KIMBERLEY (South Africa), Oct 10: Bangladesh slid to a world record 23rd successive One-day International defeat when South Africa beat them by seven wickets in the third and final One-day International at De Beers Diamond Oval here Wednesday.

Bangladesh’s losing sequence, which started after their surprise win over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup in England, exceeded the record they established when they lost their first 22 matches between 1986 and 1998, before they became a Test nation.

South Africa completed a 3-0 series sweep but did not crush the tourists as convincingly as they did in the first two matches, which they won by 168 runs and ten wickets.

There were some bright moments for the battered tourists, who were bowled out for 151 after winning the toss.

Habibul Bashar made a stroke-filled 51 off 67 balls as he and Sanwar Hossein (23) took the fight to the South African bowlers in a third wicket stand of 68.

Then skipper Khaled Mashud and all-rounder Khaled Mahmud put on 37 for the seventh wicket. But the rest of the batting crumbled.

BANGLADESH:

Javed Omar c Boucher b Elworthy 3

Rafiqul Islam c van J’veld b Elworthy 0

Habibul Bashar c Rhodes b Ntini 51

Sanwar Hossain lbw b Pollock 23

Tushar Imran lbw b Pollock 0

Alok Kapali lbw b Peterson 20

Khaled Mashud c and b Pollock 23

Khaled Mahmud b Peterson 17

Tapash Baisya c Gibbs b Pollock 1

Anwar Hossain not out 0

Talha Jubair b van J’veld 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-10, NB-1) 13

TOTAL (all out, 43.1 overs) 151

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-15, 3-83, 4-83, 5-93, 6-113, 7-150, 8-150, 9-151.

BOWLING: Elworthy 8-1-25-2; Ntini 8-1-25-1 (1nb, 4w); Pollock 9-3-24-4 (1w); Donald 8-0-36-0 (5w); Peterson 10-1-39-2; van Jaarsveld 0.1-0-0-1.

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Sanwar b Talha 21

H.H. Gibbs b Tapash 15

M. van Jaarsveld c Javed b Talha 42

A.G. Prince not out 14

J.N. Rhodes not out 30

EXTRAS (LB-8, W-10, NB-12) 30

TOTAL (for three wkts, 25.4 overs) 152

FALL OF WKTS: 1-33, 2-73, 3-103.

DID NOT BAT: M.V. Boucher, S.M. Pollock, R.J. Peterson, S. Elworthy, M. Ntini, A.A. Donald.

BOWLING: Tapash Baisya 6-0-33-1 (2nb, 2w); Anwar Hossain 8-0-45-0 (4w); Talha Jubair 6-1-41-2 (9nb, 4w); Khaled Mahmud 3.4-0-17-0 (1nb); Alok Kapali 2-0-8-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by seven wickets to clinch three-match series 3-0.

UMPIRES: B.G. Jerling (South Africa) and B.F. Bowden (New Zealand).

TV UMPIRE: S. Wadvalla (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shaun Pollock.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Herschelle Gibbs.—AFP/Reuters