A magnificent, unbeaten century from opener Ben Curran
single-handedly rescued Zimbabwe from a catastrophic collapse, guiding the
hosts to a fighting total of 247/6 in the second ODI against Bangladesh at the
Harare Sports Club.
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| Image Credits: Cricinfo |
Navigating tricky, overcast conditions, Zimbabwe’s top order
crumbled early under disciplined bowling, sliding to a perilous 32/3 within the
powerplay. Showing elite temperament, the 30-year-old Curran anchored the
innings as chaos unfolded around him. He combined immaculate defense with
tactical strike rotation, hitting nine boundaries across a gritty, 135-ball
masterclass.
The defining moment of the innings came through a
blistering, unbroken seventh-wicket partnership with Brad Evans. Joining forces
at 148/6, the pair completely counter-attacked the Bangladeshi bowling unit,
plundering 99 runs off just 79 deliveries. While Evans provided the
late-innings fireworks with a rapid 58*, Curran brought up his second ODI
century to rapturous applause from the home crowd. Their late surge yielded 60
runs in the final five overs, shifting the momentum entirely.
By carrying his bat through all 50 overs, Curran became only the tenth opening batsman in Zimbabwean men's ODI history to remain undefeated through an entire innings. His resilient 111* not only gave the bowlers a defendable total but firmly put Zimbabwe in the driver's seat to clinch the three-match series.
