Tigers wrap up easy series win

A strong batting performance and a ruthless display with the ball set up a crushing 146-run victory for Bangladesh over Scotland in Mirpur, giving the Tigers a 2-0 series win and extending their unbeaten run to eight ODIs.

Chasing a stiff target of 279, Scotland?s innings began disastrously as Warwickshire’s Navdeep Poonia and Dougie Brown both fell victim to Mashrafe Mortaza to leave the tourists 0-2 after just four deliveries. Gavin Hamilton departed soon after, bowled by Shahadat Hossain, before Fraser Watts (29) and Neil McCallum (23) led something of a Scotland recovery.

However the pair departed in the midst of a collapse that saw five wickets tumble for only 25 runs as Abdur Razzak, the left-arm spinner, ripped through the middle order. Tailenders Glenn Rogers (20 not out) and John Blain (22) resisted for as long as possible, but Mohammad Rafique and Saqibul Hasan applied the last rites to dismiss Scotland for 132 in 41.3 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh had begun slowly before the middle order ran amock and Mortaza thumped a devastating fifty in the latter overs. Coming in after the loss of Shahriar Nafees for 23, Aftab Ahmed pounded 52 in 46 balls, including two sixes, sharing partnerships of 48 with Mehrab Hossain jnr (15) and 43 with the teenage prodigy Saqibul Hasan, who made 44. Habibul Bashar struck a useful 22, but Bangladesh were hampered by the constant falls of wickets just as stands were beginning to flourish and were sat a little uncomfortably at 199 for six when Mushfiqur Rahim departed for six.

Mortaza’s innings soon settled any uncertainty. In just 28 balls the right-hander hammered five sixes and a pair of fours, piling on 79 with Mohammad Ashraful, who finished unbeaten on 38. Off-spinner Majid Haq, deputising for the injured Scotland vice-captain Ryan Watson, took 2-57 on ODI debut.

Bangladesh 286-6 (50 overs)
Aftab Ahmed 52, Saqibul Hasan 44, Mohammad Ashraful 38*, Mashrafe Mortaza 51*
Craig Wright 2-46, Majid Haq 2-57

Scotland 132 all out (41.3 overs)
Fraser Watts 29, Neil McCallum 23, Glenn Rogers 20*, John Blain 22
Abdur Razzak 4-23, Mohammad Rafique 2-23, Mashrafe Mortaza 2-39

Bangladesh won by 146 runs and take the two-match ODI series 2-0

Cricket Web Man of the Match: Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh)
Cricket Web Man of the Series: Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh)