Dhaka: Opening batsman Imrul Kayes’ career best 144 runs helped Bangladesh post a total of 271 runs for 8 against visiting Zimbabwe in the first match of the three-match ODI series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.

Imrul Kayes played the doughty innings off 140 balls for his third ODI ton, involving 13 boundaries and six sixes, alongside sharing a partnership of 127 off 19.1 overs with maiden international half-centurion Mohammad Saifuddin in the 7th wicket stand, which mesmerised the audience most at the jam-packed stadium, reports the UNB.

The opener was dismissed on 266/7 in 48.4 overs as he was caught by Peter Moor off Kyle Jarvis while Saifuddin followed the big hitter soon on 267/8 in 49.1 overs, after hammering 50 off 69 balls, including three boundaries and one six. Saifuddin was caught by Brandon Mavuta off Tendai Chatara.

Imrul Kayes shared another partnership of 71 off 12.2 overs with Mohammad Mithun [37 off 40b; 1x4; 3x6] in the 4th wicket stand, starting their composures to lift Bangladesh from a miserable state of 66/3 in the 15th over. The 4th pair ended on 137/4 in 27.2 overs as Mithun was caught behind by Brendan Taylor off Kyle Jarvis.

Imrul Kayes who became father of a baby boy recently, reached the 100-run mark off 118 balls, taking a single off Donald Tiripano in the first ball of 43rd over when the team total was 198/6.

He hit his last ODI century in October 2016 in Dhakaagainst England scoring 112 runs, and his maiden ton of 101 runs came against New Zealand in Christchurch in February 2010.

Opening the innings with the bat, Bangladesh lost three wickets for 66 runs in 15th over before Imrul Kayes and Mithun started their 4th pair composures before Kyle Jarvis got Mithun in the 28th over.

After a quick fall of the next two wickets as Mahmudullah Riyad was out for a duck and Mehidy Hasan Miraz for single - with a score of 139/6 in 29.3 overs, young face Saifuddin and Imrul Kayes played what could be the game-changing partnership.

Bangladesh suffered the first jolt on 16 in 5.1 overs as opener Liton Kumar Das was out on single digit as he was caught by Cephas Zhuwao off Tendai Chatara. Within a span of four balls, Tendai Chatara got debutant Fazle Mahmud Rabbi on 17/2 in 6 overs. Rabbi failed to prove his worth, leaving the ground for duck as he was caught behind by Brendan Taylor.

As a senior batsman, Mushfiqur Rahim [15 off 20b; 1x4] should have handled the middle with Imrul Kayes, but he was picked up by Brandon Mavuta on 66/3 in 15th over.

Zimbabwean keeper Brendan Taylor did a great job behind the wicket, assisting to have five wickets—Rabbi, Mushfiq, Mithun, Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Kyle Jarvis [4/37] and Tendai Chatara[3/55] shared seven wickets while Brandon Mavuta [1/48] was another wicket-taker for the visitors.