Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh by 69 runs in the third of five One-Day Internationals at the Queen's Sports Club here Friday. Zimbabwe put on a huge target of 323-7 in 50 overs and then bowled out Bangladesh 254 in 44.2 overs. Raqibul Hasan (78) and Mahbubul Alam (59) were the only Bangladesh batsmen to put up resistance against Zimbabwe bowlers. Bangladesh leads the five-match series 2-1. Earlier Hamilton Masakadza hit a maiden century and Brendan Taylor added 94 to lead Zimbabwe to 323-7. Masakadza smashed four boundaries and two sixes to score 102 from 112 balls in his 71st ODI. He once was the youngest centurion on Test debut after scoring 119 as a 17-year-old schoolboy against West Indies in Harare in 2001. Masakadza put on 142 for the fourth wicket with Taylor before playing across to be bowled by spinner Enamul Haque. Zimbabwe had gone from 60-3 in the 12th over to 202-4 in the 39th at Queens Sports Club. Taylor, a batsman-wicketkeeper, and Elton Chigumbura then put on 90 in just over seven overs. Taylor, who was dropped in the deep by Haque on 57, was run out in the 48th over. Chigumbura remained unbeaten on 61.
