Brendan Taylor passed Andy Flower’s record at 40, and Zimbabwe beat a Bangladesh side without Litton Das by 99 runs
Zimbabwe recovered from 24 for 3 to make 271 for 8 in the UAE tri-series opener in Abu Dhabi, then bowled Bangladesh out for 172.
Oct 18, 2026
Brendan Taylor is 40, and on Saturday in Abu Dhabi he went past Andy Flower to become Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer in ODIs. His 81, alongside Craig Ervine’s 93, took Zimbabwe from 24 for 3 to 271 for 8, and Bangladesh were bowled out for 172 in the 34th over. Zimbabwe won the opening match of the UAE tri-series by 99 runs.
Bangladesh were without their captain. Litton Das was ruled out of the whole series with a right hip joint injury after an MRI scan, and he could not pass a fitness test. Towhid Hridoy, his vice-captain, led the side in his first match as ODI captain, and Parvez Hossain Emon has come into the squad. Mehidy Hasan Miraz missed the game with a fever.
Taskin’s burst, then 150 for the fourth wicket
Taskin Ahmed made the start Bangladesh wanted. He removed Brian Bennett, Ben Curran and the debutant Tafadzwa Tsiga inside the first seven overs, and finished with 3 for 44.
Ervine and Taylor then put on 150 for the fourth wicket. Taylor needed 31 runs to pass Flower’s 6,786 and got there in the 16th over. He has 6,837 runs from 211 ODIs now, and this was his first ODI fifty in six years. He fell for 81 off 101 balls. Ervine made 93 off 106 and missed his hundred by seven. Newman Nyamhuri’s unbeaten 21 helped push the total past 270.
From 42 for none to 172 all out
Tanzid Hasan made the chase look easy for six overs. Bangladesh were 42 without loss, and he hit nine fours and a six in 38 balls. Then Soumya Sarkar edged Blessing Muzarabani to second slip in the seventh over. Tanzid was dropped by Muzarabani at deep third on 46, and off the next ball he picked out the substitute Ryan Burl.
Brad Evans removed Najmul Hossain Shanto straight after that to make it 68 for 3, and it did not get better. Sikandar Raza trapped Hridoy lbw for 13. Wellington Masakadza took out Mosaddek Hossain and Saif Hassan, who had made 26. Evans came back to remove Nurul Hasan and Shoriful Islam with short balls in the same over, and a return catch off Mustafizur Rahman ended it, with Evans on 4 for 45.
Raza had a good day of his own. Rishad Hossain holing out to long-on was his 100th ODI wicket, and the result was his first win as Zimbabwe’s ODI captain.
The slide from 42 for none is what should worry Hridoy most. Taskin had given Bangladesh a real chance with the ball at 24 for 3, and their batters handed it back in about four overs.
Afghanistan next, and maybe a knockout
Each side plays the other two once, and the top two go to the final on 23 October. Afghanistan play Zimbabwe on Monday, 19 October, and Bangladesh face Afghanistan on 21 October. Bangladesh need to win that one. If Zimbabwe also beat Afghanistan, it becomes a straight knockout for the second place in the final.