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Bangladesh v England – live!

Live from Mirpur. Email Rob Bagchi with your thoughts.

26th over: England 124-3 (Morgan 7, Collingwood 28) Collingwood uses his feet to hit a four over deep midwicket then Morgan springs to life with his reverse sweep getting him his first four. The crowd falls silent. I’d expected a bit more noise all the time instead of sporadic hubub when things are going well.

25th over: England 115-3 (Morgan 3, Collingwood 23) Mahmadullah takes the ball and has a touch of a dressage horse to his run-up. They can’t hit him off the square so adapt by trying to glance him about. It keeps the scoreboard moving but it doesn’t look too comfortable.

24th over: England 112-3 (Morgan 2, Collingwood 21) Two off Razzak’s over as Morgan continues to look bashful and Collingwood alternates blocks with biffs that don’t quite come off. Sixteen off the powerplay.

23rd over: England 110-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 20) Shafiul comes back into the attack after 15 overs of spin and fires in a couple of pitched-up deliveries that Collingwood digs out on the off side. Collingwood comes on the charge to try and unsettle the bowler but again cannot pierce the off-side ring. So he goes leg-side and chips him over wide mid-on for four. When he looks as sternm as he looks today, Collingwood, facially, does resemble Alan Shearer when trying to appear sincere.

22nd over: England 106-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 16) I sort of meant, Gary, and put it badly, that it’s more about competence than integrity now. Razzak ties Morgan down but then again he often looks a bit lacklustre at the beginning of his innings. I don’t know if he’s a slow starter, or needs to find his range, or doesn’t like these pitches. Maiden.

21st over: England 106-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 16) “Talking of reviving the 80s, that LBW Cook got was like the old days on the subcontinent,” opines Gary Naylor. It was a shocker but at least we have such accomplished neutral umpires these days that we can’t become conspiracy theorists. They’re just poor, now. England were in danger of finding the run rate creeping up and up as Bangladesh exert the pressure but Collingwood breaks free by carving a loose ball through point for four.

20th over: England 100-3 (Morgan 0, Collingwood 12) Razzak is on and Bangladesh have called for their bowling powerplay. Collingwood tangles his feet for the first two balls and then comes down the pitch to belt it over midwicket for four. Razzak’s lack of flight is causing problems for Collingwood who wants to get down the pitch to him.

19th over contd: England 96-3 (Morgan , Collingwood 7) Hit on the pad after he forced a shot through the off side. It drifted in from round the wicket and appeared to straighten but the Hawk suggests it was missing leg by a (relatively) hefty margin.

Wicket! Cook lbw Naeem 64

19th over: England 91-2 (Cook 64, Collingwood 7) I’ve misrepresented Paul Frame. Sorry! “Rob I didn’t mean Pringle, I was talking about Fraser when referring to one of the best English bowlers of the last 30 years.” I loved Gus, too, Paul. Only the Dazzler has given me fonder memories and Devon Malcolm in 1994.

18th over: England 91-2 (Cook 60, Collingwood 7) Four byes from Razzak’s first ball. His hands are nowhere near low enough when he stands up to the spinners and relies on his legs to block if the ball doesn’t carry.

17th over: England 83-2 (Cook 58, Collingwood 5) “Comparisons are all good and fun, but surely Swann is better than Richard Illingworth? writes Paul Frame. “Oh, and Gus Fraser wasn’t the honest county trundler in 1992 it was Pringle. Why does nobody give one of the best English bowlers for the last 30 years the respect he deserves?” If you mean Pringle I think it’s because the memory of his first few years in the side has prejudiced the image of what a fine bowler he became under Gooch’s captaincy. Collingwood rocks on to the back foot and carves Naeem through midwicket for a well-run three after three dot balls. Collingwood’s textbook forward defensive off the last ball provokes Naeem into a fit of pique and he swings his foot and storms off to long leg. Odd.

