Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and elected to field on an easy-paced track at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.[1] Bangladesh's opening bowler Syed Rasel got the tourists off to a good start dismissing Zimbabwean opener Hamilton Masakadza for a duck in the opening over. After five years out of the International game, Mark Vermeulen and number three Chamu Chibhabha, stabilised the innings with a second-wicket partnership of 25 from 37 balls, before Chibhabha was dismissed by Nazmul Hossain for seven.[2] Joining Vermuelan at the crease was Wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor, and with the score on 2-25, looked to be giving Vermuelan support with 20 from 39 balls. Starting with a flicked boundary, Taylor was unlucky to be given out leg before wicket (lbw) to Shakib—after an inside edge—breaking the innings highest partnership (49). Joined at the crease by Charles Coventry, Vermuelan who was lucky to survive a lbw appeal off Shakib Al Hasan in the 13th over, went on to register his fifth ODI half century from 73 deliveries. Looking to be aggressive, Coventry was caught on the boundary with Mohammad Ashraful's first ball, after scoring 19.[3]
Charles Coventry's 194* was the joint highest individual score in a One Day International until Feb 24 2010,when Sachin Tendulkar of India broke the record and became the first man to reach 200 run mark in an ODI