Jake Ball took five wickets on debut, and Adil Rashid picked up four, as Bangladesh collapsed to 288 all out to gift England, for whom Ben Stokes scored a maiden ODI hundred, victory by 21 runs
So, Bangladesh lost six for 17 to not so much throw away a winning position as trample it into a pulp and hurl it off a cliff. But credit to England, and in particular Rashid and Ball, who both bowled with flair and variety to turn round a match that was running away from their team. It was an excellent, engrossing game of cricket from the start, and gave both sides some notable pluses and minuses to mull over before the players drag their weary frames back to the same venue for the second ODI on Sunday. You can – and indeed must – follow that here then, but that’s me done for today. Stay on the site for reports and reaction. Thanks for your company and emails. Bye.
Related: England’s Jake Ball grabs dramatic debut five-for to sink Bangladesh
47.5 overs Bangladesh 288 (Mosharraf 7), target 310. Taskin works away a yorker from Ball to get off the mark, before an offside wide adds one more to the total. Mosharraf carves out one more with an inelegant cut, but these tail-enders look like rabbits of the old school and aren’t connecting cleanly with anything. And Ball wraps it up, inducing an edge from Taskin that Buttler snaffles up low behind the stumps. Five wickets on debut – he can build on that.
47th over: Bangladesh 285-9 (Mosharraf 6, Taskin 0), target 310. Rashid continues to find loads of turn – one turner prompting looks of exasperation from Mosharraf that it wasn’t called wide, and another prompting a worthy but rejected lbw appeal. Mosharraf grubs away for two with an inside-edge, the only two runs of the over. Another fine one.
46th over: Bangladesh 283-9 (Mosharraf 4, Taskin 0), target 310. Buttler isn’t going to remove his wicket-takers now, so a weary Ball is summoned for his ninth over. And there’s mayhem straight off, Shafiul is sent back to the non-striker’s end and derailed by a direct hit from Rashid. The ball then cannons off the stumps for four, prompting cheers in anticipation of a five should he be given not out, but he’s given out, some distance from his ground. It’s suddenly almost in the bag for England. Mosharraf swings towards deep midwicket for two and square-drives crisply for one, but the home side’s last pair now need 27 from four overs.
Shafiul is sent back to the non-striker’s end after an initial attempted run and derailed by a direct hit from Rashid. On it goes
45th over: Bangladesh 280-8 (Mosharraf 1, Shafiul 0), target 310. I thought getting stumped off a wide was only the sort of thing that happened to hapless Sunday hackers like me, but the masterful Kayes succumbs in the same way, stretching out of his crease, missing and seeing Buttler whip off the bails. His brilliant innings is over and you can now hear a pin drop. Rashid is now bowling with freedom and flair, and the batsmen can’t pick his wrong’uns and leg-spinners. England have turned this round completely.
The centurion Kayes is stumped off a wide! Advantage England.
44th over: Bangladesh 279-7 (Kayes 112, Mosharraf 1), target 310. Jake Ball begins his eighth over with a wide – greeted by almost exaggerated cheers – before Kayes flicks away for a single. But Ball is keeping things tight in the main, with both his fuller deliveries and shorter ones keeping the batsmen on their toes. Another wide, the eighth England have bowled, undermines all that a bit. A couple of singles follow before an odd and unsuccessful lbw review, given that it was so blatantly pitching outside leg, but England will be happy enough with that. Thirty-one needed from 36 balls. What a finish we have in store.
43rd over: Bangladesh 274-7 (Kayes 110, Mosharraf 0), target 310. Rashid continues, Kayes – the old warhorse – adds a single, as does Mortaza. But Rashid can go through his repertoire here – a googly followed by a leggy – and it works, as Mortaza edges the latter delivery behind. Terrific bowling. England must fancy their chances again now.
Wonder if Bangladesh fans are getting uncomfortable flashbacks to India in the World T20.
And another! Rashid snares the Bangladesh captain with a big leggy, edged behind to Buttler.
42nd over: Bangladesh 271-6 (Kayes 108, Mortaza 0), target 310. England strike back, and then some. Shakib pulls Ball for two towards deep midwicket, and then repeats the shot, with extra venom, to get another boundary, though he’s feeling the strain too – his cramped hand needs treatment straight afterwards. The break may have unsettled Shakib as he pulls the first ball on resumption straight to Willey to end the partnership. It gets better for Ball, as Mosaddek inside-edges onto his stumps first ball. Mortaza, the captain, plays away the hat-trick ball but suddenly England have a chance.
Mosaddek inside-edges onto his stumps first ball! Ball is on a hat-trick.
Is there a twist? Ball picks up his third scalp as Shakib pulls to David Willey at midwicket.
41st over: Bangladesh 265-4 (Kayes 108, Shakib 73), target 310. Along comes power play three, and along returns Adil Rashid, kept back precisely for this. Will they risk going after him again? Oh yes, Shakib belts the first ball straight down the ground for four, and then cuts a better, shorter ball for a single. Kayes, in the anchor role since his injury, adds one more, as does Shakib. It’s not a bad over but it’s not, at this stage, enough. Nine from it. Only 45 needed.
40th over: Bangladesh 256-4 (Kayes 107, Shakib 65), target 310. The debutant Ball returns – what a test of character this is – and almost snares Kayes, who, TV replays confirm, edges a pull behind but Buttler spills it anyway. Agonising. But it’s a good over from Ball, who mixes up line, length and pace to good effect until conceding a wide down the legside with his final ball, and Bangladesh can’t score from the extra one. This partnership is now worth 103.
39th over: Bangladesh 253-4 (Kayes 106, Shakib 64), target 310. Chris Woakes has had a Midas touch all year – can he exercise it now as he returns to the attack? Not yet, not at all – Shakib square-cuts his first ball with panache for four. Two singles follow before Shakib adds two more fours - slash-edging to the third man boundary and then square cutting emphatically. It’s not soch that England have lost control here – they’ve not been particularly wayward, and been sharp enough in the field – they just haven’t been able to apply sustained pressure, and you can really tell who the more experienced side are at the moment. Buttler looks just a little lonely.
38th over: Bangladesh 239-4 (Kayes 106, Shakib 51), target 310. Moeen hasn’t been attacked too much today – until now: Shakib takes a step and hammers it high over the long-on boundary for SIX. A thumping, controlled punch down the ground for four adds to the local merriment – shot of the innings, for my money – and prompts Buttler to shuffle his field, but Shakib finds a gap to add the single he needs to bring up an excellent, even game-changing, half-century. Thirteen from Moeen’s final over and he finishes with figures of 10-0-62-0.
37th over: Bangladesh 226-4 (Kayes 105, Shakib 39), target 310. A spot of hot-headed daftness from Willey gifts Kayes his hundred: the batsman drives straight to the ball, who needlessly hurls back at the stumps in an optimistic run-out attempt, but it cannons off the sticks and races away for four. The umpires review it but he was always in, and has a well-earned gusty century to his name. A two and a single follow, and Bangladesh are buoyant now. Shakib senses it too, and ends the over by somehow beating three diving fielders with a mow towards wide long-on for four. The last of those diving fielders, Roy, fell awkwardly and needs a bit of a once-over before resuming.
36th over: Bangladesh 214-4 (Kayes 98, Shakib 34), target 310. Moeen’s going to bowl all the way through by the looks. His first ball is swept square for one by Kayes, before a valuable four is procured by a crunching uppish off-drive from Shakib. Kayes goes to 98 with a single on the onside to end the over. England are up against a canny and experienced pair of cricketers here, and need a breakthrough. Run rate of 6.86 needed.
35th over: Bangladesh 207-4 (Kayes 96, Shakib 29), target 310. Willey gifts this pair their 50 partnership with a legside wide, Shakib square cuts for one, Kayes pushes to mid-on for another but feels the strain running the next one from the non-striker’s end. Bangladesh need boundaries, England need wickets – neither are forthcoming, which adds to the rather tantalising tension about the place. This is absorbing stuff.
34th over: Bangladesh 202-4 (Kayes 94, Shakib 27), target 310. Moeen finds Shakib’s edge with more turn, but it lands safely and brings a single, and two more take the home side to 200. Kayes is inching towards a first ODI hundred since 2010, and his second in all forms this week, but England will be happy enough with that over, which again yields only five singles.
33rd over: Bangladesh 197-4 (Kayes 92, Shakib 24), target 310. Stokes is removed from the attack – probably a smart decision at this precise juncture – and replaced by Willey, who keeps things under control by spearing it into the left-handers and conceding only five singles.
32nd over: Bangladesh 192-4 (Kayes 90, Shakib 21), target 310. Moeen bowls his seventh over on the bounce, and is agonisingly close to finally picking up a wicket when Shakib mistimes a lofted off-drive but Vince can’t quite scoop it up in the deep before it bounces. Four from the over, and this match is still in the balance.
31st over: Bangladesh 188-4 (Kayes 88, Shakib 19), target 310. The perfect scenario for Kayes – a slash, but a hard slash, and it flies to the boundary without the batsman having to move. And it’s off his sledging-adversary Stokes, who then sends a wide down the legside. Kayes adds one more when he shovels a slower ball past Buttler on the legside for a single. Shakib adds one more before Kayes stretches to deflect another short ball just over the fielder at backward point for another single. Some fairly heroic running in the circumstances ensues as Shakib picks up a hurried two. Stokes has lost his radar here, and his final ball – short and wide on the legside - is helped to the fine leg boundary for four by Shakib.
30th over: Bangladesh 174-4 (Kayes 82, Shakib 12), target 310. Kayes returns to his feet and soldiers on, as he kind of has to when not allowed a runner. He might have to resort to his four-or-nothing scoring pattern of earlier in the innings, though he does hobble for a single straight away as play resumes. Moeen finds some quite extravagant turn at times and Bangladesh play it safe on this occasion.
29.3 overs: Bangladesh 173-4 (Kayes 81, Shakib 12), target 310. Passion or no, Stokes fumbles at backward point after Kayes cracks it uppishly in his direction, but the batsman pays the price too, appearing to suffer a twinge as he scampers home for the second of the runs that ensue. While the batsman’s being treated, they opt to take drinks halfway through the over.
29th over: Bangladesh 170-4 (Kayes 79, Shakib 11), target 310. Having said all that, the spin interlude is brought to a close with Stokes replacing Rashid. Suddenly the boundaries are drying up, Kayes resorting to actually hitting the ball on the offside, but an expansive drive towards deep extra-cover still brings only one. He does find the ropes though with a lofted crack past a diving Stokes to the long-off boundary. Some bantz/needless niggle between Stokes and Kayes tops off the over. “You should never get rid of the passion,” roars Dominic Cork in the commentary box, approvingly and predictably.
28th over: Bangladesh 163-4 (Kayes 74, Shakib 9), target 310. Good bowling from Moeen, who finds some pleasing turn to beat Shakib. Three dots, three singles is good at any stage of an innings. If Bangladesh’s game plan was to attack the spinners to get in front, it’s unravelling a little.
26th over: Bangladesh 160-4 (Kayes 73, Shakib 7), target 310. You come at the king, you best not miss. Well, at Rashid anyway – once again Bangladesh have a go at a perfectly accurate ball from the spinner and once again pay for it, Mushfiqur slog-sweeping to deep midwicket where Billings barely has to move to catch it. An actual loose delivery does then present itself, to the new man Shakib, who clubs a four to get off the mark. Two more and a single follow but there’s no doubting Rashid’s wicket-taking worth to this team.
30% of both Moeen and Rashid's deliveries have threatened the stumps - far higher than the seamers (bowling wider lines) #BANvENG
The same formula, the same trap. Mushfiqur mows at Rashid and Billings takes the catch in the deep.
26th over: Bangladesh 153-3 (Kayes 73, Mushfiqur 12), target 310. They’re rattling through the overs now – as Rob suggested earlier, coping with spin is a challenge for the OBOer too (our own equivalent of having to prove we fancy it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke; or in this case a balmy Friday in Dhaka). Mushfiqur cracks an impressive off-drive for four off Moeen, overthrows bring two more (a harsh description given Stokes almost pulled off a fine direct hit). Nine from the over will lift Bangladesh’s spirits, with the innings past the halfway stage.
25th over: Bangladesh 144-3 (Kayes 70, Mushfiqur 6), target 310. A bit of old-school middle-overs meandering, with singles flicked on legside keeping the scoreboard ticking over off Rashid but not in a manner that will alarm England unduly.
24th over: Bangladesh 139-3 (Kayes 68, Mushfiqur 3), target 310. Suddenly, batting against England’s spinners doesn’t look so easy: Kayes sweeps and misses at a straighter, bouncier ball from Moeen, who maintains a decent tighter line. Four singles – including a rare cover-drive from Kayes for one of them – are all that Bangladesh muster in this over.
23rd over: Bangladesh 135-3 (Kayes 66, Mushfiqur 1), target 310. Rashid and Buttler’s legside trap snares Mahmudullah who clips it in the air towards the deep midwicket boundary where the substitute fielder Billings takes the catch. Rashid concedes a legside wide but bamboozles the new man Mushfiqur with one that turns down leg, deflects off pad and is fumbled by Buttler. The crowd is suddenly muted and that was much, much better from Rashid.
Big scalp. Mahmudullah sweeps in front of square to the boundary where Billings gathers comfortably.
22nd over: Bangladesh 132-2 (Kayes 65, Mahmudullah 25), target 310. This partnership is becoming a little bothersome for England now – each batsman looking assured in his own different way – as the strike is rotated for a three singles before a low full-toss on leg-stump is swept on its way down to the fine leg boundary by Kayes for four.
21st over: Bangladesh 123-2 (Kayes 59, Mahmudullah 21), target 310. There is a sense, as so often against subcontinental opposition, that batsmen are going to target England’s spinners. A full delivery from Rashid is thwacked straight past the bowler by Mahmudullah for four, a couple of singles follow before Mahmudullah drills towards long-on for two and then one respectively.
20th over: Bangladesh 114-2 (Kayes 58, Mahmudullah 14), target 310. Famine then feast on the spin front, then, as Moeen replaces Ball. Four singles are all that result. It looks very dewey out there, as dewey as this even:
19th over: Bangladesh 110-2 (Kayes 56, Mahmudullah 12), target 310. Nineteen overs in and we have spin at last, in the form of Rashid, whose first ball is filth – a legside wide – and his second flicked away by Kayes for a single. A lesser spotted cover drive is unfurled by the classy Mahmudullah for three runs, Kayes sweeps for one, and a mixed first over for the Yorkshire spinner is ruined a tad at its end when Mahmudullah cleverly uses the spin to glide the ball past Buttler to the fine leg boundary for four.
18th over: Bangladesh 100-2 (Kayes 54, Mahmudullah 5), target 310. Ball continues, Mahmudullah flicking his first delivery off the hips for a single before Kayes rather deftly dabs a slower ball in the air towards the vacant midwicket area for one more. Ball concedes a no-ball and a free hit when the ball seems to skid out of the back of his hand (the dew perhaps?) and past the batsman at above-waist height. Kayes heaves inelegantly at the free hit, mistimes but it loops behind and over Buttler for four to bring up a half-century that’s included some lusty blows, almost all on the legside, and a lot of playing and missing. They all count. Another single brings up the hundred for Bangladesh.
17th over: Bangladesh 91-2 (Kayes 48, Mahmudullah 3), target 310. More playing and missing from Kayes, a bye, then Mahmudullah gets in on the swing-and-miss action in a tight over from Stokes, which features only two runs and some sparky direct-hit-but-not-out fielding from England. They’re still on top here at this stage.
16th over: Bangladesh 89-2 (Kayes 48, Mahmudullah 2), target 310. Ball finds serious pace and bounce to bamboozle Mahmudullah, who swats and misses at it haplessly. He gets an easy single before Kayes takes a rather more fretful one, which is met with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from Jason Roy. The umpires review but the diving Kayes is home. Ball is sweating profusely in the sweltering heat but bowling well – two off the over at this stage is excellent. And that’s drinks.
15th over: Bangladesh 87-2 (Kayes 47, Mahmudullah 1), target 310. Mahmudullah gets off the mark with a single, but four dots follow before Kayes gets lucky, squirting past the keeper for four off the last ball of a good over from Stokes. One can’t help but sense that Willey’s catch has wrested control back from England after the home side had got on top.
14th over: Bangladesh 82-2 (Kayes 43), target 310. Ball drops too short and a fraction wide at Kayes, for whom this is meat and drink and a chance to pull it vigorously to the midwicket boundary for four, which he takes with relish. A well-run two keeps the scoreboard ticking over – more alarmingly for England, Jonny Bairstow appeared to twinge or twang something in the act of fielding it. And an expensive over continues with a single and an aggressive on-drive for four before Sabbir goes in remarkable fashion, Willey palming the ball into the air before it sails over the ropes, steadying himself off the field and coming back on to hold the catch.