16th over: England 79-2 (Cook 57, Collingwood 3) I forgot to mention that with his catch in the Bangladesh innings Collingwood became the first Englishman to take 100 wickets, 100 catches and score 1,000 runs in ODIs. Cap doffed. The spinners are rattling through these overs. It’s a great policy to churn through them when you’ve got the upper hand. England, looking to consolidate, could look up and see five or six overs gone in 15 minutes at this rate.

15th over: England 77-2 (Cook 56, Collingwood 1) Naeem has pegged England back in tandem with his captain. England are being lured to play big shots but are being very circumspect after the loss of those two wickets.

14th over contd: England 75-2 (Cook 554, Collingwood 0) Pietersen got a faint edge as the ball snuck between bat and pad and ballooned to slip. There’s a bit of confusion whether he was out lbw or caught. Snickometer suggests he didn’t hit it and Pietersen certainly looked hacked off.

Wicket!! Pietersen c Siddique b Shakib 1

14th over: England 74-1 (Cook 54, Pietersen 1) Tom Hopkins is taken by Tom VDG’s analogy: “But I would suggest that Gus Fraser was miles better than Sidebottom. He could take serious (ie Australian and, at the time, West Indian) wickets, which even pre-injuries I’m not sure Sidebottom could, and I don’t remember him ever looking as unthreatening as Sidebottom has against South Africa.” Gus was a mumbling, grumbling class act. If only Martin Bicknell had been more trusted, what a pair they would have made.

13th over contd: England 74-1 (Cook 54, Pietersen 1) Kieswetter came unstuck, caught in no man’s land by his happy feet and stranded by a good yard. He went for a masive slog and ended up looking flummoxed. Pietersen gets off the mark first ball.

Wicket!! Kieswetter st Mushfiqur b Naeem 19

13th over: England 70-0 (Cook 52, Kieswetter 18) I think Collingwood does have Fairbrotherish tendencies, perhaps with the potential to do even more than the Lancashire imp. Morgan, though, is our Michael Bevan in the making. If England are to get to a World Cup final for the first time in 19 years, we’ll need one.

12th over: England 70-0 (Cook 52, Kieswetter 18) Cook gets to 50 on his captaincy debut. “Surely Paul Collingwood is this England side’s Neil Fairbrother (even though he’s right handed)? Freddie is the mercurial one. And Ian Bell is Graham Hick. The resemblance really is uncanny! I predict an England loss in the 2011 World Cup final. You heard it here first.” Thanks Cory Hazlehurst for that and to Robin Hazlehurst for this: “To carry on the 90s comparison, I think that Smyth of your parish was comparing Eoin Morgan to Fairbrother recently. And how about Owais Shah as a modern day Hick, just not doing what he really ought to at the top level. And Panesar as Tufnell, can’t bat or field too well but spins it well and is seen as a bit of a comedy act.” Any relation to Ronnie?

11th over: England 65-0 (Cook 48, Kieswetter 17) Naeem hits a trickier length for Kieswetter’s favoured modus operandi. He wants to come down the wicket but Naeem is trying to get him in two minds. Cook almost gets himslef out with a slog sweep which he misses and catches the outside of his front pad – missing leg stump.

10th over: England 61-0 (Cook 47, Kieswetter 16) Shakib brings himself back on. Bob Willis says, tongue firmly in cheek, “is this Alastair Cook or Brian Lara out there”. It’s Cook, Bob. You can tell because he’s only got three scoring shots – perfectly adequate today but for the long-term? An over of “a-milking they will go”, a dash of “nicely nurdled, sir” and some ugly slog sweeps.

