Dot ball chronicles

Bangladesh managed 290-9 in their second One-Day International against Zimbabwe, but it was an under-par score considering the quality of the pitch and it happened due to the batsmen playing a plethora of dot balls.

Bangladesh, in total, played 151 dot balls in their innings, more than half of their allotted deliveries. Almost every batsman failed to score quickly, and while some did, it could have been much better if they could have reduced the number of deliveries that produced nought.

Tamim Iqbal, who scored a fifty off just 43 balls, scored 46 runs from 11 deliveries, with the help of 10 fours and a six. He played a total of 30 dot deliveries, including the delivery that dismissed him, and 29 of them came in the first powerplay. If he could manage at least 10 runs from those 30, the team total would have ended up healthier.

Anamul Haque, who got the chance to open due to Liton Das’ injury, played 15 dot balls in his 25-ball stay, where he scored 20 runs. 10 of those dot balls came in the first powerplay.

Despite all that, the opening pair brought the Tigers 71 runs in 11 overs, with a run rate over six.

But after they departed, Najmul Hossain Shanto took over and played one dot ball after another to see the run rate drop below six.

Najmul, who scored 38 off 55 deliveries, played 33 dot balls in his innings. He hit five fours, meaning 20 of his 38 came from boundaries. In the remaining 50 deliveries, Najmul scored just 18, which should have been better considering that he batted during the middle overs when the field was more spread around.

And while Mahmudullah Riyad covered it up later to end with a decent strike rate in his innings of 80 runs off 84 balls, he was horrendous until the very late stage of the innings.

Mahmudullah had 17 dot balls in his first 25 and went on to have 30 in his first 50 deliveries. After 36 deliveries, he only scored 14 and 27 after 50. Only after that did he accelerate and had only six dot deliveries in the last 34 he played, scoring 53 runs.

He hit three fours and three sixes, meaning 30 of his 80 came from six balls. The other 78 only produced 50, which should have been more considering the phase he batted in.

Bangladesh ended on 290-9, but if they could have reduced the dot balls by even a fifth, they might have ended with a better total which probably would have been sufficient to defend.