Zimbabwe started their tour of Bangladesh with a disappointing performance when the visitors suffered a four-wicket defeat to BCB XI in the first of two practice matches at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Middle-order batsman Faisal Hossain Dickens played a stroke-filled unbeaten 81 to steer Bangladesh's second-string side to 207-6 in 44.5 overs after Zimbabwe were skittled out for a paltry 206 in 42 overs in the face of some tight bowling from pace duo Tareq Aziz Khan and Talha Jubair.

Dickens and wicketkeeper Sahagir Hossain eased the pressure putting on 85 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket to propel the home side home with 31 balls to spare after they had weathered the early storm from pacer Justice Chibhabha, who dented the hosts' top-order to return with 3-32. The left-handed batsman, Dickens, struck nine boundaries and two sixes in his sensible 101-ball knock while Sahagir was unbeaten on 35 off 38 balls that included two fours and one six.

Chasing an easy target, openers Imrul Kayes (13), Nafis Iqbal (27), Shamsur Rahman (2) and skipper Hannan Sarkar (0) were dismissed cheaply, leaving the BCB XI wobbling at 53-4 in 11.2 overs before Mehrab Hossain and Dickens steadied the innings. Mehrab was run out for 21 while Graeme Cremer had new batsman Sharifullah (16) caught by Tatenda Taibu to reduce the hosts to 122-6 in 32.2 overs. But, Dickens and Sahagir frustrated the Zimbabwe attack to pull off an emphatic victory against a side, who are scheduled to play five ODIs series against Bangladesh on the back of 4-1 win over Kenya. Earlier, openers Hamilton Masakadza and Justice Chibhabha gave Zimbabwe a fine start after they visitors opted to bat first.

Both Masakadza (22) and Chibhabha (21) all but found the feet in the ground sending the bowlers to the boundary rope before Talha brought the first breakthrough having Masakadza caught by Faisal for a 23-ball 22 that included five fours. Soon after pacer Mahbubul Alam removed Chibhabha for 21 and a few overs later Talha again struck to dismiss Froster Mutizwa (19) but Brendon Taylor and Taibu steadied the innings. Taylor played a 57-ball 36 before being the first of two scalps of Sharifullah while Taibu top-scored with 62 off 69 balls studded with only four fours. After the departure of Taylor and Taibu, Zimbabwe could not move the score up further as Tareq wrapped up the tail to return three for 45.

-Daily Star