Brilliant fielding on the boundary from Willey, who palms Sabbir’s slogged pull from just above the boundary ropes, totters behind the line before jumping back onto the field to take the catch
13th over: Bangladesh 71-1 (Kayes 36, Sabbir 14), target 310. The ever-impressive Woakes is replaced by Ben Stokes, whose first ball is tucked away for a single by Sabbir and whose second is met with a rare-ish Proper Cricket Shot from Kayes, an elegant square drive that careers away to the ropes for four. A single in the same region ensues before another PCS – a deliciously timed on-drive for four – from Sabbir completes the over.
12th over: Bangladesh 61-1 (Kayes 31, Sabbir 9), target 310. There’s bounce in this surface still, to be sure, as Ball zips a fairly average-paced delivery past Kayes’s chin, and Kayes is struggling with it. (“Chin music” would be a great name for an album, I’ve always thought). A slower ball is diverted through midwicket for a single before Sabbir hacks towards long-on but doesn’t find the boundary, giving the batsmen a rare chance to practise running between the wickets. Three runs result. Another good over from Ball though.
11th over: Bangladesh 57-1 (Kayes 30, Sabbir 6), target 310. Woakes foxes Kayes with a slower ball, which he misses once more. He doesn’t miss the next one mind, which is a fraction shorter and swatted high to the midwicket boundary, bouncing once before crossing the ropes. A single brings to the strike Sabbir, who adds two with a pull off a shorter ball. Still advantage England here overall, you’d think.
A public service announcement from Phil Rhodes: “Last weekend the Third OBOcassionals overseas tour took us to Vis, Croatia to play the local Sir William Hoste Cricket Club and fellow touring side Outwood Cricket Club. The OBOs finished with a tour best record of 1W 1L with our unique brand of cricket. A great time was had by all and many thanks to our hosts for a well organised and hilarious weekend.
Roll on next year when the plan is to have a tour to Italy.”
10th over: Bangladesh 50-1 (Kayes 25, Sabbir 4), target 310. Jake Ball’s first over in ODI cricket: a dot is followed by a mistimed pull from Kayes that doesn’t land too far short of Moeen Ali, resulting in just a single. Ball is pretty on the money against Tamim, who’s itching to cut loose in the final over of the powerplay but can’t because Ball is cramping him up. It pays off too, as Tamim tries to slog another good-line-and-length ball and miscues it high and into the hands of Vince. Sabbir edges high over slip for four from his first ball but that was an excellent debut over from Ball. Quite the day for England new boys.
Jake Ball has a wicket in his debut over! Tamim mistimes a big hit off a straight ball and it loops up high and down into the hands of Vince.
9th over: Bangladesh 45-0 (Tamim 17, Kayes 24), target 310. Woakes continues to get the better of the Bangladesh openers with his pace, and he makes Tamim look daft with a venomous short ball that bamboozles the advancing left-hander. The next ball is a funny one – slower, which it looks like Tamim nicks via a low bounce to Buttler. A single is followed by a mistimed legside hoick from Kayes that bounces just short of the fielder at deep square leg. Another single, another fine over from Woakes.
Going back to John Starbuck’s search for a suitable term for the ECB’s attitude to smaller counties, a more apposite one than ‘Millbank’ might be ‘Rose Bowl’.
8th over: Bangladesh 42-0 (Tamim 16, Kayes 22), target 310. Tamim finally opens his shoulders to effect, but his carve in front of square on the offside still doesn’t quite connect and brings only two rather than the four he was aiming for. A drive for one ensues before Kayes peps the crowd up with a hearty, well-timed blow over deep midwicket for SIX. A good over for Bangladesh concludes with a smart scurried leg-bye single followed by a neat clip to the square leg boundary for four by Tamim off a fuller, slower delivery from Willey.
7th over: Bangladesh 29-0 (Tamim 9, Kayes 16), target 310. Kayes adds a single before Woakes shows off his newfound pace with a zippy bouncer – which unfortunately for him is called wide. Undeterred, he continues to dig it in with pace and venom and Kayes has to rock back to push it away past gully for an angsty single. Tamim then advances down the pitch but his footwork and eyeline are all wrong and he’s nowhere near connecting. A single completes the over but England are well on top here, and Bangladesh’s openers look unsure of themselves.
6th over: Bangladesh 25-0 (Tamim 8, Kayes 15), target 310. For all the talk of white balls losing their swing after five minutes, Willey finds some with the first ball of this over, which banana-swerves past Tamim’s outside edge, but the opener manages to dab one down to third man for a single next ball for a rare bit of strike rotation. Kayes continues to seek the slog where he can and batters Willey across the line to the long-on boundary for four. Another single down to third man completes a better over for the home side.
“Tom,” writes John Starbuck. “Your mention of the ECB’s attitude to long-established but smaller county sides makes me wonder if we can’t invent a term for this? I suggest ‘Millbank’ given your Big paper’s columnist Giles Fraser’s piece today about Labour abandoning Walworth in favour of Millbank because it made Tony Blair feel more important, as well as being a lot flashier. I’ve been inside once (not as a student) and it’s certainly alienating.” I’ve been inside the musty archives of the old Walworth Road place as it goes – a kind of political equivalent of a tatty but charming old county outground, where the toilets are in tents. (At cricket grounds that is, not political party HQs)
5th over: Bangladesh 19-0 (Tamim 7, Kayes 10), target 310. Kayes tries to get after Woakes on the offside, but hacks and misses – footwork nonexistent. Woakes is on top here, and produces a very good maiden. This is fine stuff from England’s seamers here. Sam Billings is on the field for Rashid.
4th over: Bangladesh 19-0 (Tamim 7, Kayes 10), target 310. England have two slips initially – Vince and Stokes – in for Willey, who maintains a sturdy off-stump line and length. A single leads to one of those slips being removed for Kayes, who wants to have a go but his attempt to swing another one over the square leg boundary is awkwardly mistimed and dobs up just short of square leg and brings only a single. Then Tamim gets his first four, a flick to the fine leg boundary.
3rd over: Bangladesh 13-0 (Tamim 2, Kayes 10), target 310. Tamim isn’t connecting – yet – and swings and misses at Woakes’s first ball, which is also angled across him, seam scrambled. He’s beaten on the next two balls too, first outside off-stump again and then beaten for pace as he tries to pull on the leg side. He can’t work it away when he connects either, until carving past backward point for the only run of the over. A fine over.
2nd over: Bangladesh 12-0 (Tamim 1, Kayes 10), target 310. Willey opens up at the other end, and opens up well, finding some movement against the left-handed Tamim Iqbal, who’s respectful in response. Five dot balls and a leg bye is all we get.
On the England innings, Ian Copestake takes off glasses, narrows his eyes and offers this observation: “There was a steeliness in Buttler’s visiog that I’ve not seen before. He usually grins sheepishly as he is carting attacks round a ground. But not this time. I like it. I like it alot.”
1st over: Bangladesh 11-0 (Tamim 1, Kayes 10), target 310. Lively. Chris Woakes gets first use of the new ball, and Tamim nudges him off his hips straight away for a single. Kayes isn’t in the mood to make polite small talk before hitting the dancefloor though, swiping the third ball of the innings, a decent enough inswinger, high over square leg for SIX, inflicting some damage on a stand back wall. Woakes follows up well, slanting one across the left-hander, who plays and misses. The final ball of the over also goes for four, edged wide of slip. Only three scoring shots, some decent balls, but 11 runs.
Out come the players …
It’s a bit dewy and very steamy out there, says Sky’s man by the pitch, Rob Key, which will suit Bangladesh he reckons, though he adds that England should have too much on the board anyway. And for all the security talk, it feels like there’s a proper cricket atmosphere in Mirpur.
Afternoon/evening everyone. Have England ever had a one-day cricketer like Jos Buttler? No, obviously. He feels as significant a player in his national side’s evolution as someone like Adam Gilchrist was for Australia. You almost assume now, when he bounds to the crease 30 or 40 overs into an innings, that he’ll effortlessly take the game away from the opposition. Has he done so again here? The hunch is yes, given pre-match perceived wisdom that 270/280 is a par score at Mirpur.
Of course, it wasn’t a one-man effort. Ben Stokes hit new heights and Ben Duckett played with remarkable composure and intelligence on debut. Tellingly, Duckett sounded almost downbeat on TV just now in his post-innings interview, talking about various of his shots “not coming off” or finding fielders. What a remarkable year he’s having, despite the evident hindrance of playing for the sort of county side the ECB would like to wipe from the face of the Earth.
50th over: England 309-8 (Woakes run out 16, Willey 0) Chris Woakes is run out off the last delivery of the innings. That was nonetheless a very good end to the innings for England, who scored 52 from the last four overs. As a result they have what should be a matchwinning total, though nothing is certain in modern one-day cricket. Tom Davies will be with you for the Bangladesh run-chase. Thanks for your company, bye!
“With all the talk of bowlers having to remodel their unfair actions, how long before the ICC insists that Jos Buttler remodel his clearly unfair wrist action?” says Robert Taylor. “Hitting a six like that over cover is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game and is verging on taking the piss.”
Buttler clunks a wide full toss to long-off, ending a thrilling innings of 63 from 38 balls.
49th over: England 304-6 (Buttler 62, Woakes 15) England roar past 300. Woakes slaps Taskin over backward point for four – and then Buttler slices a low full toss to third man for six! He is utterly devastating. England have scored 43 in the last 14 deliveries.
“This team,” says Chris Drew, “really have the chance to become Jos’s giants.” Arf!
48th over: England 292-6 (Buttler 55, Woakes 11) Buttler is on the rampage. After top-edging a pull that lands safely, he mows consecutive leg-side boundaries off Shafiul before helping him over long-off for another magnificent six. That takes him to a 33-ball half-century, which includes 30 from his last seven deliveries. He is a quite ludicrous genius.
47th over: England 273-6 (Buttler 37, Woakes 10) Buttler goes down the track to Shakib and drives effortlessly over mid-on for six. That was an awesome shot because Shakib saw him coming and fired it in at his pads, but Buttler was still able to clear the ropes. He does it again next ball, driving another six down the ground. That was a lovely example of his genius: single single single single single and then, out of nothing, consecutive sixes.
46th over: England 257-6 (Buttler 23, Woakes 8) Buttler has played carefully, with just one boundary so far. Woakes shows him the way with a handsome drive over extra cover for a one-bounce four. England are inching towards a handy total.
45th over: England 249-6 (Buttler 21, Woakes 2) Four singles from Shakib’s over.
44th over: England 245-6 (Buttler 19, Woakes 0) Of the over that was the last ball.
Buttler and Moeen have been excellent between the wickets in this fledgling partnership, with lots of sweaty ones and twos. Ach, Moeen has gone now, pulling Mortaza around the corner and straight to fine leg.
43rd over: England 237-5 (Buttler 16, Moeen 2)Shakib has four overs remaining and so returns to the attack. Buttler can’t get any of the first three deliveries away but redeems the over with five from the last three.
42nd over: England 233-5 (Buttler 11, Moeen 2)Moeen is the new batsman.
