Former champions Pakistan have qualified for the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup, after thrashing Namibia by 45 runs for their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament.
The Group Two leaders went into the match with a perfect 3-0 record and minnows Namibia had the will, but not the wherewithal to halt the Pakistan juggernaut in the one-sided Super 12 contest.
Babar Azam led by example with a classy 70 and Mohammad Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 79 to fire Pakistan to a commanding 189/2.
Namibia managed 144/5 in their reply to slump to their second defeat in three matches.
"It was a different plan today," Babar said after the win. "We wanted that opening partnership to go deep and it worked for us.
"Everything has gone according to plan. We're looking forward to the semi-finals and playing our cricket with the same intensity."
Earlier, South Africa boosted their chances of reaching the semi-finals with a six-wicket rout of Bangladesh, who dropped out of the last-four race, after their fourth consecutive defeat.
Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje set up South Africa's comprehensive win, claiming three wickets apiece to bundle out Bangladesh for 84 in 18.2 overs.
South Africa suffered a mini-collapse, but skipper Temba Bavuma made 31 not out to guide his team home with 39 balls to spare.
South Africa are second in Group One, ahead of Australia, after their third win in four matches and face tabletoppers England in their final group match on Sunday.
The South African bowlers vindicated Bavuma's decision to field against a Bangladesh side without all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Rabada rocked them early, dismissing Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar off successive deliveries in the fourth over.
Although the bowler could not complete a hat-trick in his next over, Rabada dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim to leave Bangladesh in disarray.
Nortje bounced out rival captain Mahmudullah, as Bangladesh crawled to 40/5 at the midway stage of their innings and Tabraiz Shamsi was yet to be pressed into service.
Leg-spinner Shamsi, the top-ranked T20 bowler, struck in his first over, dismissing Liton Das for 24, and Nortje returned to polish off the tail.
South Africa also started poorly, as Taskin Ahmed sent back Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram, and Mahedi bowled Quinton de Kock to reduce them to 33/3.
But Bavuma combined with Rassie van der Dussen (22) to ease the South Africans to their target.
"Obviously frustrated," Mahmudullah says. "We were very close to winning two games.
"If we could have won those two games, it could have been a different story."
Reuters
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