Bangladesh beat Afghanistan in last-ball thriller

ABU DHABI: Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman held his nerves to bowl a final dot ball in the 50th over to give his team a nerve-wracking three-run win over Afghanistan here on Sunday.

Needing eight to win off the 50th over Afghanistan lost Rashid Khan for five off the second ball while Samiullah Shinwari (23 not out) and Gulbadin Naib managed just two leg byes to finish at 246-7.

Bangladesh had made 249-7 on the back of half centuries from Mahmudullah Riyad and Imrul Kayes at the Sheik Zayed Stadium. Afghanistan were helped to their total with a 99-ball 71 by Hashmatullah Shahidi who hit five boundaries while opener Mohammad Shahzad made an 81-ball 53 with eight boundaries.

Skipper Asghar Afghan (39) and Mohammad Nabi (38) made useful contributions but the asking rate climed to mount presure in the final over.Earlier, Riyad scored an 81-ball 74 with two sixes and three boundaries while Kayes — recalled as a back-up to strengthen the batting — made an 89 ball 72 not out to help Bangladesh recover from a precarious 5-87.

Opener Liton Das scored 41 and Mushfiqur Rahim made 33 but Bangaldesh - who won the toss and batted — owed their total to a solid 128-run stand for the sixth wicket between Riyad and Kayes.

Kayes gave good support to Riyad as the two built the innings after Bangladesh’s star batsman Shakib Al Hasan was run out for nought.Kayes hit six boundaries as Bangladesh played the dangerous spinning duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman who managed a wicket each.

Bangladesh won toss

Bangladesh

Liton Das c Janat b Rashid 41

Nazmul Hossain c Rahmat b Alam 6

Mohammad Mithun lbw b Mujeeb 1

†Mushfiqur Rahim run out 33

Shakib Al Hasan run out 0

Imraul Kayes not out 72

Mohammadullah Riyad c Rashid b Alam 74

*Mashrafe Mortaza c Shahzad b Alam 10

Mehidy Hasan not out 5

Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 4) 7

Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 249

Did not bat: Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam

Fall: 1-16, 2-18, 3-81, 4-81, 5-87, 6-215, 7-236

Bowling: Alam 10-0-54-3; Mujeeb 10-0-35-1 (1 w); Naib 9-0-58-0 (1 w); Nabi 10-0-44-0 (2 w); Rashid 10-0-46-1; Shinwari 1-0-9-0

Afghanistan

†Mohammad Shahzad b Riyad 53

Ihsanullah Janat c Nazmul b Mustafiz 8

Rahmat Shah run out 1

Hashmatullah Shahidi b Mortaza 71

*Asghar Afghan c Riyad b Mortaza 39

Mohammad Nabi c Nazmul b Shakib 38

Samiullah Shinwari not out 23

Rashid Khan c and b Mustafiz 5

Gulbadin Naib not out 0

Extras (lb 3, w 5) 8

Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 246

Did not bat: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam

Fall: 1-20, 2-26, 3-89, 4-167, 5-192, 6-238, 7-244

Bowling: Mortaza 10-0-62-2 (2 w); Nazmul 8-0-29-0 (1 w); Mustafiz 9-1-44-2 (2 w); Mehidy 9-1-36-0; Shakib 9-0-55-1; Riyad 5-0-17-1

Result: Bangladesh won by 3 runs

Man of the Match: Mahmudullah (BD)

Umpires: Marais Erasmus (South Africa) and Nitin Menon (India). Tv umpire: Shaun George (South Africa). Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)