Stokes looks absolutely shattered, unsurprisingly given the heat, so you’d expect him to swing at everything now. That’s precisely what he does, but he can’t clear deep midwicket and Sabbir takes an easy catch. Stokes looks annoyed, though he shouldn’t be – that was a masterful innings and an understandable way to get out.
41st over: England 228-4 (Stokes 100, Buttler 9)Stokes works Shafiul for a single to reach a supreme maiden ODI century from 98 balls, with four sixes and eight fours. It’s taken a while – five years since his debut – but he is now a serious one-day player. Buttler has been one for a while and he gets his first boundary with a sweet pull round the corner.
40th over: England 220-4 (Stokes 99, Buttler 2) Another fine over from Mortaza; just four singles from it, so Stokes has to wait for his first ODI hundred.
39th over: England 216-4 (Stokes 97, Buttler 0) The new batsman is the captain Buttler.
Duckett, frustrated by some mistimed strokes in the last few overs, goes too far across and is bowled leg stump by a low full toss from Shafiul. It ends a fine debut innings of 60 from 78 balls.
38th over: England 213-3 (Duckett 59, Stokes 95)Mac Millings has stuck two rigid ones up at Hurricane Matthew, emerging from his bunker to send this. “Weeps in private? Check. Plays the helicopter shot every other ball? Sure, why not. Handsome? I suppose, from a certain angle of desperation. Cowering from a hurricane but only three people have enquired as to his well-being, and one of those was his Mum? Modesty forbids, Rob.”
37th over: England 208-3 (Duckett 59, Stokes 90)England are getting plenty of reverse today – with the bat. Duckett adjusts his hands to hoick Mosaddek over backward point for four more, and then he’s dropped! He swept Mosaddek flat and hard round the corner, where Mosharraf swooped to his left and put it down. That’s the second chance he has dropped.
36th over: England 202-3 (Duckett 54, Stokes 89)Mortaza beats Duckett with a superb cutter that moves sharply off the seam. A flustered Duckett hoicks the next ball high in the air on the leg side, where it somehow lands between three fielders.
35th over: England 200-3 (Duckett 53, Stokes 88) Stokes flat-bats the new bowler Mosaddek’s first ball through extra cover for four. It’s an unusual tactic, aiming for a boundary from the first rather than last ball of the over; like Alvy Singer kissing Annie Hall before dinner on the first date so that they can relax and digest their food better.
34th over: England 191-3 (Duckett 50, Stokes 82) Stokes plays an outrageous shot, reverse-pulling Mortaza over short third man for four. On Sky, Rob Key makes the excellent point that Stokes often takes a boundary from the first ball of an over, so that he can then relax and work the ball around. Meanwhile, Duckett works a single to reach a strikingly composed half-century on debut: 63 balls, five fours.
33rd over: England 184-3 (Duckett 49, Stokes 76)Duckett moves to within one of a debut half-century, and Stokes squirts a single to move to his highest ODI score. Although he’s been dropped twice, it’s been a gem of an innings.
32nd over: England 178-3 (Duckett 45, Stokes 74) Stokes is dropped again! He sliced Mortaza high over the off side, where Mosharraf made a mess of what should have been a straightforward chance.
31st over: England 174-3 (Duckett 44, Stokes 71)Stokes blazes Taskin to mid-on, where Mahmudullah drops a sharp chance as the ball dies on him.
30th over: England 170-3 (Duckett 43, Stokes 69)The captain Mortaza assumes the position and does a decent job, conceding three singles.
“Not only does TalkSport have the commentary,” says Richard Woods, “My Lord Selvey is currently providing the expert analysis.” Oh great stuff, I didn’t know that. ‘Expert’ being the operative word. He is much missed here.
29th over: England 167-3 (Duckett 42, Stokes 67) There are a few technical problems, both with the Sky pictures and our publishing tool. Stokes continues to hurry along at comfortably more than a run a ball; this has probably been his the best ODI innings of his career so far.
28th over: England 160-3 (Duckett 41, Stokes 61)Stokes swings Mahmudullah for a huge six down the ground, his fourth of the innings. Duckett then nails a reverse sweep over short third man for four to make it 13 from the over. This is great fun.
27th over: England 147-3 (Duckett 37, Stokes 52)Taskin had to remodel his action early in the year but he hasn’t lost much pace. Duckett uses that pace to ramp him for four from well outside off stump. For a debutant in alien conditions, this has been an admirably clear-headed performance from Duckett.
26th over: England 142-3 (Duckett 33, Stokes 52) Stokes reverse-sweeps Mahmudullah to bring up an accomplished, apparently effortless half-century from 45 balls. He made one fifty in his first 29 ODI innings; since then he has made five in 10. The value of patience, part 4134322948234329842394832.
“Anybody know why TMS aren’t covering this match?” asks Smylers. “5 Live Sports Extra is just playing continuous self-promotion.” I think TalkSport have the rights.
25th over: England 138-3 (Duckett 32, Stokes 48) The young quick bowler Taskin Ahmed is coming into the attack. He beats Duckett for pace outside off stump and then gets one to kick nastily past Duckett’s attempted pull. Where did that come from? An eventful over concludes with Stokes clipping an errant delivery to the fine-leg boundary.
24th over: England 132-3 (Duckett 31, Stokes 43) It might be worth a couple of overs of seam to disrupt England’s rhythm. Stokes, in particular, is batting majestically now and has just driven Mosharraf high over midwicket for his third six.
23rd over: England 123-3 (Duckett 30, Stokes 35) Stokes continues to pepper the leg-side boundary, walloping a pull for four off Mosaddek; then, just for larks, he reverse sweeps another boundary through backward point. It’s been an impressively controlled innings so far. He’s in the best form of his ODI career.
