Zimbabwe take the bird-in-a-hand option

Going through the motions: Sean Ervine traps Khaled Mashud leg-before for 9

Once it was determined that play would be possible on the final day of the Test match between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, there was only one question to be asked: would Zimbabwe, who were in charge at the resumption, choose to play out the match quietly or see how close they could get to victory in a day-and-a-half?

Against all expectations, a full day's play was possible. The ground staff worked their hearts out to drain a sodden outfield during the blank fourth day, but the weather stayed dry and remarkably play started on time.

The answer to the question probably depended on what happened before lunch, Bangladesh starting the day with five wickets down. A wicket to the second ball of the day must have encouraged their hopes, but in the next two-and-a-half hours Zimbabwe's fielding reverted to its Harare ways. Five catches were dropped, four close to the wicket, none easy but all at Test level should have been accepted more often than not. Only three more wickets fell. Dropped catches, as in Harare, proved to be the vital factor in a day's play.

Going in shortly after lunch, Zimbabwe soon made it clear they considered a bird in the hand worth more than two in the distant bush. Their objective was batting practice for their fragile top order, and the next question to be answered was whether Stuart Carlisle would reach his second Test century. Taking no chances, he worked his way there inexorably, and after he had lashed Mohammad Ashraful to the cover boundary the match was declared over.

At least one person had somebody to remember the match by, even if it was decided not to make a match award. Unofficially, it should have gone to Jupiter Pluvius as a reminder not to host an international series at the height of the Zimbabwean rainy season.