COLOMBO, 30 July 2004 — Defending champions Pakistan recorded a consolation six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the last Super League match of the Asia Cup last night at the Premadasa Stadium here.

Batting first, Bangladesh fought back to be all out for 166 in 45. 2 overs. Chasing the modest victory target, Pakistan were made to fight for every run by a determined Bangladesh but eventually reached there at 167 for the loss of four wickets and with nine overs to spare.

Pakistan finished third in the four-team league while Bangladesh were last.

Ironically they failed to get the bonus point which went to Bangladesh.

Shoaib Malik’s fine all-round show earned his the man of the match award.

Bangladesh’s innings got off to a disastrous start. Their promising batsman and future star Mohammad Ashrafaul was trapped leg before by Mohammad Sami with the scoreboard still blank. The team could not recover from this initial shock.

Skipper Habibul Bashar looked in good form when he struck a fluent boundary.

But he became the first of Shabbir Ahmad’s victims as he played back and missed to be adjudged leg before.

Shoaib Akhtar induced an edge from Alok Kapali to be caught in the slips and Bangladesh had lost three wickets for 41 runs.

Opener Rajin Saleh kept one end going as wickets tumbled thereafter at the other end.

Shabbir dismissed the next two batsmen for the addition of just one run.

He had Faisal Hossain leg before and Manjurul Islam was caught behind, both batsmen were out without bothering the scorer.

At five down for 42, Bangladesh were in a precarious position and looked set to be all out before reaching three figures.

However, Saleh and Khaled Mashud batted responsibly to avert immediate damage.

But Saleh failed to keep out of harm’s way from an Abdur Razzaq delivery and Younis Khan held the easiest of catches to send him back to the pavilion at the individual score of 23. Mashud found another able partner in Mushfiqur Rahman and the duo took Bangladesh past 100 in the 27th over.

Mashud, who smashed a hundred in the Test series against the West Indies during their last tour, was not afraid to loft the ball occasionally to clear the infield. He also drove and cut like a top order batsman though Shoaib, Sami and Shabbir were bowling with shorter run-ups and only at half their usual pace.

When Rahman fell leg before to Shoaib, Mashud was only 37 and seemed to run out of partners before reaching his half century.

Abdur Razzaq was bowled by Shoaib Malik and Tapash Baisya threw his bat around before he also fell leg before to Razzaq.

Mashud smashed two successive fours and duly completed his 50. He was the last man out, yorked by Sami. His 54 came off 94 balls and included five hits to the fence.

Interestingly, extras with 37 were the second highest contributor to the total.

Shabbir took three for 32, Sami who earned the ignominy of bowling the longest ever over in One-Day Internationals when had to send down 17 deliveries to complete his second over, took two for 38, Shoaib two for 33 and Malik two for 41. The previous record for the longest over was held by Bangladesh’s Haseebul Hossain.

Needing to score at les than three and a half runs an over for a win, Pakistan were in no hurry. They were confronted by some hostile seam bowling and enthusiastic outcricket.

Baisya generated good pace and was rewarded when Yasser Hamid edged him to be caught at slip.

Imran Nazir was the more aggressive of the two openers but he also soon departed trying to force Aziz on the onside but only managing to find the short midwicket fielder.

Pakistan had lost their second wicket for 52. But Malik and Yousuf Youhana shared a useful stand of 66 for the third wicket.

Both waited for the loose ball to punish.

Malik in particular drove magnificently through the covers for a couple of elegant boundaries and with Youhana also in fine form, a Pakistan victory appeared to be just a matter of time. But the introduction of spinners cried halt to Pakistan’s march. Malik was two short of a well-made 50 when he was clean bowled by Abdur Razzaq. Youhana departed soon after.

Having lofted Islam to the long on fence, he tried the same shot off the next ball but only succeeded it in skying for Rahman to take a well-judged catch. Youhana made 39 but by now Pakistan were quite close to the victory target.

Abdur Razzaq took them there with a superb lofted boundary, his third of the innings.