22nd over: England 114-3 (Duckett 30, Stokes 26) Terrific stuff from Stokes, who pings Mosharraf over square leg for his second six. A single from Duckett brings up a classy fifty partnership in 55 balls; they came together under extreme pressure.
21st over: England 103-3 (Duckett 27, Stokes 18) “Given your talent for jinxing things can I ask a small favour of you?” says Phil Withall. “Can you kindly put a small curse on Kevin Muscat for me. His ‘football’ team is currently ruining my evening.”
Kevin Muscat is the best thing that has ever happened to anyone, ever.
20th over: England 100-3 (Duckett 26, Stokes 16) It’s trial by spin - for me, never mind the batsmen. The overs are flying by and now the left-arm spinner Mosharraf has come into the attack. Duckett survives a big LBW appeal after missing a reverse sweep; Bangladesh decide not to review, although it looked a decent shout. Hawkeye shows it was umpire’s call on length, so it would not have been overturned.
“If Duckett does well on this tour, who does it spell bad news for?” asks Kevin Wilson. “I suspect even if he started his ODI career like Pietersen, he’d still sit out once Hales and Morgan are back.”
19th over: England 97-3 (Duckett 25, Stokes 14) A long hop from Mosaddek is pulled savagely for six by Stokes.
18th over: England 87-3 (Duckett 25, Stokes 7) This England innings could do with a bit of, er, Ben-zedrine, and at the moment it’s Duckett rather than Stokes who is providing it. He uses his feet to Shakib and belts another boundary down the ground. This has been an extremely promising start to his international career.
17th over: England 83-3 (Duckett 21, Stokes 4) This is impressive, calm stuff from Duckett. He waits for the bad ball from Mosaddek and cuffs it over mid-on for four; then he reverse sweeps for two to move to 21 from 27 balls.
16th over: England 77-3 (Duckett 15, Stokes 4) Mortaza continues to rotate his bowlers, with Shakib replacing Mahmudullah. Duckett drives him confidently over mid-off for his first boundary and then Stokes survives a double appeal for caught-behind and stumped. The umpires referred the stumping but Stokes’s back foot remained grounded.
15th over: England 71-3 (Duckett 10, Stokes 3) These aren’t exactly Ben Stokes’ ideal batting conditions, so he is taking a little time to get his eye in - after five dot balls, he works Mosaddek’s last delivery for a single.
14th over: England 70-3 (Duckett 10, Stokes 2) Mahmudullah comes on to bowl his offspin, and Duckett heaves his first ball through midwicket for three. Six from the over.
13th over: England 64-3 (Duckett 6, Stokes 0) This is excellent experience for England, who are learning that ODI cricket is not all milk, cookies and 350+ totals. More importantly, it will be good for them to play under pressure, because they can’t win the Champions Trophy or the World Cup without coping with pressure.
The pressure is starting to build - so much so that Bairstow has run himself out! He is usually brilliant between the wickets but that was poorly judged. He played tip-and-run to mid-off and was comfortably short when Sabbir’s brilliant throw hit the stumps.
12th over: England 63-2 (Duckett 5, Bairstow 0) The new batsman is Jonny Bairstow, who is standing in for Eoin Morgan.
“Impressive work Rob,” says Andy Buddery, “managing to jinx both Jason Roy and England’s prospective total within the space of a few sentences!” I was given this gift; I can take no credit.
Shakib, whose name has inexplicably sent my brain in the direction of this song, switches ends and picks up the big wicket of Jason Roy. He came down the track and tried to drive a straight six, but miscued it slightly and was comfortably taken by Sabbir Rahman at long off. Roy played nicely to make 41 from 40 balls and, though that wasn’t a great shot, it’s all part of his education.
11th over: England 61-1 (Roy 41, Duckett 3) The offspinner Mosaddek Hossain comes into the attack, and Roy smears a slog-sweep for six as if it was the most logical thing in the whole wide world. He has oodles of talent and it’s becoming hard not to get carried away about what he might achieve in the next few years.
“Hi Rob,” says Andy Buddery. “Not sure exactly what a par score is at this ground, but it isn’t high. In the last four years, 250+ has been enough to win a game for the side batting first on 12 out of 16 occasions.” That’s interesting. Based on the first 10 overs I’d have said par was nearer 270-280.
10th over: England 53-1 (Roy 34, Duckett 2) Roy glides Shafiul very fine for four, another nice stroke that brings up the England fifty. He survives a run-out referral later in the over. At the other end, Duckett is taking a little time to get his eye in; he has two from six balls.
9th over: England 47-1 (Roy 29, Duckett 1) Duckett, who is usually at his best against spin, faces up to Shakib. He is beaten by a quicker one second ball and then gets off the mark.
8th over: England 45-1 (Roy 28, Duckett 0) The new batsman is the seriously exciting 21-year-old Ben Duckett, who scored 220 in a 50-over game for England Lions against Sri Lanka A in the summer. The batsmen crossed when Vince was out, and Roy flashes a boundary through the man at backward point.
After a promising start, James Vince has gone. It was a tame dismissal, a mistimed chip that went high in the air and was comfortably taken at mid-on.
7th over: England 41-0 (Roy 24, Vince 16)Vince makes room to drive Shakib inside-out over extra-cover for two, a beautiful stroke that would have brought four but for some good improvisation from the boundary fielder. Roy repeats the stroke later in the over, with the slow outfield restricting him to two as well. England have started well against Shakib, with nine from that over, all in ones and twos.
“Having seen the MS Dhoni movie last Sunday, I now realise that success in white-ball cricket depends on weeping in private, playing the helicopter shot to every other ball and, most of all, being handsome,” says Gary Naylor. “So who’s our man to meet that person spec?” Modesty forbids, Gary.
