Mavuta stars as Zimbabwe record first Test win in 5 years

Brendon Mavuta took four wickets on debut as Zimbabwe completed their first Test victory in five years as they beat Bangladesh by 151 runs in Sylhet on Tuesday.

Leg-spinner Mavuta finished with figures of 4-21 as Zimbabwe bowled the hosts out for 169 in the second session of the fourth day as the home team fell short well of their 321-run target.

The Tigers came into the day in confident mood on 26 without loss, still requiring another 295 to win, but were pegged back early as off-spinner Sikandar Raza was on fire in the morning session.

The opening partnership went to 56 when Raza trapped Liton Das (23) lbw before seamer Kyle Jarvis bowled Mominul Haque (9).

Raza struck two further blows to remove Imrul Kayes (43) and home captain Mahmudullah (16) as Bangladesh slumped to 102/4 with the target now looking far in the distance.

A victory for the hosts looked near impossible when, on the stroke of the lunch interval, Mavuta had Nazmul Hossain Shanto (11) caught by Raza as the Tigers went to the interval on 111/5.

It all ended pretty quickly after the break as Mavuta took a further three wickets while fellow debutant Wellington Masakadza also claimed his first Test wickets to finish with figures of 2/33.

Ariful Haque (37) fought until the end for Bangladesh but he was last man out when he skied Masakadza and was taken by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva.

It was the African side’s first victory in the longest format since they beat Pakistan in Harare in 2013 while it was also their first success overseas in Test cricket since beating the Tigers in Chittagong 17 years ago (November 2001).

The visitors also now cannot lose the two-match series with the second and final game set to start in Dhaka on Sunday.

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