ODI amongst the 2 minnows:

Zimbabwe v Bangladesh, 1st ODI, Harare

Nafees steadies Bangladesh

25 overs Bangladesh 107 for 3 (Nafees 47*) v Zimbabwe

Tawanda Mupariwa turned in a fine initial display

Prosper Utseya, in his first match as captain, won the toss and read the conditions at the Harare Sports Club well to toss the ball to his bowlers. A tidy, if unspectacular, bowling effort from an inexperienced Zimbabwean outfit kept the trigger-happy Bangladesh top order in check by the 25-over mark. Only Shahriar Nafees, with an unbeaten 47, showed any real composure against what was presumed to be cannon fodder.

On a roughish pitch with a hint of moisture, Zimbabwe's new ball pairing of Ed Rainsford and Tawanda Mupariwa turned in a fine initial display. There was enough pace to check the flashy drives that we have become accustomed to from Bangladesh, the right amount of late movement to keep the slip fielders licking their lips, and the tennis ball bounce proved suitable to the swing that Mupariwa achieved while the height that Rainsford got had the batsmen in two minds.

Rainsford gained appreciable lift from the start and surprised Javed Omar with a snorter that left him sharply, but it was Mupariwa who struck first, getting the front-foot happy Omar to drive at a widish delivery on off and edge to Brendon Taylor behind the stumps. Mupariwa's celebratory fist pumping, dreadlocks and all, summed up the attitude of the Zimbabweans: this is our backyard, and this will not be a cakewalk. Aftab Ahmed, promoted to No. 3, played and missed at Mupariwa more than once before getting a virtually unplayable peach. The ball pitched on off, kicked from just short of a length, and all Aftab could do was feather it to Taylor behind the stumps.

Yet, as the two came to the end of six-over spells, and as the second Powerplay was up, Bangladesh awoke. Mohammad Ashraful spanked a wide one from Rainsford between cover and point and not a fielder moved, and then collected one off the pads and flicked it over deep backward square leg for six. Nafees, who had begun circumspectly, showed signs of confidence towards the end of Rainsford and Mupariwa's spells. A sweetly timed straight drive past Mupariwa's outstretched hand was cut off near the ropes, but when the bowler decided to spray it on the pads, Nafees was sublime. A powerful flick off the pads through midwicket was followed by a disdainful pull over square that leg forced Utseya to change his bowlers.

The left and right combination had the Zimbabwean bowlers and fielders adjusting, and it was to Nafees and Ashraful's credit that they continued to rotate the strike. Piet Rinke, whose slow medium pace would elicit as much threat as a grasshopper would a lawnmower, was ticked away for easy runs and the sense of a Bangladesh fightback seeped in. However, a horrible miss by Rainsford at mid-on - he misjudged a poor pull by Ashraful and gave away a brace - did not deter the batsman from playing judiciously. The very next ball, Ashraful made room and exaggeratedly cut Hamilton Masakadza's innocuous legbreak to backward point. It was poor cricket from Ashraful, who should have curbed his enthusiasm after the reprieve.

Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, opened up with a couple of fine drives through covers. He and Nafees would know, though, that their task against the accurate spin combination of Utseya and Ryan Higgins would be tougher following the interval.

Toss Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field against Bangladesh

Prosper Utseya, the new Zimbabwe captain, won his first toss and decided to field as the five-match one-day series against Bangladesh got underway at Harare.

Uncertainty has stalked the Zimbabwean side and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union did not help matters by keeping the players, fans and opposition waiting until 18 hours before the game to name the captain and the squad for the match. Utseya was named the captain - his role in this inexperienced side is now one of a veteran - while the hapless Terry Duffin was shown the door. Duffin, Edward Rainsford and Anthony Ireland have returned from club cricket stints in England and have all found places in the squad.

Bangladesh began their tour with a five-wicket win over a Zimbabwe Board XI, with Mashrafe Mortaza, their fast bowler, taking 5 for 29. Bangladesh arrived in Zimbabwe full of confidence that they can earn their first overseas ODI series win, and a cursory glance at the opposition line-up would suggest that it is not far away.

Meanwhile, former South African player Mike Procter has been appointed as the match referee while his countryman Ian Howell will stand as the umpire in all five matches along with locals Kevan Barbour and Russell Tiffin.

Zimbabwe 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Elton Chigumbura, 3 Terry Duffin, 4 Ryan Higgins, 5 Hamilton Masakadza, 6 Blessing Mahwire, 7 Tawanda Mupariwa, 8 Ed Rainsford, 9 Piet Rinke, Brendan Taylor (wk), Prosper Utseya (capt).

Bangladesh 1 Abdur Razzak, 2 Aftab Ahmed, 3 Mohammad Ashraful, 4 Habibul Bashar (capt), 5 Javed Omar, 6 Alok Kapali, 7 Khaled Mashud (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Mohammad Rafique, 10 Shahadat Hossain, 11 Shahriar Nafees

How they were out

Javed Omar c Taylor b Mupariwa 8 (15 for 1)
Slashed at a wide delivery, simple catch for the 'keeper

Aftab Ahmed c Taylor b Mupariwa 0 (16 for 2)
Great delivery on off, kicked from a length, feathered to the 'keeper

Mohammad Ashraful c Higgins b Masakadza 25 (75 for 3)
Cut a short, wide delivery straight to backward point

Bangladesh gonna win according to me. Zimbabwe are really on an all time low.