Tigers see off UAE

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful chips the ball over extra cover during his brilliant 109 against United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup opener at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore yesterday.Photo: AFP

Bangladesh put an end to their seven-match losing streak when they scored a comfortable 96-run win against United Arab Emirates in their opening match of the Asia Cup at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore yesterday.
Set to topple a massive Bangladesh total of 300-8, the ICC associate member-nation managed to score 204 before being all out in 45.4 overs.
While Bangladesh ambled in Lahore, host Pakistan needed an Asia Cup-record 100-run eighth-wicket stand between Sohail Tanvir and Fawad Alam to beat an inexperienced Hong Kong by 155 runs in Karachi.
UAE delayed the inevitable mainly because of a fighting 78 by middle-order batsman Khurram Khan after they had lost their top half with 117 runs on the board.
The victory, Bangladesh's first since their 3-0 series win against Ireland in March, not only ended their long spell of defeats but also virtually assured their place in the next round of the competition even before the acid test against defending champions Sri Lanka at the same venue today.
The day however belonged to Mohammad Ashraful who hit a 126-ball 109 for his second one-day hundred and added a record 141 runs for the third wicket with Rokibul Hasan (83) after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat in the Group A match.
Ashraful and Rokibul eclipsed the previous third wicket best of 134 between Shahriar Nafees and Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh landed their second ODI highest total behind 301 against Kenya in 2006 at Bogra.
Bangladesh skipper Ashraful ensured his side made full use of a placid pitch after losing opener Nazimuddin for two in the third over and he found an able ally in opener Tamim Iqbal (40) with whom he added 95 runs for the second wicket to steer Bangladesh on course for a big total.
The partnership was broken when left-handed Tamim failed to heed his captain's call to avoid an unnecessary third run in the 24th over but Rokibul joined Ashraful to steady the ship.
Ashraful continued his different style of batting by replacing his usually aggressive approach with a more conservative one on way to his second century.
During his 126-ball innings the 23-year-old right-hander smashed eight boundaries to overcome a long slump in form as well as reached the three digit after a long gap as his first one-day hundred came in Bangladesh's famous win over world champions Australia at Cardiff in 2005.
On the other hand Rokibul made his second successive 80-plus score to help his side put a formidable score on the board. The right-hander hit nine boundaries during an 83-run knock which came from only 63 deliveries.
UAE captain Saqib Ali used as many as eight bowlers in an effort to dislodge the Ashraful-Hasan stand.
Once Ashraful and Rokibul were dismissed within two runs of each other, Bangladesh had a minor slump, losing Alok Kapali (one) and Mashrafe Mortaza (three) in quick succession but Dollar Mahmud's cameo 20 off nine balls that included the only six in the Bangladesh innings ensured 300 runs.
Paceman Zahid Shah was the pick of the UAE bowlers with 3-49.
BRIEF SCORES: Bangladesh v UAE
Bangladesh 300-8 in 50 overs (Ashraful 109, Rokibul 83, Tamim 40; Zahid-49)
UAE 204 all out in 45.4 overs (Khurram 78, Arshad 41; Razzak 3-20, Kapali 2-27, Mahmudullah 2-38)
Result: Bangladesh won by 96 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Mohammad Ashraful.
Pakistan v Hong Kong
Pakistan 288-9 in 50 overs (Younis 67, Sohail 59, Fawad 63; Nadeem 4-51)
Hong Kong 133 all out in 37.2 overs (Tabarak 24, Zain Abbas 26; Sohail 2-20)
Result: Pakistan won by 155 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Sohail Tanvir.