Rashid Khan's 4-31 sends Afghanistan into the tri-series final and Bangladesh out

Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in Sharjah to finish the group stage of the UAE ODI Tri-Series unbeaten and set up a final against Zimbabwe

Bangladesh chose to bat at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and were bowled out for 160 in 41.2 overs, a total that never looked enough on a slow surface that offered the spinners grip from the start.

Afghanistan reached 161 for 3 in 35.3 overs, winning with 87 balls to spare and losing only three wickets in the process.

Rashid Khan took 4-31 from 8.2 overs and was named player of the match, his second four-wicket return of the tournament. Bangladesh finish the competition without a win.

Four down inside seven overs

Yamin Ahmadzai removed Tanzid Hasan for 1 and Soumya Sarkar for a duck off consecutive deliveries, and Bangladesh never recovered the initiative.

Azmatullah Omarzai then took Najmul Hossain Shanto for 15 and the captain, Towhid Hridoy, for nought in the space of three balls.

That left Bangladesh 28 for 4 in the seventh over, with half the top order back in the pavilion inside the first powerplay.

Ahmadzai finished with 2-21 from six overs and Omarzai with 2-27 from seven.

Emon's career-best steadies the innings

Parvez Hossain Emon, in the side for the injured Litton Das, made a career-best 70 from 96 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He found a partner in Saif Hassan, who made 41 from 82 balls, and the pair added 93 for the fifth wicket to carry Bangladesh past 120.

It was patient rather than expansive batting, and it left the lower order needing to accelerate against Afghanistan's spinners.

Emon had come in with Bangladesh four down and the innings in danger of folding inside 20 overs, and his was the only half-century of the match.

Rashid cuts away the tail

Rashid Khan returned to break the stand and Bangladesh's last five wickets fell for 39 runs, ending the innings with eight overs unused.

His 4-31 came from 8.2 overs and followed figures of 4-17 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi earlier in the tournament.

Those returns have strengthened his position at the top of the ICC men's ODI bowling rankings, where he now holds 742 rating points, around 80 clear of Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed.

Rahmat Shah sees the chase home

Taskin Ahmed gave Bangladesh an opening, finishing with 2-36, but Afghanistan were never made to hurry.

Rahmat Shah anchored the reply with an unbeaten 67, adding 56 for the second wicket with Ibrahim Zadran, who made 34.

Rahmat then put on an unbroken 66 with Hashmatullah Shahidi, who finished 36 not out as the target was passed in the 36th over.

Mustafizur Rahman took 1-32, while the debutant Aliss Al Islam went wicketless for 47 from 8.3 overs.

Afghanistan did not lose a wicket after the 20th over, and Rahmat faced the bulk of the chase without being seriously troubled.

Zimbabwe await on Friday

Afghanistan end the group stage on four points from two matches, having also beaten Zimbabwe by 158 runs in Abu Dhabi, a match in which Sediqullah Atal made 102.

Zimbabwe qualified on two points after beating Bangladesh by 99 runs, a result that had already left Hridoy's side needing a substantial win in Sharjah to stay alive on net run rate.

Bangladesh instead lost both fixtures and travel home without a point from the tournament, their batting having been reduced to a single substantial partnership in each.

The final is scheduled for Friday, with Afghanistan carrying the better form of the two qualifiers into it.

Scorecard: Bangladesh 160 all out in 41.2 overs (Parvez Hossain Emon 70, Saif Hassan 41; Rashid Khan 4-31, Azmatullah Omarzai 2-27, Yamin Ahmadzai 2-21); Afghanistan 161 for 3 in 35.3 overs (Rahmat Shah 67 not out, Hashmatullah Shahidi 36 not out, Ibrahim Zadran 34; Taskin Ahmed 2-36). Afghanistan won by seven wickets.

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