Butt and Akmal hit centuries in strong Pakistan total

Opening batsmen Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal smashed centuries Sunday in a big Pakistan total of 308-8 in the third one-day international against Bangladesh.

Butt, who had scored all four previous one-day international hundreds against archrival India, made a career-best 132 off 127 balls, while Akmal hammered 100 off 80 deliveries.

The batsmen had a 151-run stand off 143 deliveries to give Pakistan a platform for its total.

Bangladesh hit back briefly with four quick wickets before captain Shoaib Malik (33) and Butt put on 80 runs off 84 balls.

Butt hit 15 fours before he edged to wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh off paceman Mashrafe Murtaza in the next-to-last over of the innings.

Akmal was only opening because Nasir Jamshed injured his right hand during practice before the game and was ruled out.

After Malik won the toss and elected to bat first, Akmal survived a strong leg-before-wicket appeal off paceman Mashrafe Murtaza on 1, before hitting some impressive pull shots and drives.

Akmal pulled Shahadat Hussain _ playing his first match of the series _ for three successive fours, and took three more boundaries in medium-fast Farhad Reza's one over.

Akmal, playing in his 83rd one-day international, completed his fifth limited-overs century off only 80 balls, with 16 fours and a straight six over the head of spinner Sakib Al Hasan.

However, one ball after completing his century, Akmal was bowled by Mahmudullah's offspinners as he went to cut a delivery that spun back into the right-hander.

Bazid Khan, recalled to the Pakistan team after three years, was run out in a mix-up with Butt, while spinner Sakib Al Hasan removed dangermen Mohammad Yousuf (2) and Shahid Afridi (13) in successive overs.

Mortaza (2-47) and Hasan (2-50) were the main wicket-takers for Bangladesh, while Reza conceded 67 runs in his seven overs for the wicket of Malik.