GUANGZHOU, Nov 26 Bangladesh cricketers won their nation's first ever Asian Games gold medal by ending Afghanistan's dream run in the inaugural final on Friday.

Mohammad Ashraful's men ensured their place in history with a five-wicket victory in a thrilling Twenty20 final in front of 2,000 excited spectators at the Guanggong cricket stadium.

The Afghan brave-hearts, who had stunned Pakistan by 22 runs in Thursday's semi-final, fought till the end despite being restricted to 118-8 after they won the toss and elected to bat.

Bangladesh were reduced to 75-5 by the 16th over, before the sixth-wicket pair of Naeem Islam and Mohammad Shabbir put on an unbeaten 44-run partnership to secure a memorable win.

With 19 needed off 12 balls, the pair hammered 17 runs in the penultimate over bowled by off-spinner Karim Sadeq, including two towering sixes by Shabbir, to seal Afghanistan's fate.

Naeem returned unbeaten on 34 and Shabbir smashed 33 not out off 18 balls to clinch victory that will spark wild celebrations in the cricket-mad South Asian nation.

Afghanistan, a non-Test playing nation, took part in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean this year and narrowly missed qualifying for the 2011 World Cup.

Naeem had earlier taken two wickets for eight runs from three overs to keep Afghanistan down to a modest total.

Afghanistan were 66-6 by the 13th over, before Mohammad Asghar revived their chances with an unbeaten 38 off 36 balls, sharing a crucial stand of 44 for the seventh wicket with Shabbir Ahmed (25).

Asghar boosted the total with 16 runs in the 17th over bowled by Nazmul Hossain that included a massive six over the straight-field.

Pakistan, meanwhile, clinched the bronze medal with an emphatic six-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

Skipper Khalid Latif led Pakistan's charge with an unbeaten 53 off 42 balls which helped his team overtake Sri Lanka's 135 all out with two overs to spare.

Khalid, whose five one-day internationals made him the only capped player in his young team, hit four sixes, three of them in one over from leg-spinner Malinga Bandara.

Bilawal Bhatti returned unbeaten on a quick-fire 24 off 14 balls that included the winning hit for a six off Nuwan Zoysa.

“It was important to stay at the wicket till the end, something I could not do against Afghanistan, but managed it today against a top side like Sri Lanka,” said Khalid.

“Of course we would have wanted to win the gold medal, but at least we will go home with a bronze.”

Sri Lankan captain Jehan Mubarak dismissed suggestions his team, with 11 international players in their ranks, took the tournament lightly.

“Not at all, we all wanted to win, but I think we did not adapt to the conditions quickly enough,” he said.

Results
Final
Bangladesh won by five wickets

AFGHANISTAN 118-8 (Mohammad Asghar 38, Shabbir Ahmed 25; Shahadat Hossain 2-32, Naeem Islam 2-8, Mohammad Ashraful 2-3); BANGLADESH 119-5 in 19.3 overs (Naeem Islam 34 not out, Mohammad Shabbir 33 not out).

Bronze medal play-off
Pakistan won by six wickets

SRI LANKA 135 all out in 19.5 overs (Jeevantha Kulatunga 31, Dilshan Munaweera 28, Nuwan Zoysa 24; Raza Hassan 2-19); PAKISTAN 141-4 in 18 overs (Khalid Latif 53 not out, Sheharyar Ghani 30, Bilawal Bhatti 24 not out).—AFP