Key events
29th over: England 136-6 (target 247; Buttler 13, Woakes 4) Buttler takes a very dodgy single off the new bowler Taijul, and the non-strike Woakes only survives because of an errant throw from the off-balance cover fielder, Mehidy I think.
Woakes then chips Taijul wide of the man at mid-off. This is fascinating stuff, the kind of lowish-scoring dogfight that we rarely see in modern ODIs.
28th over: England 132-6 (target 247; Buttler 11, Woakes 2) Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach is Allan Donald, which helps to explain the dramatic improvement in bowlers like Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain.
“I’m really enjoying this series even if many may not be too fussed by its existence,” says Guy Hornsby. “It’s vital time on subcontinental wickets, and we’ve done well so far. It’s the fringe players that have not quite done it, with Salt and Vince needing runs. Vince looked very stylish as ever, but would he get in over Malan, or indeed a returning Stokes (whose non-bowling changes the conversation for me)? Probably not but he’s a class backup all the same.”
Yes, realistically he needed something like two centuries in this series to force his way into the squad.
WICKET! England 130-6 (Moeen b Ebadot 2)
Bowled him! Ebadot Hossain has been outstanding today, and now he has cleaned Moeen Ali up with an 89mph cracker. It was full, not quite yorker length, and straightened just enough to bowl Moeen off the pad.
27th over: England 127-5 (target 247; Buttler 10, Moeen 0) England need 120 from 138 balls.
WICKET! England 127-5 (Vince c Mushfiqur b Shakib 38)
It’s not Jos Buttler, but Bangladesh will take it! The ball after being hit back over his head for four, Shakib dismisses James Vince with a stunning delivery. It dipped onto middle and leg before exploding off the pitch to take the thinnest of edges, and Mushfiqur took a difficult catch at the second attempt.
Vince goes for a good 44-ball 38, and Bangladesh are right back in the game.
26th over: England 118-4 (target 247; Vince 32, Buttler 7) Ebadot Hossain returns to the attack, probably with Jos Buttler in mind. If Bangladesh get Buttler early they will be favourites.
Ebadot bowls a fine yorker to Buttler, who is already on the walk and manages to force it away for a single.
“I’m just leaving to cross the Bosphorus for a lesson on a sunny day after the recent gloom,” says Rob Lewis. “I trust I leave the match in your capable grasp, so you can see England home for me. The game is here really, what with the long tail…”
While I agree that the game is here, I’ve seen much longer tails.
25th over: England 114-4 (target 247; Vince 30, Buttler 5) Buttler laps Shakib off middle stump for three, a good shot if not without risk. Seven from the over.
24th over: England 107-4 (target 247; Vince 27, Buttler 1) The new batter is Jos Buttler.
WICKET! England 104-4 (Curran c Litton b Mehidy 23)
That’s the wicket Bangladesh needed. Curran goes back to slap a poor delivery, short and wide, but it gets stuck in the pitch and he somehow scoops it straight to long off.
23rd over: England 103-3 (target 247; Vince 25, Curran 23) With Bangladesh in increasingly urgent need of a wicket, Shakib returns to the attack. The straight ball remains the danger to England, and they are happy enough with a nice, quiet over – one from it.
22nd over: England 102-3 (target 247; Vince 24, Curran 23) Vince and Curran are an unlikely middle-order partnership, but they complement each other pretty well – right/left, tall/short, strokemaker/punisher – and at the moment they have this runchase under control.
21st over: England 98-3 (target 247; Vince 21, Curran 22) Mehidy has changed ends to replace Taijul. Vince dances down to flick his second ball over midwicket for six, a brave shot with men on the boundary at deep square leg and deep midwicket.
20th over: England 90-3 (target 247; Vince 14, Curran 21) Mustafizur replaces Mehidy, which means a change of pace. A quiet over, two from it. After a dramatic wobble, England again look comfortable.
19th over: England 88-3 (target 247; Vince 13, Curran 20) Four more to Curran, who skids onto the back foot to drive Taijul between extra cover and mid-off. That’s a fine stroke.
18th over: England 83-3 (target 247; Vince 13, Curran 15) A very good stroke from Vince, woh flicks Mehidy over midwicket for four with a flamingo flourish. Having added seven in their first five overs together, Vince and Curran have scored seven off each of the last three overs.
17th over: England 76-3 (target 247; Vince 8, Curran 13) Vince gets his first boundary, flicking the new bowler Taijul through midwicket. So far this has been a very sensible partnership.
16th over: England 69-3 (target 247; Vince 3, Curran 11) The offspinner Mehidy Hasan replaces Ebadot, a good move with the left-handed Curran at the crease. His first ball almost skids through Curran, who responds by charging the next delivery and chipping it over long on for six. In intent and execution, that’s fine batting.
Time for drinks.
