Litton Das, Shoriful Islam Help Bangladesh Avoid Afghanistan Whitewash

Litton Das top-scored with 53 not out as Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets to avoid a series whitewash in Tuesday's third and final one-day international in Chittagong. The hosts raced to 129-3 in 23.3 overs after Shoriful Islam's career best 4-21 helped them bowl out Afghanistan for 126 in 45.2 overs. Tail-ender Azmatullah Omarzai offered some late resistance for Afghanistan to top-score with 56, his maiden ODI fifty. Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi gave Afghanistan a glimmer of hope, bowling out Naim Sheikh for a duck and Najmul Hossain for 11. Liton and Shakib Al Hasan put on 61 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings and bring Bangladesh back into control.

Shakib fell to Mohammad Nabi after making a run-a-ball 39, but Liton, who struck three fours and two sixes in his 60-ball innings, took Bangladesh home.

Young Towhid Hridoy hit the winning boundary off Zia-ur-Rehman to stay unbeaten on 22.

"There will be wins and losses... that's what happened to us in the first two games. We tried to prove that we were the better team in the last game," said Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam.

"It feels good.... I was supported by the whole team so it was a good performance."

The tourists earlier won the toss and elected to bat first, but never managed to get their innings going.

"The guys didn't execute, they didn't adjust to the conditions,"  said Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott.

Shoriful struck early after taking the field for the first time this series, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for one and Rahmat Shah for a duck in the third over.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who smashed a career-best 145 in the previous match, saw one catch land in no man's land but soon top-edged Taskin Ahmed to depart for six.

Shoriful