CHITTAGONG, July 15

Opener Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal hit half-centuries as Bangladesh drubbed South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final one-day international to take the three-match series 2-1 in Chittagong on Wednesday.

Soumya scored 90 and Tamim added an unbeaten 61 as Bangladesh raced to 170-1 after the home bowlers had restricted the mighty Proteas to 168-9 in a rain-hit game.

Soumya led the batting charge with his stroke-filled 75-ball innings, which included 13 fours and a six, with local boy Tamim playing the role of an anchor in their 154-run opening stand. The match was reduced to 40-over-a-side as rain halted the play for nearly three hours.

Bangladesh were given a target of 170 runs according the D/L Method, and they achieved it comfortably with 83 balls to spare. Litton Das hit the winning boundary after Soumya was dismissed when the victory was just a formality. Hashim Amla took the catch at short-cover off Imran Tahir.

Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan and skipper Mashrafe Moratza reached a 200-wicket landmark to set up the win. South Africa, opting to bat first, were in dire straits with 4-78 in 23 overs when the rain came. JP Duminy topscored 51 off 70 balls and put 63 runs with David Miller (44) for the fifth wicket to help the visitors recover. Shakib, finished with 3-33, completed his milestone when he claimed the wickets of Faf du Plessis and Amla after Mustafizur Rahman gave the hosts their first breakthrough.

When Shakib forced Amla to edge a catch to Mushfiqur Rahim, he became the second Bangladeshi to take 200 ODI wickets. It also secured Shakib a place in the elite club of all-rounders who have taken 200 wickets and scored 4,000 runs in ODIs.