans initially thinks to leave, but then ramps it late over the keeper, getting a bit of an egde. It goes on the bounce to deep fine leg for a single.

Angled across, on a good length, outside off. Richard Ngarava swings hard to pull across the line, but the ball skids and beats the inside edge.

 Just out of reach! Fires in a low full toss, on middle and off. Richard Ngarava tries to clip it over mid-wicket, but closes the bat face months early and gets a thick leading edge. The ball pops over the cover fielder and they cross for a single.

 Deception! Slow and full, outside off. Brad moves far across the stumps to play the scoop shot but misses to connect.

A full toss, sliding across the left-hander, outside off. Evans reaches out for it, looking to drive, but can only get a bottom edge. The ball trickles away to the right of mid-wicket, the fielder there fumbles the pickup, and the batters pick a couple more.

Spears in a full one, on middle. Evans clears the front leg away and heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

A slower delivery, full and outside off. Richard Ngarava reaches out in front to tonk it down the ground, but the ball dips and beats the under edge.

Full toss, on off, Richard Ngarava creams it between mid off and cover, but the ball slows in the outfield and Towhid Hridoy from mid off hunts it down just before the ropes. Three runs taken.

WIDE! Miles outside off, on a fullish length. Brad throws his bat at it, but misses to put bat on ball to hit it over cover. It is beyond the tramline and is called a wide.

Slips in a full toss, on middle. Brad tries to heave it over mid-wicket, but is a bit late on the shot. Hits it off the inner half and it rolls to square leg.

Taskin goes searching for a yorker, but again bowls a low full toss, on the stumps. Evans clears out his front leg and drags it off the toe end towards Rishad Hossain at deep mid-wicket. Just one.

 FOUR! Hit hard and well enough! Dug in short by Taskin, on top of middle and leg. Richard Ngarava stands tall and pulls it over square leg. Beats the deep mid-wicket fielder to his left. One bounce and into the fence for four.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust. Saif comes from around the stumps and bowls a round-arm delivery. Short and outside off. Musekiwa clears his front leg out of the way, looking to slog it across the line, but that angle from round the wicket makes it awkward for him to deal with. Gets a leading edge, the ball loops up to short third, and Mohammad Saifuddin makes no mistake with a simple catch. Zimbabwe are 109/8, in the chase of 187 runs.

Fullish, on off, Richard Ngarava blocks it back to the bowler.

Swing and a miss! Pitches it up, well outside off. Richard Ngarava gets on his front foot, trying to loft it straight down the ground, but misses on the outside edge. 

Short, on middle, angling in, Richard Ngarava opens his stance and tucks it through square leg for a brace.

Again a shorter one, on around middle. Richard Ngarava tucks it to mid-wicket. 

Drags his length back yet again, around middle and leg, Richard Ngarava tucks it to short fine leg. 

Again, overthrow from Bangladesh! A touch fuller, at the stumps, Tashinga Musekiwa hangs back and cuts it from the bottom part of his bat to short third for a single. The fielder in the region throws it at the bowler's end, but it misses the stumps by a huge gap. The ball rolls away to long on and the batter gets another single. 

BEATEN! Short and outside off. Musekiwa tries to pull it but misses.

Short and outside off, firmly slapped off the back foot to sweeper cover for a single.

Flatter and short, around off, Ryan Burl pulls it to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs. 

OUT! CAUGHT! The partnership, which was looking promising, has been broken and it's none other than Rishad Hossain. A touch shorter, well outside off. Ryan Burl crouches a bit and pulls it across the line. However, the connection is not proper from the bat as it flies toward deep mid-wicket. Towhid Hridoy settles himself underneath the skier and pouches the catch safely before tumbling on the ground.  

Fuller, outside off, Brad Evans skips down the track and stabs it to the right of the bowler.

Slanting down the leg side, on a good length. Tashinga Musekiwa rolls his wrists and glances at it to deep fine leg for a single. 

