Butt hits 136 for Pakistan to beat Bangladesh by 150 runs to sweep one-day series 5-0

Opening batsman Salman Butt hit a career-best 136 to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 150 runs in the fifth one-day international Saturday and sweep the series 5-0.

Butt led Pakistan to 329-9 off its 50 overs. In reply Bangladesh was dismissed for 179 in 40.5 overs by paceman Mohammad Asif (3-35) and Shahid Afridi (3-40).

It was the Pakistan team's record 11th straight win in limited-overs games _ one against India, five against Zimbabwe and five against Bangladesh.

Australia holds the record with 21 victories in a row.

"It's a nice feeling to create a new record for Pakistan," said captain Shoaib Malik, who received the winning trophy from president Pervez Musharraf. "The credit of this record goes to all the players, who really worked hard."

Butt hit 14 boundaries and a six in his 124-ball century. The lefthander took his tally of runs to 451 in the series after previous scores of 33, 76, 132, 74 and 136. It's the highest total by any batsman in a five-match one-day international series between two countries.

Butt's teammate Mohammad Yousuf held the previous record _ 405 runs in five limited-overs games against Zimbabwe in 2002.

Asif wrecked the Bangladesh batting lineup with three wickets in five deliveries when he removed Junaid Siddique (6), Aftab Ahmed (0) and Shakib Al Hasan (5).

Bangladesh slipped further to 71-6 when fast bowler Umar Gul, who ended with 2-41, had Tamim Iqbal (9) caught behind and Misbah-ul-Haq brilliantly caught captain Mohammad Ashraful (30) in the slips in Shahid Afridi's first over.

Mahmudullah top scored with 37 off 83 balls before he gave a simple catch in Gul's return spell.

"I came in thinking realistically that we lose 5-0," Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons said.

"Our top four batsmen disappointed in the series, but we are happy that we made at least more than 200 (runs) thrice in the series."

Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers hit back briefly late in the Pakistan innings, but not before Butt shared a 179-run second wicket stand off 178 balls with Younis Khan (69).

Pacemen Mashrafe Mortaza (4-65) and Shahadat Hossain (3-76) were the top wicket-takers, but could not prevent the hosts going over 300 for the third time in the series.

The Butt-Khan partnership broke Pakistan's previous 123-run record for second wicket against Bangladesh, set by Ramiz Raja and Saeed Anwar at Colombo during the Asia Cup in 1997.

Butt continued his run of good form after captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and elected to bat first.

Mortaza dismissed opener Kamran Akmal (10) in his third over before Khan and Butt began their partnership.

Butt got a lucky escape soon after completing his half century off 47 balls with eight boundaries when Mortaza dropped a hard two-handed catch at mid-on.

Khan _ back in the team after missing previous two games due to personal reasons _ raised his half century off 61 balls with three fours and a straight six off spinner Mahmudullah.

Butt's run-a-ball century came in the 30th over of the innings before Bangladesh struck briefly.

The visitors got some reprieve when both Butt and Khan fell in the space of 23 runs _ thanks to some brilliant catching.

Khan was caught by Farhad Reza off Hossain while Shakib Al Hasan took a superb running catch to dismiss Butt in the 38th over off Abdur Razzak.

Both teams play again Sunday in a single Twenty20 international in Karachi.