Hamilton Masakadza leads Zimbabwe to victory over Bangladesh

Hamilton Masakadza top-scored with a career-best unbeaten 93 as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 18 runs to level their four-match Twenty20 series.

The tourists, who were 2-0 down in the series and began their fightback with a 31-run win two days earlier, completed the job on Friday at the same venue in Khulna with an even narrower margin this time.

Opener Masakadza batted through, sharing half-century stands for the second and third wickets with Richmond Mutumbani and Malcolm Waller, hitting eight fours and five sixes off 58 balls.

His innings took the tourists to 180-4 after winning the toss.

Bangladesh's reply got off to a miserable start as they collapsed to 17-4, Neville Madziva seeing off both openers on his way to claiming three wickets for 34 runs.

Mahmudullah (54) kept the outcome in doubt - but Tendai Chisoro (3-17), like Madziva returning his best figures in this format of the game, returned to bowl Mahmudullah after a 33-ball half-century.

The home recovery finally fell short on 162 all out in 19 overs - despite some late hitting from Mashrafe Mortaza.