DHAKA – Michael Hussey scored his first one-day century in four years to help Australia complete a 3-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh with a 66-run win in the third and final match on Wednesday. The middle-order batsman cracked two sixes and nine fours in a 91-ball 108 for his third one-day hundred, and his first since February 2007, as Australia posted a huge 361-8 in the day-night match. Bangladesh made a bold reply before finishing at 295-6 despite an impressive 93 from opener Imrul Kayes, who hit two sixes and 10 fours in his 95-ball knock.
Kayes batted confidently against both pace and spin and looked set to complete his second one-day century before being caught behind off debutant paceman James Pattinson. He put on 136 for the second wicket with Shahriar Nafees, who made 60 for his second successive half-century. Mohammad Mahmudullah was the other notable contributor with an unbeaten 68. Australia virtually wrapped up the match when seamer Shane Watson dismissed skipper Shakib Al Hasan (nine) and Mushfiqur Rahim (one) in one over.
“It was a good series and an outstanding effort from the boys. As a captain I need to keep learning,” said Australia skipper Michael Clarke, leading in his first one-day series after being named captain last month. “Watson is enjoying his batting and also doing the job with the ball.” A disappointed Shakib said: “We batted really well and executed our plans, but we haven’t bowled well in three games. It’s a learning process and we will learn from it.”
Man-of-the-series Watson, who hit a record 15 sixes in his career-best 185 not out in the previous match on Monday, earlier put Australia on course for a big total with a 40-ball 72 which contained three sixes and 11 fours. Man-of-the-match Hussey was then involved in two useful stands, adding 89 for the fourth wicket with Clarke (47) and 70 for the sixth wicket with Mitchell Johnson, who hammered 41 off just 24 balls. Hussey fell in the last over, trapped lbw by seamer Shafiul Islam, but not before boosting his team’s chances of sweeping the series. Australia got off to an explosive start after winning the toss as Watson and makeshift opener Ricky Ponting (47) added 110 runs for the opening wicket in just 11.5 overs.
Watson began aggressively, hitting Shafiul for four boundaries in an over early in his innings before pulling left-arm spinner Shakib over mid-wicket for a six to reach his half-century. The Australian opener, who completed his fifty off just 25 balls with the help of two sixes and nine fours, was bowled in the 12th over while attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak. Ponting also played attractive shots during his 50-ball knock, hitting two fours and a six from a Mashrafe Mortaza over. He looked well set before being trapped lbw by Razzak. Razzak finished with
3-58 and Mortaza with 3-80.