FOUR! Streaky, but it will work for Ryan Burl. At this point, Full-length delivery, outside off. Ryan Burl frees his arms and looks to drill it toward the off side, but gets a thick inside edge and it zips past the off stump to dribble away toward the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. With that, Burl completes 2000 T20I runs!

OVERTHROWS! Sloppy, sloppy work in the field there. Back of a length, outside off, and Ryan Burl bunts it softly toward the vacant mid on area. The fielder sprints in from the deep, picks up, and fires a wild throw at the bowler's end that sails well over the stumps, forcing the bowler to duck out of the way. With no proper backup either, the ball scoots away all the way to deep backward square leg. The batters aren't complaining, as they scamper back for two more, taking four in total off what should have been a simple single.

Fullish, outside off, Ryan Burl punches it to sweeper cover for one.

Flatter and fuller, around off. Tashinga Musekiwa miscues his slog to long on and gets a single. 

Saif Hassan does an excellent job to finish off the remaining over. Short of a length, just outside off, Ryan Burl opens the face of the bat and steers it to the left of the backward point fielder. He wants to take the single, but was rightfully sent back by Musekiwa.

On a good length, slanting away from the batter. Ryan Burl drives it toward the left of the deep point fielder and gets a single.

On the fuller side, around off, Tashinga Musekiwa pushes it to long off and gets a single. 

Another quick single! Pitches it up, does Saifuddin, around off. Ryan Burl drives it toward the right of the mid off fielder. He makes a good stop, but the batter gets a single. 

Angling in sharply, pitching on middle and slanting down the leg side. Tashinga Musekiwa swings his blade to heave it with the angle, but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears on the back pad thigh pad.

On a nagging length, on middle. Tashinga Musekiwa forces it to long off for a single. 

Much fuller in length, shaping it away from the off stump. Ryan Burl drives it to the right of the long off fielder. The call is two and they get the double in time. 

Good-length delivery, just outside off, Tashinga Musekiwa stabs it toward the right of the point fielder for a single.

On the fuller side, around middle. Ryan Burl flicks it with soft hands to deep mid-wicket and gets a brace. 

Tight single! Back of a length, just outside off. Ryan Burl stays on his back foot and knocks it toward mid off. The fielder charges and has a shy at the bowler's end but fails to hit the stumps. Single taken by the batter. 

Yorker, at the stumps. Tashinga Musekiwa jams it to mid-wicket. 

Short of a length, outside off. Tashinga Musekiwa leaves it. 

Hard-length delivery, around the hips of the batter. Tashinga Musekiwa works it to mid-wicket for a single. The fielder picks it up and scores a direct hit at the bowler's end, before it gets deflected toward deep point. Another run taken. 

Around the stump, full and on off. Ryan Burl carves it powerfully to wide long off and calls for the second. The fielder releases a rocket throw at the bowling end, but misses his shy. Had the stumps hit, Madande would have been gone by a fair margin. But he is safe.

Drops it full and around off. Ryan Burl presses in front and caresses it to long off for a run.

OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! That's the third wicket for Mahedi Hasan. A drag-downer, right on the stumps. Clive looks to heave it away over the square leg region, but can't generate the power or the elevation needed to clear the rope, and finds Rishad waiting in the deep.

Short, around the pads, Tashinga Musekiwa clips it to square leg for a single. 

Tossed up, fuller, on middle, Ryan Burl blocks it down.

Pitches it up, does Mahedi, around off, Ryan Burl drives it to the cover fielder. 

OUT! CASTLED! Wicket number 2 for Rishad. He offers a good bit of flight on this one, lands it full and around off, getting it to dip and turn in off the pitch. Milton Shumba gets lured in the flight and sits down to slog it over mid-wicket, but the ball turns in and sneaks below the bat and crashes into the stumps behind. Zimbabwe are 68/5, staring down the barrel now. They need 119 runs from 71 balls.

