Bangladesh require only 33 runs to claim a historic maiden Test victory over England, who need two wickets on the final day in Chittagong
78th over: Bangladesh 253-8 (Sabbir 59, Taijul 11) target 286 If Taijul is a rabbit, he is a spirited one. He chips Batty for four over mid-on, and then miscues him for two more, close to Moeen at deep extra. And that is stumps, because Cook refuses to bowl spin alone. Story of the day, really.
But what a day: another gripping, stirring, low-scoring, nail-biting serving of Proper Test Creekit. Thanks for your company, and see you at 5am BST tomorrow for the denouement of this outstanding drama. The last email comes in from Julien Lesage: “Given that Batty is being rather successful with the ball, perhaps the selectors should be looking for a player called Bowlly to bat in the top order?” They certainly need someone there. But, above all, they need a captain who has some faith in the slower half of his attack.
77th over: Bangladesh 247-8 (Sabbir 59, Taijul 5) target 286 Broad bowls his NINTH over on the trot, which is verging on cruelty, although he probably doesn’t mind. He somehow finds the energy to bowl a ball which is both a bouncer and a leg-break. Sabbir ducks and evades it, and then plays at a length ball, and misses. A maiden, so Batty will have a full over at the rabbit Taijul.
76th over: Bangladesh 247-8 (Sabbir 59, Taijul 5) target 286 Can Taijul play spin? So far, he can, sort of – he lofts Batty down the ground for two, and squirts him for two more into a gap that doesn’t appear to be there at all, between Stokes at silly mid-slip and Root at silly mid-gully. Only 39 needed. The lights are shining brightly, and Cook seems to have been told he can only bowl one more over of seam.
“C’mon, two balls,” says Jonny Barstow in the middle of all that. “That’s all it is lads.”
This match has been a microcosm of his bizarre career.
75th over: Bangladesh 243-8 (Sabbir 59, Taijul 1) target 286 Broad bowls his eighth over in a row, which is like bowling 16 at Trent Bridge. Sabbir again takes a single off the first ball. Brave, Minister. But Taijul stays calm and collects a single himself with a poke to square leg, and then Sabbir, when he could take a single and keep the strike, comes back for a second.
74th over: Bangladesh 239-8 (Sabbir 56, Taijul 0) target 286 Correction: Sabbir doesn’t regret handing Kamrul the strike – he takes a single off the first ball of Stokes’s over and leaves Taijul to see out five balls, which he just about manages. Time for Batty.
73rd over: Bangladesh 238-8 (Sabbir 55, Taijul 0) target 286 Broad keeps asking good questions, and Kamrul didn’t have an answer. Sabbir may be kicking himself for trusting him with half an over.
“Need to write three intros for my web piece,” tweets Lawrence Booth, former rector of this parish. “Humiliating defeat, face-saving win, sleepless night.” He can stick with the face-saver for now.
Kamrul c Ballance b Broad 0 (238-8). A simple flip to short leg. England well on top: Sabbir may have to get the remaining 48 by himself.
72nd over: Bangladesh 237-7 (Sabbir 54, Kamrul 0) target 286 Batty’s reward for making the big breakthrough is to be banished yet again. Stokes returns, and instantly fumbles a run-out chance, perhaps out of sheer exhaustion. He finds some swing, but not the edge. Sabbir risks a slog, dancing down the track to pick up a streaky single. Fewer than 50 needed now. Two monks have joined the crowd in their glowing orange robes. You don’t get that at Headingley.
71st over: Bangladesh 234-7 (Sabbir 51, Kamrul 0) target 286 Broad raises his game when he needs to. The ball was an inswinger, hitting the leg bail. But Sabbir is still there to give the home crowd hope.
“Tim,” says John Starbuck, “you need to keep a closer eye on your autocorrect, which has changed Bairstow into Barstow at least twice now. My system does it too so it’s not just you. Time to teach the computer a lesson.” You’re right – it’s a bairstard.
Mehedi lbw b Broad 1 (234-7). Reward for Cook’s boundless faith in his fellow veteran.
Broad gets an lbw against Mehedi, or does he? Bangladesh review, but it looks out...
70th over: Bangladesh 234-6 (Sabbir 51, Mehedi 1) target 286 Mehedi is confident enough to get off the mark with a sweep off Batty. Sabbir survives an appeal for lbw which is loud from Bairstow, but lonely. And then Sabbir goes to a superb fifty on debut with a resounding shot for four down the ground, not so much a drive as a drill.
An email arrives from Peter Davies. “Re your description of Bairstow dropping Broad [10.59] - one of the many things to love about cricket is that it is an absolute double entendre minefield. Keep up the good work.”
69th over: Bangladesh 229-6 (Sabbir 47, Mehedi 0) target 286 Sabbir, so good at playing the sparky junior partner, now has to be the wise old head shepherding Mehedi, who is 18. He starts by seeing off yet another over from Broad, who has gone straight from under-used to over-Cooked.