9th over: England 59-0 (Cook 44, Kieswetter 15) Tom van de Gucht reckosn its deja vu time all over again: “This England ODI side has a very “early 90’s” Vibe to it. KP and Kieswitter are the modern day Lamby and Smith, Cook has taken on Atherton’s FEC mantle, Prior is filling Alec Stewarts boots, being shunted up and down he order. Sidebottom is an honest medium paced county trundler in the mould of Gus Fraser. Bresnan resembles Botham from his twilight years, portly and good at slogging. And finally we have also squeezed in a good old fashioned Dermot Reeve-ish bits and piece player in the form of Wright . Perhaps that’s Flowers masterplan, a bit of retro cricket, that’s the last thing the opposition are going to expect.” Where’s your Fairbrother and Hick, though, Tom? And what about the mercurial Lewis, De Freitas and Gladstone Small?
Kieswetter again waltzes down the wicket and smashes Razzak for a straight four – he was trying the on drive but got squared up a touch.

8th over: England 54-0 (Cook 43, Kieswetter 11) Naeem, the offspinner, comes on. Cook’s cut jabbed for two and a slog-swept four starts the over. He then loses his balnace somwhat and is clipped on the pad, his head too far over, but the ball is missing leg. Two overthrows. Cook is playing it very late and looks vulnerable.

7th over: England 45-0 (Cook 34, Kieswetter 11) Spin at both ends as Abdur Razzak tries his left-arm spin. He looks a dead ringer for the captain as the bowler but has more flight. Kieswetter is a dancer when faced with spin. vgery ball he’s been down the pitch to the spinners so far. No forward presser, he, but a remarkably positive, old school technique. He looks vulnerable to a stumping but then may be gambling that Mushfiqur has got iron gloves on. Cook unveils his slog sweep for two as the cakewalk progresses then copies it for a single. There is dew out there after all, the Bangladesh fielders slipping about a couple of times.

6th over: England 41-0 (Cook 31, Kieswetter 10) Shakib is trying to unsettle the Somerset stumper with a very tight line to draw him down the pitch. He smothers the spin well and gets off strike. Cook takes a different tack, stands up tall, no foot movement and swings at it – and gets a two and a four, edged, for his troubles. Attempted a ludicrous run off the last ball but Kieswetter sent him back – the throw is wayward, though and Cook gets back. Good, loud shrieked “NOOOOOOOOO” from Kieswetter.

5th over: England 34-0 (Cook 25, Kieswetter 9) Cook clips a single square of the wicket, allowing Kieswetter a pop at Mortaza. He comes down the pitch and punches a four through the covers. More settled against seam, he takes a single with a confident push. Mortaza trhen feeds Cook’s favourite off-side shot, the open-faced Essex square drive. The choir boy bags another four with a backlift-light off drive.

4th over: England 20-0 (Cook 16, Kieswetter 4) Shakib brings himself on to give it a twirl from the fourth over. Kieswetter’s using a Puma bat, just like Pele would. Drives his first two deliveries to silly mid off, the first a bump ball that gets the crowd going. And edges the fourth ball for four, through Mushfiqur’s legs. A great chance to bag him for a duck goes missing and he looked plum lbw from the arm ball – Hawk_eye sayd it would hit the middle of leg stump. Jammy sod. Twice.

3rd over: England 16-0 (Cook 16, Kieswetter 0) Mortaza is a bit of a bustler these days, arcing the ball in from Cook’s off-stump, trying to fool him with the one that goes straight on. He hasn’t managed it just yet and Cook prods the non-swingers, two of them, to point. Cook’s inside edge is found, hinting that the gate is still wide open, but Mortaza doesn’t look fast enough to make him pay for the space betwen bat and pad. Cook cuts the last ball for two and finally we’ll see Kieswetter.

2nd over: England 14-0 (Cook 14, Kieswetter 0) Shafiul takes the new ball, and he’s immediately quicker than Mortaza. Drops his second ball short, a filthy long hop, short-arm jabbed by Cook with that ugly pull of his for four. “Five Live’s innings break featured an Alastair Cook profile,” messages Gary Naylor. “Everyone thought he was lovely and spoke of him being polite and thoughtful as a youngster. Unlike profiles of Ricky Ponting and Stephen Waugh, nobody talked about how he dealt with the bouncers and sledging of grade cricket when just into his teens. Sings well though.” Love the “Stephen” – very Australian. What does he sing? The Messiah? He works a two off his feet. This is loose stuff to start with from Bangladesh. He pinches the strike again off the last ball. Kieswetter, though, isn’t chewing his handle yet.