15th over: England 62-3 (target 247; Vince 3, Curran 4) The run-rate isn’t an issue at this stage, so Curran and Vince are taking their time to rebuild the innings. Just a single to Curran off the last ball of Shakib’s over.
14th over: England 61-3 (target 247; Vince 3, Curran 3) Curran tries to cut the impressive Ebadot and is beaten. In the last 31 balls, England have scored six runs for the loss of three wickets.
13th over: England 59-3 (target 247; Vince 2, Curran 2) Shakib angles a series of deliveries into Vince, who defends watchfully and then works a shorter, wider delivery for a single. There’s no need for England, certainly the right-handers, to play silly buggers against Shakib on this pitch.
“Is England’s bowling now stronger than batting for the first time since before the 2019 cycle (was either ever strong beforehand)?” wonders Luke Dealtry. “The 2019 cycle had a freakish batting line-up that could take whatever target the sometimes patchy bowling threw their way. Now, we’re covered with spin, pace and seam options galore. But we don’t have the best-ever-in-the-world opening pair, Joe Root is doing other things and Ben Stokes isn’t providing the all-round balance. Sam Curran at 5 lolololol.”
This is a great point, apart from maybe the lolololol. I still think the (full-strength batting) is a nose ahead, but there isn’t much in it and that’s a huge change from 2019, particularly before Jofra Archer became available.
12th over: England 58-3 (target 247; Vince 1, Curran 2) It’s barely 15 minutes since England were romping to victory. I suppose it’s a good reminder ahead of the World Cup that, on low subcontinental pitches, the house can fall down with brain-melting speed.
11th over: England 56-3 (target 247; Vince 0, Curran 1) Sam Curran has been promoted to No5, presumably in an attempt to negate Shakib. This is the first time in his ODI career that he has batted higher than No7.
“I’m afraid I have to take pedantic issue with the phrase ‘tautologous pleonasm’ (5th over),” says Geoff Wignall. “Even if pleonasms can be considered tautologies (which most right-thinking folk would dispute), the phrase is then itself a pleonasm.”
To think some people say cricket isn’t inclusive enough.
WICKET! England 55-3 (Roy b Shakib 18)
Make that three wickets in eight balls! Roy plays an ill-conceived stroke, going back to cut a quicker ball that skids on to violate his furniture. Shakib has been getting people out that way for almost 20 years. All of a sudden, England are in a pickle.
10th over: England 55-2 (target 247; Roy 18, Vince 0) Ebadot is bowling really well and has figures of 3-1-9-1.
“Salt and Bairstow to open in the World Cup?” says Rob Lewis. “With Roy as back-up? That’s pretty formidable.”
My hunch is it will be Bairstow and Roy, with Malan as back-up and Salt not in the squad, though there are a few games left for it to all shake out. The competition for places in the squad, never mind the team, is seriously serious.
WICKET! England 55-2 (Malan c Mahmudullah b Ebadot 0)
Two wickets in two overs. Malan cloths his second ball straight to mid-on, where Mahmudullah takes an easy catch.
9th over: England 54-1 (target 247; Roy 18, Malan 0) That was the last ball of the over. I swear to you.
WICKET! England 54-1 (Salt c Mahmudullah b Shakib 35)
The pacemaker bows out of the race. The ball after lifting Shakib high over wide mid-on for four, Salt slaps a cut straight to cover. He is fuming with himself, and it was a shot he didn’t need to play, but his risk/reward policy is different to most. And he did a decent job today, getting England ahead of the rate with a punishing 25-ball 35.
8th over: England 47-0 (target 247; Roy 16, Salt 30) A short ball from Ebadot is cuffed impatiently through square leg for four by Salt, who is playing a T20 innings in a 50-over game. He often plays a T10 knock in T20s, so goodness knows what he’d be like in a T1.
Salt is beaten by three consecutive deliveries, all well wide of off stump. Clever bowling from Ebadot… but then he lets slip a low full toss that Salt pings to the extra-cover boundary. He has 30 from 22 balls, Roy 16 from 26.
7th over: England 39-0 (target 247; Roy 16, Salt 22) Shakib Al Hasan replaces Mustafizur. His first ball is a load of nonsense, well outside leg stump, and Salt hoicks it over backward square leg for four.
Shakib’s line is spot on after that, and later in the over Roy plays an uppish drive that bounces just short of cover.
6th over: England 34-0 (target 247; Roy 16, Salt 17) The right-arm seamer Ebadot Hossain replaces Taijul, whose two overs went for 18, and bowls a superb maiden to start.
Roy is beaten by the first two deliveries, then survives a big LBW appeal after pushing around his front pad. It looks close, if slightly legside, but Bangladesh have only one review left so Tamim Iqbal can’t afford to risk it.
It’s a good thing he didn’t, because replays show that Roy got an inside-edge.