Full, around off, pushed to cover.

A slip in place. Full and straight on middle. Clive Madande lunges and defends it to the leg side.

Pushed through, full and on off. Clive Madande laces it through mid off for a run to get off the mark.

WIDE! Short, spinning down leg. Ryan Burl tries to whip it across, but misses. Nurul Hasan collects the ball and breaks the stumps, but Burl's feet never left the crease.

 SIX! Top shot from Burl! Drops a half-volley, on middle and leg. Ryan Burl gets low on his back knee and nails the slog sweep, hitting it high and handsome over deep square leg for a six.

Turns in on the pads, on a length. Ryan clips it to square leg for a single. 9 runs off the over.

Full, outside off, knocked away to cover.

A fraction shorter, played off the back foot straight to the cover fielder.

The length is pulled back, on off. Milton Shumba goes back and punches it to long off for a single.

Lands it full, around off, Ryan Burl backs away to create room and drives inside out to deep cover for a single.

Quicker and flatter, on the stumps, Milton Shumba leans on and blocks it down the pitch.

Very full, around off, carved off the front foot to long off for one more.

Rishad bowls a length ball, turns in on the pads. Shumba hangs back to whip it across but plays over it and wears on the thigh pad.

 FOUR! Lovely shot! Full and flat, on off and middle. Milton shuffles outside off, gets low on a knee and nails the sweep shot behind square on the leg side. Finds the gap for a boundary.

Short on off, Milton hangs back and drills it down to long off for a single.

 FOUR! Off the edge but Raza won't mind! A touch shorter, outside off, spinning away. Raza throws kitchen-sink at it to muscle it over cover, but gets a thick outside edge and the ball rifles it through short third for a boundary.

OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT! Rishad with a massive breakthrough and ends Raza's counterattack. Drifts in on a length, landing around the off stump line, then spins away sharply. Raza hangs back and jabs at it and can only feather an edge through to Nurul, who takes the simple chance behind the stumps. Zimbabwe are 65/4.

Overpitched, on middle and leg. Burl carves it back to the bowler.

Begins with a length ball, on middle. Milton walks forward and fences it to backward point for a single.

 FOUR! A good effort, but in vain! A low full toss on the pads. Sikandar Raza crouches a bit and whips it to long leg. The fielder from deep square leg does hard yards to his right and even dives to flick the ball in but it trickles to the fence.

 SIX! PUNISHED! He was onto it in a flash. Short in length, on middle and leg. Raza picks the length early, stables himself before powerfully heaving it over deep mid-wicket for a six.

 FOUR! Up and over! Raza looks in a punishing mood here. Saifuddin bowls it a tad fuller, around off. Raza reads the off cutter and jumps out of the crease before muscling it over mid off for a boundary.

Slower off cutter, full on middle. Raza drives it down to long on for a single.

Back of a length, on the leg stump. Shumba tucks it to the right of short fine leg for a single. Zimbabwe end their Powerplay with 56/3 on the board.

On a nagging length, on middle and leg. Sikandar Raza tucks it to square leg for a single. 

Hard length, outside off. Milton Shumba covers the stumps and taps it down. 

On the fuller side, outside off. Milton Shumba drives it crisply, but fails to beat the mid off fielder. 

Length ball, angling in on the pads. Shumba looks to work it across the line, but it thuds into the thigh pad instead. Undone by extra bounce.

Huge appeal for LBW, but turned down the umpire due to height. Pitching this on the back of a good length and nipping in into the left-hander. Milton Shumba hangs back and looks to tuck it, but misses the connection and wears the upper part of the pad.

Drags his length back, does Rana, pitching it just outside off. Milton Shumba hangs back and tries to work it across the line, but gets a thick outside edge. The ball flies and drops safely in the backward point region. Single taken. 

Good running! Back of a length, shaping in, over off. Sikandar Raza opens his stance and pulls it to the left of the deep square leg fielder. Runs hard for the first one and gets the second in time. 