68th over: Bangladesh 227-6 (Sabbir 45, Mehedi 0) target 286 For half an over, Cook looked as if he might have been right to exile Batty for so long: Sabbir scooped him for four and swept him for three. But then Batty struck, finding extra bounce to go with his turn, and Ballance did the rest. Good captaincy, in the end.
Batty does the trick! A fine, patient innings from Mushfiqur ends with a catch at short leg, and England are back on top.
It hasn’t quite been 11 years this time – it just feels like it.
67th over: Bangladesh 219-5 (Mushfiqur 38, Sabbir 38) target 286 A boundary! The first for several weeks. Broad tries a bouncer and Mushfiqur pulls it elegantly in front of square, just the way his coach told him to. Broad responds with a fine yorker and an lbw appeal; Cook thinks about a review, but runs out of time. This pair have now climbed more than halfway to the summit – they’ve added 79, and only 67 more are needed. That summit, if conquered, will be the highest peak in Bangladesh’s history.
66th over: Bangladesh 210-5 (Mushfiqur 33, Sabbir 38) target 286 Rashid continues too, making you wonder if Cook has officially gone to sleep. Sabbir plays a tennis shot for a single – forehand, topspin – to keep himself awake. Rashid is getting some turn, and Moeen and Batty must be wondering what they have to do to get a go.
65th over: Bangladesh 206-5 (Mushfiqur 31, Sabbir 36) target 286 Broad is still on, for reasons best known to Cook, who gets the maiden he wants, but not the wicket he needs.
64th over: Bangladesh 206-5 (Mushfiqur 31, Sabbir 36) target 286 Rashid continues in his unaccustomed role as the only spinner Cook trusts. Bangladesh carry on getting ’em in singles, and that’s drinks. The last hour belonged to the batsmen, and to the enduring magic of Test cricket.
“Hello Tim,” says Robert Darby. “The odds on a draw may be 4000 to 1, but what about a tie? Have a strange feeling about this.” You should get even better odds.
63rd over: Bangladesh 204-5 (Mushfiqur 30, Sabbir 35) target 286 A heart-breaker for Broad, and a chest-beater for Bairstow, who had been immense up to that point. There’s still time for England to recover.
Sabbir tickles Broad and Bairstow can’t get down low enough to hold on. A blot on a phenomenal performance.
62nd over: Bangladesh 202-5 (Mushfiqur 29, Sabbir 34) target 286 Rashid flips a leg-break past Sabbir’s outside edge, but that’s as good as it gets. The batsmen take a single apiece. If anyone in the Barmy Army is reading this, please can they start chanting Gareth Batty’s name.
61st over: Bangladesh 200-5 (Mushfiqur 28, Sabbir 33) target 286 Woakes gives way to Broad, so Batty’s ostracism continues. And so does the stalemate. The spinners have taken all five wickets to fall, but Cook won’t risk them because they’ve gone for twice as many runs as the three seamers. The thing is, they wouldn’t have gone for those runs if Cook hadn’t allowed so many singles.
60th over: Bangladesh 200-5 (Mushfiqur 28, Sabbir 33) target 286 Rashid concedes a few and then loses his length, dishing up a half-tracker which keeps so low that Sabbir can’t cash in. Still, six off the over and every innings in the match has been in the 200s, which is just as it should be for maximum suspense.
59th over: Bangladesh 194-5 (Mushfiqur 24, Sabbir 31) target 286 Another maiden from Woakes. The draw is now 4000/1 at the bookies’, and Cook is operating like a man who has a fiver on it.
“Re 49th over,” retorts Smylers, “do you really think millennials subscribe to anything so paper-based as the Radio Times?” Ah, good point. “I’m somebody who at 19:00 is often unavailable for watching live telly, cricket-based or otherwise, cos we’re still frantically trying to get the children into bed.”
58th over: Bangladesh 194-5 (Mushfiqur 24, Sabbir 31) target 286 Stokes finally comes off, and spin returns – but it’s Rashid, not Batty, who must have offended Cook in a former life. The field is set to allow the single; the batsmen help themselves from the buffet. Rashid does get one to turn and bounce past Sabbir’s attempted sweep, but it’s too wide to count.
57th over: Bangladesh 192-5 (Mushfiqur 23, Sabbir 30) target 286 Woakes continues, trying a few things – a yorker, an off-cutter that is also a slower ball – but all he gets is half an inside edge, and Mushfiqur survives. On Sky, Rob Key, who’s been a sparky addition to the team, sums up the pitch: “It’s played so much better than it looked.”
56th over: Bangladesh 191-5 (Mushfiqur 23, Sabbir 29) target 286 The trouble with deadlocks is that this Bangladesh side know how to break them. Even if they need six leg byes to do it. The target is below 100 now, and the partnership above 50. Cook has to do something other than bowl his seamers to defensive fields.
