Bangladesh enjoy first series win

Bangladesh today completed their maiden Test series victory by ensuring the second and final Test against Zimbabwe petered out into a tame draw in Dhaka.

Set an improbable 374 to win the match, Bangladesh crawled to 285 for five off 142 overs before the match finished prematurely because of bad light and slight drizzle.

Opener Nafis Iqbal recorded his first Test century before being dismissed for 121, while Rajin Saleh was unbeaten on 56 when the teams left the field.

The result meant Bangladesh took the two-match series 1-0 courtesy of their 226-run win in the opening contest - a result which was their first-ever Test win.

The Tigers started the final day on 98 without loss after openers Iqbal and Javed Omar had shut up shop yesterday to frustrate Zimbabwe for 57 wicketless overs.

The Africans had more luck today, claiming five Bangladesh wickets - but a draw always looked the most likely result.

First to fall was Omar, who was dismissed for 43 when he tried to drive Graeme Cremer and succeeded only in finding Brendan Taylor at backward-point.

Omar took 45 minutes to get off the mark this morning and had faced 258 balls by the time Zimbabwe were finally able to dislodge him.

Iqbal proved even more obstinate and survived the departures of Omar, captain Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful to reach three figures for the first time in international cricket.

The nephew of former Bangladesh Test captain Akram Khan was eventually out midway through the final session after Zimbabwe had taken the second new ball, the 19-year-old caught by Taylor at first slip off the bowling of Tinashe Panyangara having struck 18 fours and faced 355 deliveries.

Bangladesh then quickly lost Aftab Ahmed for five, the batsman becoming Panyangara's third victim of the day when he edged behind to Tatenda Taibu, and at that point Zimbabwe may have fancied their chances of pushing on for victory.

But Saleh and wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud (28) dashed those hopes with an unbroken 79-run stand for the sixth wicket before the elements forced an early finish.