1st over: England 7-0 (Cook 7, Kieswetter 0) Cook takes the first ball and scampers an easy two off Mortaza. A touch of swing then encourages Cook to clip it again through midwicket for two then an identical shot gets three to finish the over)

Break: Forgot to give Swann his proper dues. He bowled well and bravely given how much power Tamim had shown when he came on to bowl. I wonder, given his obvious intelligence, whether he wouldn’t make a very good captain, particularly for the one-day side. Why do batsmen always get it and rotate their bowlers by numbers rather than give it to a bowler who understands the nuances better. Tamim demonstrated again what a fine eye he has and I was impressed by his maturity, his dreadful running apart. Lee James has a soft spot for Bangladesh, too: “I must confess a serious liking for Bangladesh, very keen to see them make it as a test-playing nation. They look further along than the Lankans after a similar time and have huge room for improvement- the one series I don’t mind England losing a few games in.
Bresnan and Sidebottom hardly inspire do they? I hope we have some fast bowlers learning their trade somewhere in the Cape to help us out.” Sidebottom is struggling, no doubt, but Bresnan did OK and used the pitch very well. Broad conjures up something routinely precisely when you’re on the brink of having a rant at him. In some ways that makes him even more infuriating. Let’s see what Kieswetter’s made of, now.

That’s the innings break. In the words of the peerless Barry Taylor: “Ta ta for a bit.”

46th over:Bangladesh 228 all out Sidebottom gets another chance, I’m not sure why when Bresnan has overs left. Wright seems to have pulled his left hamstring when diving in the field last over and keeps prodding the back of his thigh. Milky milky Sidebottom for the first two balls then he wraps the innings up WICKET! Razzak c Cook b Sidebottom 2 The ball was outside off stump and Razzak leant back and hit it like a golf shot to Cook at mid off. “Have Bangladesh been playing ODIs for 10 years or 10 minutes?” poses Gary Naylor “All sides are capable of the occasional collapse, but it happens too frequently to Bangladesh and squanders so much talent.” They’re very young, Gary, and play with a lack of expectation about them. I’d say it takes longer than 10 years to come to grips with international cricket. All the signs suggest they’re going to get there, though.

45th over:Bangladesh 226-9 (Shafiul 10, Razzak 1) There’s been some excellent groundfielding by England today. Gone are the days when the big boot would come out – Wright, Collingwood, Pietersen have been throwing themselves around with abandon. They look like a genuine 10 and jack these two but Sahfiul then belts one arrow straight for four that almost took the umpire’s head off.

44th over:Bangladesh 220-9 (Shafiul 5, Razzak 1) Bresnan, who started well and has outshone the wayward Sidebottom, comes in to bowl and gets cut for four third ball. That was a dross delivery, short, wide and eminently thrashable. He comes back well, finding his stock heavy ball outside off.

43rd over:Bangladesh 214-9 (Shafiul 0, Razzak 0) Powerplay called. “After the spelling errors (hair’s breadth, please) you’ll be calling the home team The Bangles next,” says John Satrbuck. “Cue your own puns.” Am I only dreaming? Broad follows Tamim who stepped away to leg and pins him. No run. Slower ball next and Tamim turns down the single, wanting to farm the strike. He then hooks it one-handed but the ball falls short of Morgan at mid-on. WICKET! Tamim b Broad 125 He wanted to hog the strike, turning down a couple of singles then stepped across his stumps to try and flick the ball down to fine leg and loses his middle stump. Clever line from Broad – good strategy and execution. It was a superb innings, though, paced brilliantly. Broad nearly takes Shafiul’s head off with his first ball.