55th over: Bangladesh 183-5 (Mushfiqur 23, Sabbir 28) target 286 Only four off three overs since tea. After those big hits against the spinners, Cook is trying to smother Bangladesh with maidens, like a tired parent refusing to react to a revved-up kid.
“Morning Tim,” says Andrew Howard. “If Bangladesh do win, and I’d be happy for them and the sport if it happens, we do need to think about the Aussie response to England becoming the first of the current leading nations to lose a Test v Ban. However, based on their abject performance in SL, would we give Aus any chance right now away in Bangladesh? I’d make Ban the favourites!” Interesting mixture of attack and defence there: a pre-emptive gloat.
53rd over: Bangladesh 182-5 (Mushfiqur 22, Sabbir 28) target 286 Sabbir, who is making his Test debut, looks like a quick learner. He survives a half-appeal for lbw against Woakes (going down), and then plays the shot he should have played – an easy clip for two. But England are still favourites, because the tail is long and these two probably need to add 70 of the remaining 100-odd.
52nd over: Bangladesh 180-5 (Mushfiqur 22, Sabbir 26) target 286 Yet ANOTHER bowling change, as Cook takes Rashid off after a single over and turns to... Stokes! Who has only just had a spell, and not been at his best. It must be a cunning plan to get Batty so riled that when he finally comes on, he fires England to victory.
51st over: Bangladesh 179-5 (Mushfiqur 22, Sabbir 25) target 286 Cook summons Chris Woakes, so that’s four bowlers in four overs and still Batty can’t get a look-in. Woakes produces a maiden but no threat.
“So hard to call it from here!” says Dean Kinsella. “Gripping Test match. I hope it goes to nine wickets down before the final denouement – either way. Even as an England fan, a part of me will be delighted for Bangladesh should they taste their first win over us.”
50th over: Bangladesh 179-5 (Mushfiqur 22, Sabbir 25) target 286 Adil Rashid replaces Moeen, and almost strikes, drawing Sabbir’s edge with a grubbing leg-break, but it keeps so low that it bounces off Bairstow’s ankle. That’s tea, and the pot of gold is beckoning to Bangladesh. They need 107 now, and at the rate they are going, they will get there tonight if they get there at all.
49th over: Bangladesh 176-5 (Mushfiqur 20, Sabbir 24) target 286 Broad again, and no alarms for the batsmen. Come on Cook, bring back Batty – situations like this are crying out for someone to take charge, and he is used to doing that, both as a bowler and as a captain.
“Thank you to John Starbuck (21st over) for raising awareness of the ITV4 highlights,” says Smylers. “It’s a shame that ITV couldn’t have arranged these sooner: the current Radio Times lists a programme called Pawn Stars in the slot the cricket is now scheduled, and even has a Q&A on the letters page saying ‘terrestrial highlights of away tours seem to be a dead duck’. The ITV4 highlights don’t seem to be on ITV Hub, and I’m not sure I’m organised enough to be the kind of person who watches TV at the time it’s actually broadcast.” Are you, by any chance, a millennial?
48th over: Bangladesh 175-5 (Mushfiqur 19, Sabbir 24)target 286 Great stuff from Sabbir, who clonks Moeen for six over mid-off, then waits for him to drop short and shovels him round the corner for four more. Cook takes fright and sends leg slip back to short fine leg. Twelve from the over: a change in the weather.
47th over: Bangladesh 163-5 (Mushfiqur 18, Sabbir 13) target 286 Intoxicated by his own strokeplay, Sabbir charges down the track at the other end too, having failed to notice that he is facing Stuart Broad. He gets away with it, missing the ball, then almost getting run out by a shy from Jonny Barstow, who is having about the best match you could possibly have while not being favourite for man of the match.
46th over: Bangladesh 160-5 (Mushfiqur 18, Sabbir 10) target 286 So Moeen was only changing ends. That’s fine by Sabbir, who trots down the track and helps himself to a six, his first in Tests. He has got his eye in now.
“Morning Tim,” says Alex Fergusson. “You can tell Robert Darby (36th over) to come on over to Juba. There’s no light breeze, but he can bring his (presumably) Java House coffee and there are fewer, albeit malarial, mosquitoes here. As I write this, we’ve just got Shakib O’Neal who was just making me a touch concerned.”
45th over: Bangladesh 152-5 (Mushfiqur 17, Sabbir 3) target 286 Well, we have a change of bowling, but it’s not Batty for Stokes, it’s Broad for Moeen. Is Alistair Cook becoming creative in hs old age? Broad, bowling only his second over of this innings, nearly nabs Sabbir, inside-edging a length ball, then driving airily at an outswinger.
45th over: Bangladesh 150-5 (Mushfiqur 17, Sabbir 1) target 286 My message about a change of bowling mysteriously fails to reach Cook. Stokes continues to get 10/10 for effort, but Mushfiqur continues to keep him out and even picks up four with a semi-retracted push through the slips, to bring up a spirited 150.
44th over: Bangladesh 146-5 (Mushfiqur 13, Sabbir 1) target 286 Mushfiqur looks at the scale of the task and is he daunted? He is not. He lofts Moeen for four over mid-on, forcing the aged Batty to throw himself into the squishy Toblerone on the boundary. Even if they crumble now, Bangladesh have shown great attitude.
43rd over: Bangladesh 140-5 (Mushfiqur 8, Sabbir 0) target 286 Stokes bends his back, bowls some short stuff, then slips in the full one, but Mushfiqur sees it coming. A maiden, but not a threatening one. Time to get Stokes off and Batty back on.
42nd over: Bangladesh 140-5 (Mushfiqur 8, Sabbir 0) target 286 That’s a big, big wicket. Shakib did nothing wrong, getting studiously forward – it was just a lovely ball from Moeen, a crisp catch by Bairstow, and an excellent move by Cook to bring Mo back.
A beauty from Moeen, turning and taking the edge from round the wicket, and now England are right on top.
40th over: Bangladesh 138-4 (Shakib 23, Mushfiqur 7) target 286 Stokes again, anodyne again by his high standards. The batsmen take a single and a bye, and Cook turns to Moeen.
39th over: Bangladesh 136-4 (Shakib 23, Mushfiqur 6) target 286 Shakib plays Rashid confidently, swatting him into the off side. The game needs a fifty partnership here, and these two are half way there.
38th over: Bangladesh 130-4 (Shakib 19, Mushfiqur 4) target 286 Ben Stokes, the man of the match so far, continues in his role as England’s specialist reverser. He gets some swing but it’s gentle, not jagged, and Mushfiqur has no trouble defending.
Morning everyone, and big thanks to Dan for taking the early shift. When I emailed him at lunchtime, he was just making his seventh cup of tea, to go with two coffees: the cricket writer’s version of the 7-2 field.
Dan’s stint brought six wickets and let’s hope mine does the same, as long as the cricket gods give Bangladesh some runs too. This has been such a good contest – tight, gripping, not just turning but twisting – and it has a chance of going right to the wire.
37th over: Bangladesh 130-4 (Shakib 19, Mushfiqur 4) target 286 Shakib gets a couple when Rashid drifts one too floaty and wide of off and the batsman plunders them through cover. Rashid looks a bit tired out there and I reckon it might be an idea to get Moeen back on with the left-hander there. Indeed the left hander looks confident: he waits for the fuller ball, in the slot, and clambers into it, sending it sailing over the long-on rope and into the crowd for the first six of the innings.
That’s drinks and that’s the end of me for this Test. Tim de Lisle will take you through to the close today, when England might or might not win this.
36th over: Bangladesh 122-4 (Shakib 11, Mushfiqur 4) target 286 Here is Ben Stokes and the ball is reversing from the very first delivery. He pushes his third delivery a bit fuller and the Bangladesh captain can’t resist the drive; he’s fine though as the edge flies low through vacant third slip and down to third man for a single. That was encouraging for Stokes though.
“Good morning Dan from Nairobi,” writes Robert Darby. The sun is shining, there is a light breeze and England are beating Bangladesh. I have just had a cup of Kenyan coffee, probably the best in the world, so all is hunky-dory. The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that we are suffering from more mosquitoes than I can remember. Fortunately at our altitude they don’t carry malaria. The buggers can still give a nasty bite, though.”
35th over: Bangladesh 120-4 (Shakib 10, Mushfiqur 3) target 286 The quicker balls from Rashid are causing real damage now: a 90kph dart explodes out the surface on its way through to Shakib. Unperturbed, the batsman drives the final ball with a dismissive and elegant swish of the bat, back past the bowler for four. And here comes a bowling change...
34th over: Bangladesh 115-4 (Shakib 6, Mushfiqur 2) target 286 Batty’s first spell was none for 25 from seven overs; this one is now two for 17 from six. Stokes is warming up, which suggests England think this ball might start to reverse soon.
33rd over: Bangladesh 114-4 (Shakib 6, Mushfiqur 1) target 286 Short from Rashid and Mushfiqur gets off the mark by mullering a pull out to deep midwicket for one. Short leg had to duck under that or he was in danger. Shakib also cashes in on a short one, cutting it hard through cover points for a couple.
“Morning Dan.” Morning, Phil Withall. “Here I was composing a little missive about the chances of England winning being less than those predicted when, with the falling of the third wicket, I realised I have a problem.
32nd over: Bangladesh 111-4 (Shakib 4, Mushfiqur 0) target 286 Shakib Al-Hasan is just looking to survive in this Test match against Gareth “The Destroyer” Batty, who is finding lovely turn and irregular bounce out there.
I’m on some pretty strong painkillers so I’m now convinced that I’m hallucinating. Because there’s no way the above is happening in 2016.
31st over: Bangladesh 111-4 (Shakib 4, Mushfiqur 0) target 286 After that eventful over, this from Rashid is largely event-free. “Six down!” shouts Joe Root, bless him.
Sean Clayton writes: “Regarding Batty’s [alleged] political allegiances (lunchtime), they say there’s no Tory like a Yorkshire Tory. He wouldn’t be alone - William Hague, Eric Pickles, Jimmy Savile... and Michael Vaughan advocated voting Conservative in the 2015 General Election.”
30th over: Bangladesh 108-4 (Shakib 1, Mushfiqur 0) target 286“Gon- ooh?” is the cry from, erm, me alone in the office when Batty turns one past Shakib’s outside edge and I’m convinced I heard a noise. Given the reaction on the field though, I might well be imagining things. Having got here at 3.30am. England do think they have a wicket when the ball loops up to leg slip but it was clearly off the pad and Batty quickly loses interest in the appeal but his mild disappointment lasts but a single ball. Bangladesh are crumbling now.
A spike on Ultra Edge draws cheers from the crowd, but the daylight between bat and ball makes it pretty clear that was bat on ground. Hawkeye does him no favours at all.
Full from Batty, hit right in front of middle, low on the pad and given out. Mahmadullah reviews immediately.
29th over: Bangladesh 106-3 (Shakib 0, Mahmadullah 16) target 286 Bangladesh have promoted Shakib above Mushfiqur Rahim. I assume that’s to keep the left-right-hand combination at the crease and keep England’s fielders on the move. Mahmadullah gets two with a cute little deliberate outside edge down to third man.
28th over: Bangladesh 103-3 (Shakib 0, Mahmadullah 13) target 286 Ooh that’s a very, very good review by Gareth Batty. Well played, you apparent Yorkie Tory you.
“Morning Dan.” Morning, if it’s still that, Phil Sawyer. “Up early to watch Cal Crutchlow win the Aussie MotoGP. Anyway, England comfortable favourites? Stokes and YJB have already shown how a good partnership can swing this match. Anyway, I’m also one that wouldn’t be too gutted about a Bangladesh victory and think it would be A Good Thing For Cricket.”
There’s a massive spike on Ultra Edge but that’s bat on ground. They’re looking at it for ages but it’s pretty clear to me that he’s got nothing on it. However that’s bad news for the batsman because he is absolutely dead to rights lbw!
England think they’ve got Mominul, caught sweeping at second-slip. It might have been a top-edge, a glove or a bat-boot catch. Or it might have been lbw. It was given not out in either case.
27th over: Bangladesh 103-2 (Mominul 27, Mahmadullah 13) target 286 Mahmadullah’s eyes light up at the sight of a rank long-hop but, such is the nature of this pitch and such is the nature of Rashid’s bowling that the massive turn from straight to off means the Yorkshireman gets away with it. Somehow that’s a maiden.
This match fast becoming about how soon England can get the ball reversing. Need spinners to pilfer 2-3 more before then...
26th over: Bangladesh 103-2 (Mominul 27, Mahmadullah 13) target 286 I reckon Batty just needs to slow it down a touch here – he’s just forcing it a bit much. Mahmadullah gets three with a gloved sweep that is mere millimetres from Jonny Bairstow’s gloves down the leg side. The final ball is a full toss and Mominul gives it what it deserves: a thumping hit through midwicket for four. I’m a big fan of the little guy, who took his team past 100 with that.
25th over: Bangladesh 94-2 (Mominul 22, Mahmadullah 9) target 286 This is what England wanted: Rashid to the right-hander with a couple of slips lurking behind him. There’s a short-leg too, waiting for the googly, but none of the three matter when Rashid is bowling like this: two too full and dug out, the third short and punched away through cover for two.
#WinViz at the start of the afternoon session. #BanvEngpic.twitter.com/mNRkihwsn5
24th over: Bangladesh 91-2 (Mominul 22, Mahmadullah 6) target 286 From the other end it’s a return for Batty, whose radar wasn’t brilliant in his first spell. His field for the right-hander Mahmadullah is a mirror image of Rashid’s in the previous over and he looks testing, but it’s a different story when Mominul is on strike: short, wide and cut hard through cover point for three.
23rd over: Bangladesh 86-2 (Mominul 19, Mahmadullah 4) target 286 So another 200 needed for Bangladesh but I’d say the wicket of Imrul Kayes makes England fairly comfortable favourites. Rashid continues after lunch with a slip, short-leg and leg-slip around Mominul’s bat. I like that field.
The players are back out. This is good, isn’t it?
“Dear Dan,” begins Justin Horton. “Re: whether Vettori was a nightwatchman at Chittagong, the answer appears to be ‘yes, according to him’.
Of course it’s 7am on Sunday morning so nowhere is open. If any of my Guardian colleagues are reading, do you know when the canteen opens here?
22nd over: Bangladesh 86-2 (Mominul 19, Mahmadullah 4) target 286 Cook has had enough of Broad and brings Moeen back after an absence of just two overs. “Go in three down lads” chirps JB behind the stumps. Mahmadullah comes down the track and tries a heave into the on-side, which ends up being a thick inside edge through midwicket for two. He is living a charmed life out there: another top-edged sweep and it only just drifts over Woakes’s head at backward-square.
“This is all my fault,” wails Ivor Leonard. “I’ve only been following this Test in a haphazard kind of way until now. An hour or so ago I sat down to watch diligently and it’s been one way traffic. Don’t worry I’m going to have to switch off in 5mins or so though.”
21st over: Bangladesh 82-2 (Mominul 18, Mahmadullah 1) target 286 With five minutes to go until lunch Rashid strikes. It felt like he was brought on as a partnership breaker and if so that’s worked beautifully as Imrul was looking in very nice touch. I said below it was a top edge but in fact it bounced up off the back of that bat as it twisted in his hand. Mahmadullah gets under way with a nudge to midwicket for one, thus forcing me to get rid of the bit I’d written about this being a wicket-maiden.
“Good morning, Dan,” begins John Starbuck. “Still pre-dawn here, but the cat Beaumont has been fed, and the hedgehog too, so time enough to join the OBO before my own breakfast. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate (being a non-Sky viewer) the ITV4 highlights programmes. They are very unfussy, provide sufficient written information on-screen, and the commentators Smith and Hoggard are just right. You can have too much of Michael Vaughan at times.”
Huge wicket! It’s a case of live by the sweep, die by the sweep for Imrul, who gets a top edge and Root runs round to take the looping ball behind the keeper.
20th over: Bangladesh 81-1 (Mominul 18, Imrul 43) target 286 Ah, hello Stuart. Nice of you to join us. Mominul gets a single with a tuck off his pads and Broad fails to adjust his line accordingly to Imrul, giving up four leg-byes as a consequence. Imrul likes the look of this actually, and he lifts a lovely clip off his leg over square-leg and away for four more.
19th over: Bangladesh 71-1 (Mominul 17, Imrul 38) target 286 The experiment with seam didn’t last long; Adil Rashid is on for his first bowl of the day and Imrul immediately sweeps him past short leg for a single. Two balls later though it almost lands him in trouble as a big top edge lands just beyond the man at deep midwicket. He’s then hit on the pad reverse-sweeping but Chris Gaffaney says no and Cook responds similarly to the request for a review. I think that pitched outside leg.
In other news, we have a joint-winner with Michelle Broadley!
@DanLucas86 Monty's opening spin twin from 2008? I have a sneaking feeling that it was KP... #flightedfilth
18th over: Bangladesh 67-1 (Mominul 16, Imrul 35) target 286 This is now nine overs on the spin for Moeen and why not? He’s been England’s most threatening bowler by a distance – he has one wicket and should have had a second. Mominul shows the class that’s brought him an average of 100 on this ground by leaning into a full one and timing it impeccably through extra cover for four sexy, sexy runs.
17th over: Bangladesh 61-1 (Mominul 11, Imrul 34) target 286 Whatever happens, this is going to be entertaining. Woakes offers width outside off and Imrul lashes out at it, slashing a top edge thicker than an England manager at Wing’s up and over the slips for four. Hawkeye shows that had England reviewed the lbw shout against Mominul in the last over he’d have been out.
Any more guesses as to who the other spinner England opened with alongside Monty Panesar in 2008 was? I’ll give you the answer at lunch.
16th over: Bangladesh 57-1 (Mominul 11, Imrul 30) target 286 An appeal from the last ball of the over, which struck Mominul just above the ankle, but I don’t think it straightened enough.
15th over: Bangladesh 57-1 (Mominul 11, Imrul 30) target 286 Change of bowling and a change of tack from England; Woakes is on for Batty. I’m not quite sure why Broad has had to go off having spent eight overs in the field not bowling, but there we go. Round the wicket, he beats Mominul’s attempted cut with a ball that ignores James Brown and doesn’t get up. Three singles from the over.
14th over: Bangladesh 54-1 (Mominul 9, Imrul 29) target 286 Imrul reckons he can win this for Bangladesh. He goes on the attack when Moeen overpitches just a touch and plays a glorious lofted drive up and over extra cover for four.
13th over: Bangladesh 50-1 (Mominul 9, Imrul 25) target 286 Shot from Mominul, getting down low – yes I know that’s easy for him – and swivel-sweeping a bad ball from leg stump down to the long-leg rope for four. He’s a classy batsman, with four hundreds (two against Sri Lanka, one against New Zealand and one against Zimbabwe) in 17 Tests and an average of 54.
12th over: Bangladesh 46-1 (Mominul 5, Imrul 25) target 286 The problem with this bowling is that the sharpness of the bounce makes it difficult for the close fielders too: Mominul edges a jaffa but Bairstow can only parry it up and over slip. It’s a drop but that’s a difficult chance. They take a single and Imrul responds with a magnificent reverse sweep up and over point for four. That’s drinks too.
11th over: Bangladesh 40-1 (Mominul 4, Imrul 20) target 286 No short leg for Imrul, who misses out and is struck on the pad attempting to sweep but England’s appeal is only half-hearted and it was probably going well down the leg side. Mominul gets his first runs of the Test with a very strange shot – almost periscoping the straight ball with a deliberate and deft top-edge over the slips and down to third man for four. He edges the next ball just short and wide of second slip.
Im sure Cook will be praised for 'shrood captaincy' after going 10 overs without the obvious short leg... #banveng
10th over: Bangladesh 35-1 (Mominul 0, Imrul 19) target 286 You could sit and watch these balls from Moeen all day: such a lovely classical action and turn and bounce to beat the outside edge. Aesthetically it’s wonderful. They waste a review, but won’t be mourning its loss too long as Tamim goes a ball later to what was actually a very good catch from Ballance, diving to his right.
Never mind, short-leg strikes the very next ball! Prodding forward, inside edge, on to the pad and Ballance takes a good low catch.
Yeah it’s missed everything.
I think this missed the bat entirely, but both Bairstow and first slip parried this sharply turning ball before Root, I think, brilliantly parries it up in the air, on to his leg, back down to the hand and holds on at the fourth attempt.
9th over: Bangladesh 34-0 (Tamin 9, Imrul 18) target 286 Sky’s stats person comes up with a good one: this is the highest opening stand of the match now. There is a leg slip in for Tamim against Batty now and Tamim sends an inside edge shooting along the ground just wide of him; they get a couple. Oh and then Haseeb Hameed, on as a sub, nearly takes a wonder catch! Tamim lifts a drive high in the air towards mid-off and the Lancashire teenager turns and goes running after it; the ball drops over his shoulder and just through his outstretched fingertips. Fine effort from the kid.
8th over: Bangladesh 30-0 (Tamin 5, Imrul 18) target 286 Belatedly, a man comes on with a helmet for Ballance, meaning England finally have a short-leg in for Tamim. He punches off the back foot for a single, which brings the more attacking Kayes on strike so Ballance goes back out to the deep.
“Hi Dan.” Hi Michelle Broadley! “Reading your OBO in bed in the dark here in southern (rainy) Spain! In answer to your question were the two spinners Swanny and Monty? Thanks for your updates!”
7th over: Bangladesh 29-0 (Tamin 4, Imrul 18) target 286 Imrul continues to bring out the sweep but this time only gets a one and a two from it. The second of those should only have been a single but Gary Ballance opted for a comedy tumble upon fielding it at long leg.
6th over: Bangladesh 25-0 (Tamin 3, Imrul 15) target 286 Moeenlitharan continues. OK not quite, but he’s certainly enjoying these conditions. A couple more leg-byes – personally I wouldn’t want my bat anywhere near some of these ball.
Moeen has got four deliveries to turn more than 10 degrees in his first two overs. #BanvEng
5th over: Bangladesh 23-0 (Tamin 3, Imrul 15) target 286 Anyone want to guess who the two spinners England opened with against South Africa eight years ago were? No cheating. Batty hits Tamim on the back pad and there’s a big appeal, but Chris Gaffaney thinks it’s going down leg and Cook agrees with him. They take a couple of leg-byes then another appeal next ball: struck on the ribs as he got down to sweep but this time it’s turning past off.
4th over: Bangladesh 21-0 (Tamin 3, Imrul 14) target 286 An inside edge on to the pads brings a single for Imrul, rather than the chance it might have presented with a short-leg in. Moeen, when he gets his length right, is tossing down hand grenades here and gets one to bounce and turn sharply off the batsman’s gloves to the vacant silly point region. Imrul misses out with a big attempt at a reverse sweep then wedges one just over backward point for a single. It’s all go.
3rd over: Bangladesh 18-0 (Tamin 2, Imrul 12) target 286 Four freebies for Bangladesh and that’s frustrating for England: nothing wrong with Batty’s delivery just outside off, but it hits a crack and nutmegs poor old Jonny Bairstow before scooting to the boundary for byes. Imrul then gets four of his own, picking a leg-stump delivery and sweeping it hard behind square to the fence before getting a leading edge just wide of slip next ball.
2nd over: Bangladesh 7-0 (Tamin 1, Imrul 6) target 286 It’s Moeen from the other end – the first time in eight years England have opened with two spinners in a Test, Atherton informs us. Imrul Kayes gets the run-chase underway by clipping off his ankles for a single to midwicket. This is a bit too full from Moeen and Tamim gets off the mark via a leading edge. And then the first boundary, a very very good sweep behind square for four from Imrul.
1st over: Bangladesh 0-0 (Tamin 0, Imrul 0) target 286 Gareth Batty opens the bowling in a Test match for what I’m pretty certain without checking is the first time. Two slips and a short mid-on but no short-leg for Tamim, who is beaten by the turn third ball. Doesn’t look like the kind of field that will lead to a collapse within the session that will allow me to go home and watch Black Mirror early. Tamim looks to heave the final ball over mid-off but mistimes it and the ball lands just wide of the scrambling Broad.
A new milestone for Bangladesh:
Bangladesh have now taken 20 wickets in a Test 9 times: 6 v Zim, 2 v WI and 1 v Eng
83 overs remain today, plus tomorrow’s 90. This isn’t beyond Bangladesh but I make England the strong-ish favourites.
“Was running Broad out a cunning plan to prevent him using up all the reviews?” asks William Symonds. It does feel a bit rich for England to mock Shane Watson when they have his equivalent down the order.
81st over: England 239-9 (Batty 3, Woakes 18) Shows what I know: the second new ball is taken immediately and, surprisingly, handed to Taijul Islam. Woakes cuts immediately for a single to cover point, the ball making a lovely sound off the bat that didn’t really match the lack of timing. That’s the last run of the innings though and Bangladesh need 286 to win.
It’s crashing into middle and leg.
Batty prods forward and the ball thuds into his shin. It might be going down leg but Dharmasena has given it.
80th over: England 239-9 (Batty 3, Woakes 18) I genuinely have no idea if it’s in Bangladesh’s interes to take the new ball after this over. The way Woakes is grimly hanging in I’d err towards it being a “no”. The Warwickshire man awkwardly digs out a single into the leg-side before Batty gets a thick edge just wide of the diving man at slip. The lead is 284.
Vic Marks has enjoyed this...
"It's been a terrific, subcontinent surface - much better than a 600 plays 500 pitch"https://t.co/Ebng8A0VyYpic.twitter.com/au4QtcLxMo
79th over: England 236-9 (Batty 1, Woakes 17) Sharp turn from Mehedi brings a bye as the ball turns and beats leg-slip. I’m sure the Bangladeshi top six in the field will have lovedseeing that.
“Hi Dan.” Hi, Richard Woods! “Happy to keep you company, not because I love getting up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday, but because here it has just turned midday on a beautiful Beijing autumn day. If the game finishes today, by my reckoning Chris Woakes will have batted on every day of the test match, albeit not for very long on Day Two. A reasonably rare event to add to the match stats?”
78th over: England 234-9 (Batty 1, Woakes 16) It’s Shakib, with five for 79 already in the innings, from the other end and once again short-leg looks dangerous for Woakes – Mominul is an outstanding fielder there. Broad is the man in trouble though when they take a single to gully via an outside edge ... and indeed he’s gone without adding to his total. That needless wicket brings Gareth Batty – who is 39 and Dave Whelan once broke his leg in the FA Cup final – to the crease.
Simon Barton sends the first email of the day: “Hi Dan, I’m with you mate. Interesting the BD vs NZ scorecard you link to - Vettori moved from number 8 in the first innings to 4 on the second. Batting. Brave call. Would England ever be so pragmatic?”
A single to gully proves exactly the folly it sounds and, despite a full length dive, Broad is a long long way short of his ground.
77th over: England 231-8 (Broad 10, Woakes 14) Mehedi Hasan will open the bowling for the day: normally that wouldn’t be a surprise but the new ball is due in three overs and I expect he’ll take that. Woakes improves on his first-innings effort by surviving the first ball of the day, although he nearly goes to the second, turning it just wide of Mominul at short leg. And the next brings an lbw appeal but it’s turning down leg. He gets a couple working the ball out to midwicket with the spin.
Is there anybody alive out there? We’re about to begin.
Actually, as Cricinfo have pointed out, it’s worth England bearing this match on this ground in mind. This is a worse pitch for batting on mind you.
He says the current pair of Woakes and Broad will look to grind Bangladesh down as long as possible. “What’s the key: spin or seam?” he is asked. “Patience” he responds. He also refuses to commit to predicting how many runs are needed.
It’s a different sport, but this is a wonderful piece from Brendan Fanning on an emotional day at Thomond Park. It’s still the best away ground I’ve ever been to: back when Munster were one of the best teams around the atmosphere was terrifyingly intense. As an away fan you never felt unwelcome but even the walk up to the stadium, drenched in red, was intimidating.
Related: Munster lay on fitting farewell for Anthony Foley on sombre day
According to Richard Gibson in the Mail, Jimmy Anderson has been ruled out of England’s first three Tests in India. It’s not good news for the 34-year-old.
Morning folks. Somewhere, in a distant and far off land there is a person. A person who once listened to Radiohead’s first album, didn’t like it and decided the rest of their output over the subsequent 24 years was rubbish. This person saw Alien 3 and to this day thinks David Fincher can’t direct. They once saw a production of Hamlet where the stage lights went out and they still tell all and sundry down the pub that Shakespeare was a hack. This person watched the Tracey Ullman show in 1987 and is still convinced The Simpsons won’t be a hit.
This distant and far off land is a comments section somewhere. This person is an idiot. And this person still thinks Ben Stokes doesn’t justify a place ahead of Nick Compton in the England Test team.
Continue reading...