March 26, 2006	Sunday	Safar 25, 1427

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FATULLAH (Bangladesh), March 25: Bangladesh opener Rajin Saleh scored an unbeaten century to lead his country to a 4-0 sweep of the One-day International series against Kenya on Saturday.

Chasing a winning target if 233, the hosts eased to 237 for three in 41.3 overs with Saleh’s record 108 not out leading the way as skipper Habibul Bashar helped complete Bangladesh’s first ever series sweep with an unbeaten 64.

The pair put on an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 175 after the hosts had slumped to 62-3, setting a new record for any partnership by Bangladesh in a one-dayer.

Saleh’s total was also the highest score for any Bangladeshi batsman in a One-day International, improving on Mehrab Hossain’s 101 against Zimbabwe in Dhaka in 1998.

After winning the toss, Kenya chose to bat and made 232 for nine in 50 overs with skipper Steve Tikolo hitting a superb 81 while Collin Obuya (45), Hitesh Modi (35) and Martin Suji (30) were the other contributors for the visitors.

With the series victory, Bangladesh have secured a place in the qualifying round of the ICC Champions Trophy in India in October.

Scoreboard

KENYA:

D.O. Obuya lbw b Mashrafe 6

M.A. Ouma lbw b Shahadat 16

H.S. Modi c Rajin b Rafique 35

S.O. Tikolo lbw b Rafique 81

C.O. Obuya b Rasel 45

T.M. Odoyo c Mashrafe b Razzak 1

T. Mishra c Manjural b Razzak 0

A.O. Suji b Mashrafe 30

P.J. Ongondo run out 3

J.K. Kamande not out 6

A.S. Luseno not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-4, NB-1) 9

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 232

FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-28, 3-123, 4-156, 5-164, 6-164, 7-218, 8-224, 9-225.

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-1-38-2 (2w); Syed Rasel 10-3-41-1; Shahadat Hossain 6-0-22-1 (2w); Abdur Razzak 10-0-51-2 (1w); Mohammad Rafique 10-0-57-2; Manjural Islam Rana 4-0-19-0.

BANGLADESH:

Shahriar Nafees c Tikolo b Luseno 20

Rajin Saleh not out 108

Aftab Ahmed c and b Odoyo 9

Mohammad Ashraful c Luseno b Ongondo 11

Habibul Bashar not out 64

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-8, W-10, NB-3) 25

TOTAL (for three wkts, 41.3 overs) 237

FALL OF WKTS: 1-29, 2-43, 3-62.

DID NOT BAT: Khaled Mashud, Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Manjural Islam Rana.

BOWLING: Odoyo 7-0-30-1 (3nb); Luseno 7-0-42-1 (3w); Ongondo 6-1-20-1 (1w); Suji 6-0-57-0; Tikolo 5-1-16-0; Kamande 8.5-0-45-0 (3w); C.O. Obuya 1.1-0-9-0 (2w); Mishra 0.3-0-6-0.

UMPIRES: Nadir Shah (Bangladesh) and Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Mahbubur Rahman (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rajin Saleh.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Shahriar Nafees.—Agencies