Humdingers continued to rule at the T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe and Bangladesh played out yet another Super 12 thriller at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday. After their big win against Pakistan the other day in Perth, Zimbabwe narrowly lost a close contest to Bangladesh by three runs, but the drama that ensued in the last ball of the final over was one of the rarest ever seen in any form of cricket. In the end, Zimbabwe had two chances to knock off the win, but they squandered both, allowing Bangladesh to open their account in the Group 2 points table.
Here's what happened. As expected, the match boiled down to the last over, with Zimbabwe needing 16 to win. The final over bowled by Mosaddek Hossain started on just the note Bangladesh wanted as Brad Evans was dismissed off the first ball. However, Richard Ngarava had other plans, as he wacked a four and a six off the next 2 balls to bring the equation down to 5 needed off two. Off the penultima delivery, Mosaddek delivered, as he had Ngarava out stumped, leaving Zimbabwe needing at least a boundary off the last ball to take the match into a Super Over, but it wasn't to be. Blessing Muzarabani was out stumped and Bangladesh won the match by four runs. Or at least it seemed.
The players shook hands and walked off the field. But just then, after the third umpire, after having a proper look at that dismissal, signalled a no-ball. Why? Because of a school-boy like error from Bangladesh wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. The replay showed that Nurul had collected the ball in front of the stumps and dislodged the bails, making it a no-ball. The rules state that if a keeper's gloves, while affecting a stumping, is not behind the stumps, it will result into an illegal delivery. Of course, Muzarabani was way out of his crease but it did not matter. In a stunning sight, all 22 players walked back on the ground to complete the match. And since it was a no-ball, Zimbabwe now required four off the last ball and a free-hit.
{{/usCountry}}The players shook hands and walked off the field. But just then, after the third umpire, after having a proper look at that dismissal, signalled a no-ball. Why? Because of a school-boy like error from Bangladesh wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. The replay showed that Nurul had collected the ball in front of the stumps and dislodged the bails, making it a no-ball. The rules state that if a keeper's gloves, while affecting a stumping, is not behind the stumps, it will result into an illegal delivery. Of course, Muzarabani was way out of his crease but it did not matter. In a stunning sight, all 22 players walked back on the ground to complete the match. And since it was a no-ball, Zimbabwe now required four off the last ball and a free-hit.
{{/usCountry}}With the pressure back on Bangladesh, suddenly, the crowd was behind Zimbabwe, and once again it was Muzarabani left with the task of hitting the winning runs. But in a game of several twists and turns, it was Mosaddek who held his nerves and bowled a dot ball, beating Muzarabani's swing of the bat to finally assure Bangladesh of their maiden win of the T20 World Cup.
"We all were nervous. It was a very good match. It wasn't very easy for us. It was the first time I saw something like that (no ball)," Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed, Player of the Match, said during the presentation ceremony.