Bangladesh produced arguably the biggest One-Day International shock in history on Saturday as they beat World champions Australia by five wickets in their triangular series match.
In reply to Australia's 249 for five, Mohammad Ashraful scored a run-a-ball century, only the second ever scored in one-dayers by a Bangladeshi, but then holed out next ball, in the deep off Jason Gillespie with 23 needed off the last three overs.
A couple of fortunate fours made it 13 required off the final 12 balls and tailender Mohammad Rafique then sliced Glenn McGrath, the world's premier fast bowler, for a four past point.
Seven were needed off the final over from Gillespie only for Aftab Ahmed to launch his first ball for six over long on before the pair scampered a run off the next delivery to spark a pitch invasion.
Australia, who surprisingly opted to bat on a pitch offering early seam movement against the lowest-ranked one-day side in the International Cricket Council table, had never looked settled after losing vice-captain Adam Gilchrist off the second ball of the match and his skipper Ricky Ponting for a single.
Their total sill looked enough against the lowest-ranked one-day side until Ashraful and Habibul Bashar, who made 47, put on 130 in 22 overs for the fourth wicket to produce a grandstand finish.
Before the start Australia had been ranked at 100-1 ON to beat Bangladesh, who England had thrashed in their Test series before annihilating them by 10 wickets in the opening one-dayer of the tournament on Thursday.
The world champions, opting to bat on a Sophia Gardens track offering early seam movement, lost two early wickets and were still struggling to get into gear at 57 for three in the 16th over as the Bangladeshis bowled and fielded as if their lives depended on it.
But Damien Martyn (77) and Michael Clarke (54) restored order with a 108-run stand for the third wicket to drag Australia towards respectability. England had crushed Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the opening match of the tournament.
Batting all rounder Andrew Symonds was not selected by Australia for the match after "it was discovered he breached team rules", according to team spokeswoman.
The matter would be investigated later on Saturday, she added. The team had initially announced he was suffering from a minor injury, then from 'flu.
For the first few overs in Cardiff, it was as if the teams had inadvertently exchanged strips, the Bangladeshis punching way above their weight while the Australian batsman looked out of synch.
Quick bowler Mashrafe Mortaza, the one Bangladesh bowler of genuine class, trapped Adam Gilchrist lbw for a duck with the second ball of the innings, the delivery sniping back into the left-hander. Mortaza's opening burst earned him figures of 6-2-5-1.
Ricky Ponting, usually as destructive a batsman as Gilchrist, than managed just a single before he wafted one-legged across the line and went in the same way to seamer Tapash Baisya.
Nor did Matthew Hayden look quite in focus. He launched Baisya for a straight six and then flat-batted the next ball through mid-off, but for the most part he accumulated rather than dismantled.
He chipped a catch to mid-off from a no-ball and then departed for 37, dragging a Nazmul Hossain ball into his stumps.
Martyn and Clarke knuckled down, milking the singles on offer during the middle overs before Martyn, having batted without fuss for 111 balls, sliced a cut to Nafees Iqbal on the cover boundary off Baisya to make it 165 for four with just over eight overs remaining. Clarke, having just got to his half-century, carved the same bowler to mid-off and it was 183 for five.
Mike Hussey (31 not out) and Simon Katich (36 not out) teamed up and 93 came off the last 10 overs. Baisya ended with three for 69 and Mortaza took one for 32 from his 10 overs.
Scoreboard
Australia:
A. Gilchrist lbw Mortaza 0
M. Hayden b N. Hossain 37
R. Ponting lbw Baisya 1
D. Martyn c Iqbal b Baisya 77
M. Clarke c Mortaza b Baisya 54
M. Hussey not out 31
S. Katich not out 36
Extras: (lb-3, nb-8, w-2) 13
Total: (for 5 wickets, 50 overs) 249
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-9, 3-57, 4-165, 5-183
Did not bat: B. Hogg, J. Gillespie, M. Kasprowicz, G. McGrath
Bowling: Mortaza 10-2-33-1 (w-1), Baisya 10-1-69-3 (nb-8), N. Hossain 10-2-65-1, Rafique 10-0-31-0 (w-1), A. Ahmed 10-0-48-0.
Bangladesh:
J. Omar c Hayden b Kasprowicz 19
N. Iqbal c Gilchrist b Gillespie 8
T. Imran c Katich b Hogg 24
M. Ashraful c Hogg b Gillespie 100
H. Bashar run out 47
A. Ahmed not out 21
M. Rafique not out 9
Extras: (b-1, lb-11, nb-4, w-6) 22
Total: (for 5 wickets, 49.2 overs) 250
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-51, 3-72, 4-202, 5-227
Did not bat: K. Mashud, M. Mortaza, T. Baisya, N. Hossain
Bowling: McGrath 10 -1-43-0 (nb-2), Gillespie 9.2-1-41-2 (w-2), Kasprowicz 10-0-40-1 (nb-2), Hogg 9-0-52-1 (w-1), Clarke 6-0-38-0 (w-1), Hussey 5-0-24-0.
Result: Bangladesh won by 5 wickets
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