5th over: England 34-0 (target 247; Roy 16, Salt 17) Roy gets England’s one for the over, a boundary that is, with a wristy clip through wide mid-on.
“Yes, a tautologous pleonasm,” says Rob Lewis. “I wish to say sorry, apologise and get down on my bended knee…”
Look, in the proud 21-year history of the OBO, there have been a gazillion more egregious pleonasms. Get up man!
4th over: England 29-0 (target 247; Roy 11, Salt 17) Salt walks down the track to clip Taijul through midwicket for four, then squirts another boundary past backward point. He has 17 from 11 balls, and England have made a perfect start.
3rd over: England 19-0 (target 247; Roy 10, Salt 8) Roy check-drives Mustafizur back over his head for four, a shot of rare class. This isn’t such a good over from Mustafizur, with most deliveries angled across Roy. Maybe he’s setting him up for another inswinger.
Indeed he is – the last ball comes back sharply to cut Roy in half and bounce over the stumps.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Roy 5, Salt 7) It’s spin at the other end in the human form of Taijul Islam. As usual, Phil Salt goes off like a pacemaker, crashing a boundary down the ground with the minimum of fuss.
1st over: England 5-0 (Roy 4, Salt 0) Roy punches a boundary through the covers, then survives another big LBW shout after again playing around an inswinger. Tamim Iqbal decides not to risk another review, and replays show it pitched outside leg.
Even so, Bangladesh will be hugely encouraged by how much the new ball is swinging for Mustafizur.
Roy is not out! It pitched just outside leg, so Roy survives.
There’s a review first ball! Roy plays around a classic inducker from Mustafizur and is trapped plumb in front. The umpires says not but Tamim Iqbal decides to take it further. The only issue is whether it pitched in line.
The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
“Hands up,” says Rob Lewis, “who thought a Chattogram was an arrangement where someone sends a nice avuncular person round to your gaff for a cuppa tea and a sticky bun, and a good old-fashioned chinwag?”
The first person to mention Mumbai gets a six-week ban.
(Now, more importantly, shouldn’t it be either ‘cup of tea’ or just ‘cuppa’? The phrase ‘cuppa tea’ feels almost tautologous.)
Musical interlude
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone. Let’s start with some exceedingly important business: fantasy cricket. The gentlefolk below the line on our County Cricket Live! blog (immaculately hosted by Tanya for most of the summer) have set up an open league for the upcoming season. Here’s the link, and the code is FQMCMJZU. Thanks to Mesnilman for sorting it all out.
A nice fightback there by Bangladesh – thanks to Shanto, Mushifiqur and Shakib – after a very slow start and early wickets. You sense England will probably overhaul 246, but the pitch is a little sticky and they’re a touch batting light with Jacks injured out. Adil Rashid only bowled five (immaculate) overs as Buttler chose to give Rehan Ahmed the full set in a relatively low key game. That wicket with his very last ball will be imprinted on the memory banks.
Right, that’s it from me on the sofa. Handing over to the master Rob Smyth, who will guide you through to the close. Bye!
England need 247 to win
48.5 overs: Bangladesh 246 all out ( Ebadot 1) Shakib having fun, dispatches Archer’s second ball with a first class stamp. Falls in an attempt for a second boundary – great catch by Roy – and Mustafizur can’t do anything with an Archer ball sheering into his pads.
WICKET! Mustafizur lbw Archer 0 (Bangladesh 246 all out)
A first ball duck for Mustafizur, given not out on the field but Archer likes it. England review and ball tracking confirms Archer’s confidence – clipping leg stump.
Shakib c Roy b Archer 75 (Bangladesh 246-9)
Shakib launches into a slower ball – it seems a certain boundary – but a flying Roy collects in mid-air just in front of the rope. Cracking catch.
48th over: Bangladesh 242-8 ( Shakib 71, Ebadot 1) Curran has seemed a little out of sorts in these later overs. Starts with a wide before Shakib rocks onto the back foot and slams the next ball for four. He refuses a single, then takes two – good running and a slightly wild throw from Woakes in the deep. Oh dear, not the best day for poor old Vince in the deep: Shakib has a thwack at a slower ball and Vince runs in from the boundary, seems to get his hands to the ball, but it somehow drops through and runs away for four. I miss the expression on Curran’s face.
47th over: Bangladesh 230-8 ( Shakib 60, Ebadot 1) Ebadot off the mark fending away an abrupt snorter from Archer. A massive wide follows, the ball slipping out of his hand I think and flapping well wide of Buttler.
WICKET! Taijul c and b Archer 0 (Bangladesh 227-8)
Taijul swings the bat at a slower ball, it collects moondust but falls straight into the hands of Archer who is waiting half way down the pitch.
46th over: Bangladesh 227-7 ( Shakib 59, Taijul 2) A finger-kissing drive flies through the covers off Woakes’s last ball. Shakib reaches the boundary, but they need a few more.
Discussion about this post