6th over: England 32-0 (Roy 21, Vince 10) Roy smokes Shafiul down the ground, and almost hits Vince in the process. A good stop at mid-on keeps England to one. Roy is then beaten by some extra bounce, recoiling in surprise as the ball pops past his glove. Three from the over; Shafiul has bowled nicely.
5th over: England 29-0 (Roy 20, Vince 8) The brilliant left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan is into the attack already. That’s a worthwhile move, particularly against Roy. This is going to be a really good challenge for England, and I’m not sure I agree with Bangladesh’s odds of 2-1 to win the series. Shakib starts as he means to go on, angling it into the right-handers from around the wicket. After two singles from the first five balls, Roy pulls out the reverse sweep and drags it round the corner for four. Good stroke.
4th over: England 23-0 (Roy 15, Vince 7) Roy tries to work Shafiul to leg and almost gives a caught-and-bowled chance via the leading edge. It flew wide of the bowler Shafiul. A nervous over for Roy includes a play-and-miss, a chip that only just clears mid-off and an edge along the floor.
3rd over: England 20-0 (Roy 12, Vince 6) Mortaza has been around for a while. He made his debut in 2001, aged 18, and has inevitably lost pace over the year. One delivery to Roy keeps a little low, which is slightly worrying for England with all the spinners to come. later in the innings. The next ball is driven deliciously through extra-cover for four off the back foot by Roy, who then saunters down the track to chip extravagantly over midwicket for four more. He is such a stylish player, and there was more than a touch of Kevin Pietersen in that stroke.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Roy 3, Vince 6) The cover-drive is a much safer shot for James Vince in this format and these conditions, and he unfurls it to get the first boundary of the day off Shafiul Islam’s first ball. Lovely stroke. One of England’s biggest challenges will be working out what’s a par score; it’ll be a bit lower than in England. SOMEBODY GET ME SOME BLOODY DATA.
1st over: England 5-0 (Roy 3, Vince 1) The bustling Mortaza starts the series with a wide. There’s a great atmosphere, even though the ground is nowhere near full yet, and there’s an excited shrill when Roy flails outside the line of a wide delivery from Mortaza. Five from the over.
“Frankly, I’m worried,” writes
Adrianna La Cerva David Horn. “We bat deep, but that bowling attack looks weak to me. Rashid & Ali will surely be meat & drink in this part of the world. Which prompts me to ask: why, whenever we tour spin friendly countries, where home batsmen are well schooled in facing spin bowling, do we think that the best thing to do is stock our ranks with comparatively mediocre spin bowlers? I understand about the workloads / heat / etc. for the quicker bowlers, but if I was a Bangladeshi or Indian batsmen I wouldn’t be losing sleep about facing Rashid & Ali.”
(Optional) lunchtime reading
I had a lot of fun working on this feature about Duncan Spencer, England’s lost fast bowler of the 1990s. The writing part was miserable as usual but the research and interviews were a joy.
Related: Recalling Duncan Spencer, the cricketer who lived fast and bowled even faster
Book plug
Supreme Bowling, the follow-up to Masterly Batting, features essays on the 100 greatest bowling performances in Test history. A lot of superb writers have contributed to the book, including David Frith, Stephen Chalke, Daniel Harris, Russell Jackson and Ken Piesse.
An email! “A slight redirection from the international cricket,” says Lee Smith, “but I would be greatly obliged if you could post this petition that has been started in response to the brutal punishments inflicted on Durham and many other areas of disenchantment.”
In case you missed the news, Edgbaston will host England’s first day-night Test next year. Read all about it.
Related: England confirm first day-night Test for 2017 against West Indies at Edgbaston
Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mosharraf Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mashrafe Mortaza (c) Shafiul Islam.
England Roy, Vince, Duckett, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler (c/wk), Moeen, Woakes, Willey, Rashid, Ball.
They have two debutants, Ben Duckett and Jake Ball. Apparently Liam Plunkett is injured, hence Ball’s inclusion. Duckett, a thrilling young talent, will bat at No3.
Hello. There comes a time in every major security operation when you just have to play a bit of cricket. This should be an interesting series between the two most improved one-day sides in world cricket. We know all about England’s Plain Jane Super Brain-style transformation in this format, but Bangladesh’s has been equally impressive. They put Ye Olde England out of the last World Cup, and they have an exceptional recent record at home: 17 wins in the last 20 matches and six series victories in a row, including defeats of India, South Africa and Pakistan.
Although Bangladesh have beaten England in the last two World Cups, they have never won a series against them. They have a great chance to do so in what should be spin-friendly conditions. The pitches will bear precisely no resemblance to those England will find in next year’s Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup (both, in case you didn’t know, are in England, and yes you have permission to be excited about the prospect of England maybe, finally, actually winning a global 50-over competition), but a lot of white-ball experience is universal – managing a run-chase, bowling yorkers, catching the cricket ball rather than dropping it pitifully at your feet.
Rob will be here shortly.
Meanwhile, check out Will Macpherson’s preview from Dhaka …
Underestimate Bangladesh at your peril. That has been the message all week from England, and one reiterated by the captain Jos Buttler on the eve of the opening one-day international in Mirpur on Friday. Thereafter they come thick and fast: another here on Sunday, and a third in Chittagong on Wednesday. A week’s rest and refamiliarisation follows, before back-to-back Tests.
According to Buttler, Bangladesh are favourites for the ODI series, and there are plenty of reasons to back up that belief. There are the infamous defeats at the past two World Cups, although so stark has England’s resurgence been in the format in the last 18 months that Buttler, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes are the only three who played in Adelaide. The only members of the party from the 2011 loss in Chittagong in 2011 on this tour are Andrew Strauss, the director of cricket, and Paul Collingwood, one of the coaches.
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