DHAKA — Shahid Afridi bludgeoned the Bangladesh bowlers during a 25-ball 59 to script Pakistan's highest ever run chase as his team beat the host Tuesday by three wickets with one ball to spare to set up an Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. Chasing 327 for victory, opener Ahmed Shehzad (103) gave Pakistan a solid start with his fifth ODI century but it was left to Afridi's pyrotechnics to cement the win as the right-hander hit seven sixes and two fours during his innings, his half-century coming off just 18 balls. Afridi, who hit two consecutive sixes in the last over during Pakistan's win against archrival India Sunday, suffered from cramps towards the end and was run-out to a direct hit by Shakib Al Hasan with Pakistan needing 33 off 19 balls. Fawad Alam (74) was also run out in the final over but his two sixes off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak had sealed the win for Pakistan, whose highest successful run chase till date was in a 2007 ODI against India when they made 322-6. Earlier, determined to register their first win in the tournament, Bangladesh made five changes to its squad and its top order fired in unison to help it post 326 for three, its highest ODI total in front of a delirious crowd at Mirpur's Shere Bangla National Stadium. Opener Anamul Haque (100) hit his second ODI century, while Imrul Kayes (59) and Mominul Haque (51) chipped in with brisk half-centuries to lay the foundation for a big total against Pakistan's off-color attack. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (51) and all-rounder Shakib (44) added 77 quick runs in 5.4 overs and remained unseparated to take the host past the 300-run mark. Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman sent down a hat trick of illegal full tosses and was taken out of the attack with bizarre bowling figures of 0-0-8-0. Mushfiqur took the onus on himself to negate the threat posed by Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who conceded 52 runs in his last four overs. Bangladesh milked 121 runs off the last 10 overs with Shakib hitting six fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 16-ball blitz. Bangladesh's previous highest score was 320-8 against Zimbabwe in a 2009 one-dayer in Bulawayo. — Reuters
Scorecard
Bangladesh Anamul c Shehzad b Ajmal 100 Imrul c Akmal b Talha 59 Mominul c Hafeez b Ajmal 51 Mushfiqur not out 51 Shakib not out 44 Extras: (lb3, nb3, w15) 21 Total: (for 3; 50 overs) 326 Falls: 1-150 (Kayes), 2-204 (Haque), 3-249 (Haque). Bowling: Hafeez 10-0-27-0, Gul 10-1-76-0 (7w), Rehman 0-0-8-0 (3nb), Alam 2-0-12-0, Talha 7-0-68-1 (5w), Ajmal 10-0-61-2 (1w), Afridi 10-0-64-0 (2w), Maqsood 1-0-7-0. Pakistan Shehzad b Razzak 103 Hafeez c Kayes b Haque 52 Misbah b Shakib 04 Maqsood c Anamul b Haque 02 Fawad run out 74 Rehman c Zia b Mahmudullah 08 Afridi run out 59 Akmal not out 14 Gul not out 00 Extras: (b1, lb3, w9) 13 Total: (for 7; 49.5 overs) 329 Fals: 1-97 (Hafeez), 2-102 (Misbah), 3-105 (Maqsood), 4-210 (Shehzad), 5-225 (Rehman), 6-294 (Afridi), 7-325 (Alam). Bowling: Islam 5-0-49-0 (3w), Hossain 6.5-0-50-0 (2w), Shakib 10-2-53-1 (2w), Razzak 9-0-72-1 (2w), Haque 9-1-37-2, Mahmudullah 7-1-47-1, Nasir 3-0-17-0. Note: Pakistan's Abdur Rehman bowled three no-balls and conceded eight runs. He was suspended on dangerous bowling.