Angling in, attacking the off stump, on a good length. Sikandar Raza defends it solidly. 

Just a yard behind the good length, pitching it just outside off and nipping in sharply. Sikandar Raza gets squared and ends up swiping it toward the right of sqaure leg for a brace. 

Straight up, lands safely! Short in length, nipping in with bounce. Sikandar backs away and pulls it off the top edge. It flies up and hangs for a long time, but lands and plugs in the outfield at deep mid-wicket, in the no-man's land. The fielder from mid-wicket sprints and stops it before the fence, and in the meantime, the batters hustle back for the third run.

FOUR! CRACKED! Back of a length, angling across the left-hander. Milton Shumba gets on his front foot and slaps hard at it through cover-point for four runs. 

FOUR! Some lucky runs for Shumba. Pitches it up, on a good length, outside off. Milton Shumba lunges forward to drive it away from his body, but gets nicked on the outside edge, before the ball races away from the right of the short third fielder for four runs. 

Pitches it up, does Mahedi, on off, Dion Myers pushes it to the right of the bowler.

A tad fuller, outside off, Dion Myers drills it toward cover. The fielder in the region dives ot his right and makes a half save, parrying it further away. Single taken. 

Flatter trajectory, fuller in length, on off, Milton Shumba makes room and drives it to long off for a single. 

OUT! TIMBER! A prosperous start has been turned into a disaster for the host. Mahedi Hasan offers a much fuller delivery, keeping the trajectory flat. Dion Myers gets down on one knee and looks to slog sweep it over the mid-wicket region, but the ball sneaks past the bottom edge and rattles the off stump. Zimbabwe lose their third wicket for 21 runs. 

Length-delivery, at the stumps, Sikandar Raza works it to long on for a single.

Pushed through, full and on middle, drifting in. Shumba leans on and smothers the spin.

Good length, outside off, Brian Bennett dabs it to deep third for one. 

Short delivery, angling in. Dion Myers covers the stumps and looks to pull but it goes past the outside edge. 

Back of a length, outside off. Dion is undone by the lift off the surface. Tries to loft it over cover, but misses out on the connection.

Hard-length delivery, outside off, Dion Myers looks to force it down town, but miscues the shot to the right of mid off. Two runs taken. 

Full, angling in, Dion Myers flicks it to deep square leg for a single. 

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Sensational piece of bowling from Rana. Cannons in a yorker and angles onto the leg stump line. Bennett backs away early, exposes all three stumps, as he looks to carve it over the covers. He throws everything at it and finds nothing but air. Rana's pace does the rest, casting him clean. A bit of an unnecessary shot from Bennett as he walks back cheaply. Zimbabwe are 19/2, chasing 187.

FOUR! What a way to start the innings! Good-length delivery, outside off, Brian Bennett transfers his weight on his back foot and slashes it past the backward point fielder for four runs. 

SIX! Up, up and over! Flighted and fuller, just outside off. Brian Bennett shuffles wide across the stumps and sweeps it well over the deep square leg fence for half a dozen.

Fuller, wide outside off, Brian Bennett shuffles to scoop it away, but misses and thumps the pad, before it rolls to short third for a leg bye. 

FOUR! This is an excellent start from Zimbabwe. Quicker and fuller, at the pads of the batter. Tadiwanashe Marumani gets down on one knee and sweeps it to deep square leg for another boundary. 

On a nagging length, on middle and leg, Tadiwanashe Marumani defends it on the front foot. 

OUT! TAKEN! Mahedi Hasan draws the first blood. The Chevron started so well, but this cheap dismissal might haunt Marumani. Short of a length, off and middle. Tadiwanashe Marumani goes deep into the crease and looks to flick it away, but ends up chipping it straight to the mid-wicket fielder, where Towhid Hridoy makes no mistake to take the catch. A soft dismissal and Zimbabwe are 15/1, chasing 187.