A last-ball thriller has kept the semi-final hopes alive for Bangladesh, as they achieved a narrow three-run win over Zimbabwe in the Super 12 round of the Twenty20 World Cup in Brisbane on Sunday.  

With the help of the highest 71 runs scored by opener Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh reached 150-7 at the Gabba in Brisbane during a nail-biting contest in which Zimbabwe needed 16 runs in the last over.

A brilliant spell of 3-19 from player of the match Taskin Ahmed helped the Tigers take the match to the last over.

In the last over, two wickets fell, a massive six was hit, and both the teams thought the game was finished but had to come out to the field to finish the match again.

After Blessing Muzarabani was stumped trying to hit a six off the last ball, the fielding team started the celebration, being convinced that they had won the game.

After reviewing the ball and wicket, the third umpire ruled that wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan caught the ball with his gloves in front of the wickets before breaking the stumps, which is illegal.

The teams returned to the field for an extra ball, a free hit, from which the batting side needed four runs to win, but Muzarabani missed again, and Zimbabwe fell short on a score of 147-8.

With the victory, Bangladesh bagged four points and  moved to the second position in Group 2 points table with two games remaining.

The loss left Zimbabwe, who stunned Pakistan with a one-run victory on Thursday, still in the hunt for a semi-final place with three points in their bag.

The top two in each group will advance to the last four.

After Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and elected to bat, opener Soumya Sarkar was caught behind by fast bowler Muzarabani in the second over.

Both Shanto and Liton Das hit boundaries in the first over, and the pair put 22 runs on the board when Das hit a slower Muzarabani delivery over the infield and into the hands of Tendai Chatara.

Zimbabwe bowled economically and kept the score at 63-2 at the halfway point despite some shaky fielding.

But once past that mark, Bangladesh picked their game up and rotated the strike well, with Shanto reaching his first T20I half-century off 45 balls, a first for the Tigers in this ongoing tournament.

Shakib, who has played in every T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007, survived a run-out chance on 23 at the other end but fell five balls later, caught brilliantly by Muzarabani with spinner Sean Williams bowling, breaking a 54-run partnership.

Shanto kept going alongside Mosaddek Hossain then gave a catch to Craig Ervine before Bangladesh took 47 from the last five overs.

In reply, Zimbabwe were on the back foot immediately, as Wessly Madhevere was dismissed on the third ball by getting caught in the deep, with Taskin Ahmed picking up the wicket.

The scenario worsened for Zimbabwe, as Taskin and Mustafizur Rahman kept regularly striking to leave them on a disastrous 35-4.

Mustafiz gave a glimpse of his early days as he impressed with a spell of 2-15 in his four overs.

Sean Williams (64) and Regis Chakabva pushed them to 64-4 after 10 overs, but a bowling change broke the partnership, with Taskin returning to get rid of Chakabva for 15.

Zimbabwe needed 56 from more in the last five overs, and when Williams was run out with eight balls to spare with a match-winning moment from Shakib, all their hopes faded away prior to the dramatic last over.