Afridi, Riaz bowl Pakistan to easy win by AFP

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Ground:	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Scorecard:	Bangladesh v Pakistan
Player:	Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf, Alok Kapali
Event:	Kitply Cup 2008

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DateLine: 8th June 2008

 

Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz shared six wickets to script Pakistan's emphatic 70-run victory over Bangladesh in the opening match of a triangular one-day series here on Sunday.

 

Leg-spinner Afridi finished with 3-19 off eight tight overs and left-arm seamer Riaz with 3-22 as Pakistan restricted Bangladesh to 163-8 after scoring 233 in a match reduced to 40-overs-a-side due to rain.

 

It was Pakistan's 12th successive win in one-day internationals.

 

Pakistan were indebted to left-handed opener Salman Butt (70) and Mohammad Yousuf (59) for setting a challenging target after being put in to bat.

 

Afridi and Riaz virtually reduced the day-night match to a no-contest when they shared the first five wickets to send the hosts reeling at 98-5 in the 27th over. The duo were backed by paceman Umar Gul, who bagged two wickets.

 

Skipper Mohammad Ashraful top-scored with a fighting 56 not out in a disappointing Bangladeshi batting performance. The hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals after a steady 35-run start, given by Tamim Iqbal (29).

 

Butt earlier added 75 for the opening wicket Kamran Akmal, executing handsome shots against new-ball bowlers Shahadat Hossain and Mashrafe Mortaza before racing to his half-century off just 47 deliveries.

 

Debutant seamer Dolar Mahmud provided the breakthrough in the 12th over when he had Akmal (25) caught by wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who dived to his right to bring off a low catch.

 

Younus Khan was run out in the next over, but Butt and Yousuf propped up the innings with a 65-run stand for the third wicket.

 

Butt struck 10 fours in his 84-ball knock and Yousuf seven boundaries off 56 balls. It was Butt's eighth half-century and Yousuf's 62nd.

 

Misbah-ul-Haq then built on the efforts of Butt and Yousuf, smashing two sixes and three fours in a 22-ball 39.

 

Leg-spinner Alok Kapali dismissed Afridi (20) and Yousuf in the same over to finish with 3-49, his best in 56 one-day internationals.

 

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak took 3-35, including two wickets in the last over of the innings.

 

Pakistan will now meet India in their next match on Tuesday.

(Article: Copyright © 2008 AFP)