A restrained hundred from skipper Mohammad Ashraful helped Bangladesh to a 96-run win over the United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup one-day match at the Gaddafi stadium on Tuesday.
Ashraful's second one-day century (109) allowed Bangladesh to post 300 for eight. They then bowled out UAE for 204 runs with 26 balls to spare.
The UAE innings was given some substance by opener Arshad Ali, who made a plucky 41 from 79 balls including five fours, and Khurrum Khan, who struck a solid 78 from 81 balls with eight fours, but the lack of international experience showed in the rest of the batting.
"It's nice to get a hundred at the start of the tournament," Ashraful told reporters. "It was a special innings as we won the game and the weather was also not ideal for cricket. It was tough batting out there. "Our next target now is to beat Sri Lanka and top this group. If we put in a collective effort we can do it," he added. Khan played a plucky innings hitting some strong shots before he was finally out two balls before the innings ended.
He was caught at long-on by Raqibul Hasan off left arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who finished with 3-20, and became the third Bangladeshi player to complete 100 wickets in one-dayers after Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafe Mortaza. The victory ended a run of seven defeats for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup which is being held after a gap of five years for the first time in Pakistan.
The Bangladesh bowlers enjoyed themselves with Mashrafe Mortaza striking the first blow by removing opener Amjad Javed for 10 and Shahadat Hossain sending back Indika Batuwitarachchi. The spinners then took over with Alok Kapali taking two wickets. Ashraful's hundred came off 114 balls with eight fours, reaching three figures with a glide down to third man off paceman Zahid Shah, who finished with 3-49.
It was a good comeback for the Bangladesh skipper on Pakistan soil as he struggled to muster 81 runs in the five match one-day series against Pakistan in April. He eventually fell in the 45th over, run out for 109 runs after he had put on 141 from 122 balls for the third wicket with Raqibul Hasan who made 83. He also added 95 for the second wicket with Tamim Iqbal (40).
Bangladesh face Sri Lanka in Lahore on Wednesday.