Bangladesh finally beat England
Anyone who thought that the NatWest Series between England and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 was a foregone conclusion have to revise that thinking now.
Bangladesh had never beaten England, the only international team that they had failed to win against since their arrival in international cricket. But Bangladesh made history at Bristol when they beat England by five runs in the second of their three-match one-day international series.
Andrew Strauss, having won the toss for England, put Bangladesh in to bat and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Craig-Kieswetter-c51708 in the sixth over.
Shahzad ended his spell with a decent return of 3-41 but it was not all plain sailing. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Warwickshire-c862 batsmen, who only made his return to the ODI side in the victory at Trent Bridge on Thursday, jumped high for an attempted a catch at square leg but landed awkwardly on his left foot.
Bell left the field and was taken for X-rays, which confirmed he had fractured his fifth metatarsal. Back on the field Junaid was next out for 21, bowled by Stuart Broad and caught Kieswetter, which left http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jahurul-Islam-c1624 and Imrul Kayes to attempt to construct a partership.
They took the score from 65 to 148 as Kayes reached his fourth ODI half-century, in 74 deliveries, but Jahurul was out for 40 and Shakib Al http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990 followed three balls later. The runs dried up for Bangladesh and any hopes of rapid acceleration were ended when Shahzad dismissed Kayes for 76 as they reached 236-7 in their 50 overs.
It was a score that did not look that hard a task for England despite the injury to Bell, as they had brought in an extra batsman with Jonathan Trott having been added to the side at the expense of bowler James Tredwell.
When England began their innings a first international defeat to Bangladesh was not uppermost in their minds. But the doubts began to creep in as a succession of batsmen made a start but also a return to the pavilion without making a match-winning contribution.
Their record against the Bangladesh was 20-0, in all formats of the game, but after 27 overs the England were 117-5 and decisions were having to be made over whether to send Bell out to bat. After the dismissals of Strauss (33) and Kieswetter (20) - both caught by Jahurul off the bowling of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rubel-Hossain-c2378 – it was left to Trott to save the match.
He was joined by Paul Collingwood and he should have followed for a golden duck, but umpire Richard Illingworth missed what seemed to be an apparent nick, but the batsman was out 23 balls later, lbw to Abdur Razzak for 10. He was given off an inside edge so maybe there was some poetic justice.
Razzak had Eoin Morgan lbw (one) with the first ball of his next over and Michael Yardy followed for 10, with Shahzad (five) and Broad (21) not able to stick around. When Broad’s wicket fell England stuck with Jimmy Anderson coming in next, keeping Bell in reserve.
By the penultimate over England still needed 23 runs, but Trott and Anderson took the job on head-on, scoring 13 from the bowling of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mashrafe-Mortaza-c1917 until Anderson was out, caught and bowled, off the final delivery.
That left Bell to limp out, with Morgan as a runner. Rarely has a No.11 batsman walked out to a standing ovation as England needed 10 off the final six balls, with Trott at the striker’s end and Bell hoping he would stay there.
Two runs off the first ball from Mashrafe was followed by the same from the second – courtesy of a fielding fumble that put Trott on 94. A match-winning century was within his grasp but the third ball from Mashrafe was one strike too many as Trott gave an edge behind which was gratefully taken by Jahurul.
Strauss was left to face the music and a series decider Edgbaston on Monday. “We didn't get a lot of things right," he said, as he also pointed out that focussing entirely on England’s mistakes – of which there were several – would be an injustice to the spirited performance from Bangladesh.
“Our fielding was sub-standard. Losing four wickets early was criminal, really. But they defended that score exceptionally well, they were hungry and they thoroughly deserved their victory.”
The look on his face suggested that Strauss has no appetite for a repeat performance at Edgbaston.
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