DHAKA: Despite a magnificent maiden hundred by Nasir Hossain, Pakistan recorded second consecutive victory against Bangladesh to win the series of three One-day Internationals 2-0 here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday. Nasir scored exact 100 runs in 155 balls with a six and eleven fours but his team was defeated by 76 runs in the end. Chasing 263, Bangladesh could make 186 runs for seven wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Earlier, Umar Akmal scored 59 and Shahid Afridi hit 42 off 27 balls as Pakistan piled up 262-7 after they won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night match at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. The total proved beyond Bangladesh's reach after they were reduced to 19-4 in the 10th over, and managed only 186-7 despite a maiden international century from Nasir Hossain. Nasir cracked 100 and Shakib Al Hasan made 34, the pair sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 106 runs, but Bangladesh were never in the hunt against the tight Pakistani bowling. The 20-year-old Nasir, playing only his ninth one-dayer, plundered 11 boundaries and a six before he was dismissed in the final over. Seamer Umar Gul finished with four for 36, while off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez conceded just 15 runs in his 10 overs with two wickets. Pakistan's 27th win over the Tigers in 28 one-dayers has left only academic interest in the third and final match to be played in the port city of Chittagong on Tuesday. The one-dayers will be followed by two Test matches. Pakistan had won the Twenty20 international by 50 runs and the first one-dayer by five wickets at the same venue. Hafeez, who opened Pakistan's attack, removed Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees in successive overs after Gul had dismissed the aggressive Tamim Iqbal in his second over. Gul also had Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim caught at gully, before Nasir and Shakib delayed the inevitable with their century partnership. Pakistan's innings revolved around a fourth-wicket stand of 83 between Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq (37), before Afridi smashed two sixes and three boundaries towards the end to boost the total. Hafeez (32) and Younis Khan (37) put on 57 for the second wicket after opener Imran Farhat had fallen in the third over. Akmal lifted the tempo by reaching his 11th one-day half-century off 49 balls, steering seamer Rubel Hossain to the third-man fence. The 21-year-old fell in the next over, the 39th of the innings, when he holed out in the deep off Shakib to make Pakistan 176-4. It soon became 193-5 as one-day debutant Elias Sunny picked up his first wicket when he had Misbah caught in the deep in the 42nd over.

BRISBANE : A James Pattinson-inspired Australia won the first trans-Tasman Test at the Gabba on Sunday by nine wickets within four days.They required 19 second innings runs to win after a stunning burst by Test debutant Pattinson (5-27) helped the hosts rout New Zealand for 150 in their second innings on Sunday.Australia (1-19) lost opener Phil Hughes (seven) - who was dropped the previous ball - before David Warner (12 not out) hit the winning boundary.The 21-year-old Victorian boasted figures of 5-7 by his seventh over - his first five-wicket haul in just his 10th first-class game.New Zealand began the day at 1-10 but went to lunch at 7-121.And they were 8-123 when the stubborn Dean Brownlie (42) was dismissed by Peter Siddle (1-44) on the eighth ball after lunch.Off-spinner Nathan Lyon (3-19) helped clean up the tail.It marked a big turnaround for Pattinson who was 0-13 after his first Test over on Thursday, finishing with first innings figures of 1-64 off 15 overs.But not everything he touched turned to gold on Sunday.He dropped Perth-born Brownlie on 34, denying Warner a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.New Zealand took seven off the first over of the day before all hell broke loose.Martin Guptill (12) was snapped up at bat-pad and two balls later Kane Williamson (0) was caught behind driving - as was captain Ross Taylor (0) next ball.Jesse Ryder survived the hat-trick ball, jamming out a nasty yorker but New Zealand soon slumped to 5-28 in the 13th over.Nightwatchman Doug Bracewell would not have fancied his odds of surviving considering his rotten luck in Brisbane - he had three chances go down off his bowling in Australia's 427 first dig after dismissing Michael Clarke (139) on a no ball. Sure enough he was next to go - giving Pattinson five scalps. The aggressive Ryder (36 off 38) showed some resistance before being caught slogging.Pattinson was named man of the match for his efforts in the second dig.

Posted in: