The Hindu : Sport : Bangladesh batsmen come a cropper, all out for 143

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Thursday, Apr 12, 2007
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Bangladesh batsmen come a cropper, all out for 143

S. Ram Mahesh

England pacemen exploit the conditions to their advantage; Saqibul Hasan wages a lone battle

— PHOTO: AFP

THE SMILE IS BACK: After losing to Australia, England bounced back strongly with early wickets to put Bangladesh on the backfoot.

Bridgetown: England dismissed Bangladesh for 143 in 37.2 overs in Wednesday's Super Eight match here at the Kensington Oval.

So early did Bangladesh's innings end that England had time to make 21 for one from six overs before lunch. Syed Rasel had Ian Bell caught at point for a duck.

Earlier, Saqibul Hasan's unbeaten 57 (95b, 6x4, 1x6) was brave, resourceful, and bitter-sweet in its solitude as England's pacemen reduced Bangladesh to 65 for six on a track that advanced quick, hit-the-deck bowling.

Monty Panesar profited from bowling to batsmen thankful at not having the ball up their nostrils and finished with three for 25, while Sajid Mahmood had three for 27.

It all started very vigorously after Michael Vaughan won the toss.

James Anderson, in his first over, was shaping it into the left-hander, but it was a floaty, curvy shape; not yet tight swing. Tamim Iqbal was given a half-volley on his pads, and with a sub continental swish of his wrists, the left-hander sent it to deep mid-wicket.

Shahriar Nafees collapsed on a Mahmood delivery, conveying it to fine-leg as Tamim was returned the strike.

Mahmood strikes

Bounce from Mahmood brought the first wicket. Tamim played it in the manner of Asian batsmen brought up on turf wickets, springing like a cat at a butterfly. Tamim's hands were hard, and the ball lobbed to Paul Collingwood at point.

Habibul Bashar was confronted by three slips. Not one was needed, for he departed to a moment of poor cricket. Nafees chipped one to mid-on, where Michael Vaughan dropped it.

Bashar administered a look of deep disappointment at his young batsman, as Nafees crossed him and made the non-striker's end. Vaughan meanwhile had slipped in a throw to Nixon. Bashar's look turned from disappointment to surprise and, via panic, settled back at disappointment. Nafees followed three runs later — a poor, insipid stroke ending in Andrew Strauss catching the parry off keeper Paul Nixon's gloves.

When the ball was up, Bangladesh's batsmen drove and flicked adroitly.

But the choice to score off rising deliveries with a vertical bat was flawed. Only Mushfiqur Rahim, the smallest member of Bangladesh's squad, thought of swaying away from the line.

Excellent deliveries

The few that tried to pull were invariably late on the ball. The two men best equipped - Rahim, defensively, and Ashraful, offensively — copped excellent deliveries.

Andrew Flintoff clipped Rahim's stumps; Anderson cramped Ashraful into nicking behind.

Saqibul came up with a solution of street smarts. He exploited the angle his left-handed batsmanship created with an over-the-wicket bowler. He cleared his front leg in stance, and with the width thus created, threw his hands at the ball.

England was 70 for three after 21 overs.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh: T. Iqbal c Collingwoodb Mahmood 8, S. Nafees c Strauss b Mahmood 9, H.Bashar (run out) 4, M. Rahim b Flintoff 7, S. Hasan (not out) 57, M. Ashraful c Nixon b Anderson 1, A. Ahmed c Nixon b Anderson 10, M. Mortaza b Panesar 13, M. Rafique c Strauss b Panesar 0, A.Razzak c Collingwood b Panesar 15, S. Rasel c Flintoff b Mahmood 4; Extras (lb-3, nb-2, w-10) 15; Total (in 37.2 overs) 143.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-23, 3-26, 4-40, 5-47, 6-65, 7-112, 8- 113, 9-137.

England bowling: Anderson8-0-30-2, Mahmood 8.2-0-27-3, Flintoff 8-0-38-1, Panesar 7-2- 25-3, Collingwood 4-0-14-0, Bopara 2-0-6-0

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