Cricket: Ruthless England destroy Bangladesh to seal 2-0 series win

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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England may only have been playing relative minnows Bangladesh, who are the world's lowest ranked Test team and who only became a Test team ten years ago, but the nature of their win will still make the other nations - especially Australia, who will soon battle against England in the forthcoming Ashes - take notice.

This was England's first Test Series since being crowned Twenty20 World Champions a few weeks ago, and their good form has continued.

And England look like they have unearthed a new gem by the name of Steven Finn, who took 6-81 in the match (including 5-42 in the Second Innings) to help his team to victory.

Today was only the Third Day of the Second Test, but England won at a canter, taking all ten of Bangladesh's Second Innings wickets today.

On Friday, England skipper Andrew Strauss won the toss and decided to put his team into bat first.

Bell and Prior were England's stars with the bat in the First Innings, Bell scoring 128 runs and Prior scoring 93. That was Bell's 11th Test century for England, and it helped England to a First Innings total of 419.

When Bangladesh came in to bat yesterday, England's bowlers were devastating. Bangladesh started off well, losing no early wickets, but thanks to Graham Swann's 5-76 Bangladesh suffered a late batting collapse, getting a First Innings total of 216, 203 runs behind England.

Because Bangladesh were more than 200 runs behind England at the end of the First Innings, England had the option to decide whether or not to make Bangladesh bat first in the Second Innings. They decided that they would put Bangladesh in to bat again.

And it didn't take too long for England's bowlers to make light work of their opponents. At one point, Bangladesh were at a miserable 39-6. New boy Steven Finn, a pace bowler, took the share of the ten wickets in the Second Innings, getting figures of 5-42, helping to bowl Bangladesh out for 123, giving England a victory by an innings and 80 runs, and sealing a 2-0 series win to grab another trophy.

Another England new boy who shone was Ajmal Shazad, who took his first Test wicket, grabbing three wickets in the First Innings.

This was the first Test Match at Old Trafford in Manchester (not to be confused with Manchester United's ground) since its £12 million refurbishment.

Ruthless England seal innings win against Bangladesh

Third Day of the Second Test (at Old Trafford, Manchester)

1st Innings
England: 419
Bangladesh: 216

2nd Innings
Bangladesh: 123

England win the match by an innings and 80 runs.
England win the Series 2-0.


England: Strauss (C), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, E Morgan, Prior (W), Shahzad, Swann, Anderson, Finn, temporary substitute (Brown)

Bangladesh: Tamim, Kayes, Siddique, Jahurul, Ashraful, Shakib (C), Mahmudullah, Rahim (W), Shahadat, Razzak, Shafiul


Anderson set England on the way to victory with some tremendous swing bowling

England wrapped up a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh after winning the second Test at Old Trafford by an innings and 80 runs.

Pace bowler Steven Finn claimed 5-42 as England took 10 wickets in a session to win with two days to spare.

Andrew Strauss enforced the follow-on after the start of play was held up by rain for two and a quarter hours.

The tourists slumped to 39-6 and although Mahmudullah made 38, they were bowled out for 123 just before tea.


All eyes: England captain Andrew Strauss tosses the coin and wins and decides to put his team into bat first on Friday on the First Day of the Second Test against Bangladesh

With Bangladesh's first-innings collapse on Saturday evening also taken into account, they lost all 20 wickets for 213 in barely 64 overs.

It was a desperately disappointing outcome after they took England the full five days at Lord's and they have now lost 59 of their 68 matches since being given Test status.

The conditions that deprived spectators of the morning session nevertheless made England's decision about the follow-on rather more straightforward.

Leaden skies and warm temperatures were perfect for James Anderson and he made the most of them, aided by some accurate bowling from the impressive Finn, in only his third Test.


Red alert: Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, looks splendid after its £12 million refurbishment

Anderson produced some spectacularly prodigious swing, which proved too much for the batsmen used to playing on dry, flat wickets.

The plans for first-innings centurion Tamim remained unchanged and there were only two slips in place and men deposited on the square leg and backward point boundaries as Anderson opened up from round the wicket to the 21-year-old left-hander.


An unearthed gem: England's new boy Steven Finn has now taken 19 wickets in his four Test appearances

This time, however, Tamim never had the chance to get into his uninhibited stride as the second ball moved appreciably from the bat and he could not resist nibbling at it, leaving wicketkeeper Matt Prior with a simple catch.

Imrul Kayes again paid the price for his fondness for the hook shot against Finn and, as in the first innings, picked out Ajmal Shazad, who took the catch at deep square leg.


Pivotal: Ian Bell was named man of the match after scoring his 11th Test century

In the next over Junaid Siddique, having been thoroughly bewildered by the swing of Anderson, prodded one straight to gully and when Jahurul Islam edged Finn to Prior to make it 21-4, statisticians were reaching for the record books to look up Bangladesh's lowest score in Tests - 62 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2007.

The procession continued as the talented but woefully out of form Mohammad Ashraful prodded to first slip, giving Anderson impressive figures of 3-10 in his seventh over.

England debutant Ajmal Shahzad then added to his three first innings wickets by nipping one back through the defences of Shakib Al Hasan in his second over and at that stage Bangladesh were still 19 short of the lowest Test total at Old Trafford by India against England in 1952.


Hacked off: Alastair Cook kicks the track after his dismissal


Turnaround: but Graeme Swann spun the match England's way with five wickets on Saturday night

Mushfiqur Rahim defied a painful blow on the finger to help them avoid the ignominy of beating that record but when Finn returned for a new spell he chipped straight to substitute fielder Karl Brown at wide mid-on and departed for 13, and England had 45 minutes before tea to take the final three wickets.

Prior had also been troubled by a finger injury but he leapt superbly to pouch Mahmudullah's top-edged hook, although Finn was fortunate not to be no-balled having already bowled two bouncers in the over.

Shafiul Islam was well scooped low at first slip by Andrew Strauss as Finn finished with 15 wickets at an average of 17 in the series, leaving Abdur Razzak to go out in a blaze of glory by swiping at everything.

He connected with one six off Graeme Swann in reaching 19 but then skied to Eoin Morgan, who safely gathered in the winning catch.


Prospect: England's Ajmal Shahzad didn't have to wait long for a debut Test wicket


Tumble: Finn again struggled with his footing in his follow through


Champagne moment: Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen kick off the celebrations

news.bbc.co.uk/sport
 
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SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
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It is hardly an achievement to win against Bangladesh. If England at all deserves credit, it is for agreeing to play with Bangladesh in the first place. There really wasn’t anything in it for England. If England won (as it did), people will say, big deal. But if England had lost a test, the ignominy would have been terrible.
 

numbnuts

New Member
May 29, 2010
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It is hardly an achievement to win against Bangladesh. If England at all deserves credit, it is for agreeing to play with Bangladesh in the first place. There really wasn’t anything in it for England. If England won (as it did), people will say, big deal. But if England had lost a test, the ignominy would have been terrible.
Not only that, cricket is a pretty lame sport.