Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 2016-17

One-day internationals (3): Bangladesh 2, Afghanistan 1
Starting with a victory over Zimbabwe in November 2014, Bangladesh had won five home one-day series in a row, their victims including Pakistan, India and South Africa. They had also reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup. In the context of such success, a visit from Afghanistan did not generate great excitement - even if it was the first bilateral series between the nations.

The scheduling did not help. By mid-August, England were still uncertain whether safety concerns would scupper their planned tour later in the year. The BCB were worried: having not played at all since the World T20 in February, they were desperate for cricket. An invitation was hastily sent to Afghanistan, who gladly accepted.

But on August 25, the ECB confirmed their tour would proceed. The Afghanistan series assumed real significance, since it became a dress rehearsal for the visit of England, whose board sought reassurance. That meant equally comprehensive security now, though a pitch invader threatened the calm in the third match, when he approached Bangladesh captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza at mid-on. He dealt with the situation impeccably: he gave the fan a hug, then ushered him off the field, while preventing the security guards from overzealous detainment.

The home side's rustiness and Afghanistan's habitual enthusiasm made for an engaging series. Bangladesh won the first game by coming back strongly in the death overs, but lost a low-scoring second. Their thumping victory in the decider was a momentous occasion: their 100th one-day win, in their 315th match.

The series also brought milestones for their biggest stars. Shakib Al Hasan became Bangladesh's highest one-day wicket-taker, passing Abdur Razzak's 207, to secure a treble: he already held the honour in Tests and Twenty20s. Before the series, Shakib also shared the national record for most ODI centuries (six) with Tamim Iqbal. But Tamim hit a seventh to achieve a feat unique in the modern game: most runs and most centuries for one country in all three formats.

Match reports for

Tour Match: Bangladesh Cricket Board XI v Afghanistan at Fatullah, Sep 23, 2016
Report | Scorecard

1st ODI: Bangladesh v Afghanistan at Mirpur, Sep 25, 2016
Report | Scorecard

2nd ODI: Bangladesh v Afghanistan at Mirpur, Sep 28, 2016
Report | Scorecard

3rd ODI: Bangladesh v Afghanistan at Mirpur, Oct 1, 2016
Report | Scorecard