Proteas top rankings after series win

South Africa went top of the one-day rankings on Friday after completing a series whitewash of Bangladesh with a seven-wicket victory in the third one-day international in Mirpur.

Proteas captain Graeme Smith made an unbeaten 68 as the tourists eased to their victory target of 144, finishing on 147 for three to dislodge Australia from the top of the ICC one-day rankings.

Shahriar Nafees top scored for the home side with 25 as Bangladesh struggled to cope with a South Africa attack which was led by Albie Morkel, who finished with four for 29 from eight overs.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the hosts initially made steady progress as they worked their way to 34 without loss by the ninth over.

But the first wicket fell soon after when Albie Morkel's delivery clipped the pad of Tamim Iqbal (eight) and back-up wicketkeeper AB de Villiers made the catch.

Bangladesh were soon 41 for two when Morne Morkel had Shahriar Nafees snapped up by De Villiers.

Mohammad Ashraful then came to the middle and added nine to the total before sending an Albie Morkel delivery to Hashim Amla at mid-on.

The home team were 72 for four by the end of the 18th over when Mohammed Nazimuddin became Albie Morkel's third victim after scoring 20. The 22-year-old hit a terrible shot in the air which was easily taken by Smith at mid-wicket.

Shakib Al Hasan was bowled for 12 shortly afterwards when Johan Botha's delivery hit his pads before clipping the stumps to leave Bangladesh 97 for five.

They picked up just five further runs before the next wicket fell, Raqibul Hasan run out for 12. Dhiman Ghosh added just three before being bowled by spinner Paul Harris to leave Bangladesh seven down for 106.

The wickets continued to fall in the face of a merciless Proteas attack. Abdur Razzak (nine) was the next to go when he top-edged Botha's delivery to De Villiers.

Mashrafe Mortaza managed five runs before he also edged to the wicketkeeper off Albie Morkel and Bangladesh's innings came to an end soon after when Mosharraf Hossain (three) was dismissed by Botha - also caught behind.

Bangladesh's trio of left-arm spinners did their best to stifle the tourists in their chase of 144, but without a cushion of runs to work with they faced a near impossible task.

They restricted South Africa to 19 runs before the first wicket fell, Herschelle Gibbs caught at extra cover by Ashraful for 10.

That brought Alviro Petersen in to link up with skipper Smith in the middle, and the new batsman struck three boundaries as the pair took the South African total on to 59.

But he failed to stick around long enough to make a real impression, playing forward to Hossain for 24 to give the slow left-arm bowler his first ODI wicket.

The pursuit then lit up when De Villiers arrived at the crease.

Two consecutive fours over mid-wicket off Hossain at the end of the 26th over got the chase really up and running.

The 24-year-old hit a total of seven boundaries as the duo put on 50 in just 58 balls.

The hard work was all but done by the time De Villiers perished, bowled between bat and pad by Farhad Reza for 40.

At 138 for three, three wides from Shakib made the tourists' job even more straightforward before Smith smashed a six to seal the Proteas' third emphatic one-day win.