42nd over:Bangladesh 214-8 (Tamim 125, Razzak 0) It seems there going to wait for Swann to finish before going for the batting powerplay. A single off the second brings Mortaza on strike and the crowd simply adores him. WICKET! Mortaza lbw Swann 4 It was certainly hitting the stumpsbut it looked to hit him outside the line. The crowd groans. Incidentally I hate that Rowntrees Randoms ad. So self-consciously quirky it makes you cringe.

41st over:Bangladesh 213-7 (Tamim 124, Mortaza 4) Luke Wright gets Cook’s nod to turn his arm over and gets a WICKET! first ball Naeem c Morgan b Wright 25 Wright tempted him with a fairly juicy lossener, perhaps slower than Naeem expected and he dug up a short-armed drive to Morgan at cover who caught it above his head comfortably. Enter Mortaza after a year’s injury hell and whips his first ball to long leg for four. Naeem’s was more of a sliced drive from the slower ball on second look. Wright bounces back with a pair of identical deliveries just outside off stump that Mortaza misses.

40th over:Bangladesh 209-6 (Tamim 124, Naeem 24) Swann comes back to try and put the cork back in the bottle and manages it successfully for the first four balls tying them up for singles. They take five off the over.

39th over:Bangladesh 204-6 (Tamim 122, Naeem 22) Cook’s shuffling his options and brings back Collingwood. And gets battered for six first ball over long on by Tamim, just as he did 30 overs ago. A two then a single. “Surely you mean a hair’s breath? In over 36″ write Geoffrey and Ulla Roberts. Sorry! Obssessed with hares in our house after the 999th reading of “Guess how much I love you?” last night. Excellent over for the Banglas. “The Tigers are hanging in there,” suggests Ian Whitchurch. “Dragged over the line by Tanim. If the rest of the side can manage 120, it’s a very defendable score.”

38th over:Bangladesh 192-6 (Tamim 113, Naeem 19) Josh Green has put on his anorak so we don’t have to: “Just a quick one, Tamim Iqbal’s current 103* out of 175 puts him in 11th place in the table of players who have contributed the highest percentage of runs in a single innings, he’s scored 58.8% of Bangladesh’s runs! Viv Richards is first with 69% of the runs in a match against England in 1984, and funnily enough David Gower is in 10th. This is the kind of statistical analysis you get on the Surrey cricket blog.” Thanks Josh. Broad comes back and hits a better length, making the bat do the work rather than the batsman’s forearm strength. Still no powerplay.

37th over:Bangladesh 188-6 (Tamim 111, Naeem 18) Tamim steers Sid’s opening delivery down to third man. Sky are keen on going to shots of Cook to see how his body language is shaping up. Pretty positive so far – not many councils with the senior pros. He looks like his own man out there so far. Uppercut for four over the keeper as Sidebottom comes round the wiucket to Naeem again. He just doesn’t seem to have the zip for this line of attack. Think Gough on this wicket. Last ball flat-batted for four by Tamim through cover. Awful over.

36th over:Bangladesh 176-6 (Tamim 104, Naeem 12) Two scrambled after yet another mix-up in calls, Iqbal getting home by a hare’s breadth. Pietersen doesn’t seem to favour a consistent line, like Sidebottom trying to experiment with every delivery. Over, round, over, round. Does it make that much of a difference with the field he’s got?

35th over:Bangladesh 171-6 (Tamim 102, Naeem 11) Khademul Islam wishes the complaining would cease: “Am reading Lawrence Booth’s Cricket, Lovely Cricket, and there’s a fair bit of moaning and whingeing about, like the Brits emailing to OBO, about the heartache of being an English cricket team fan. You guys should knock it off. Ever think of what we Bangladeshis go through, especially once the team starts to hit the self destruct
button this hard like it’s doing now?” Khademul, we’re British. We wouldn’t enjoy ourselves if we were deprived of the opportunity to whinge. It’s what we do. Ryan Sidebottom comes round the wicket, but looks nothing like as adept as Wasim. But then, who is? Comes back over to Tamim and throws in a couple of slower ones, then a wide from round to Naeem. Five off the over as the lights start to glow.

34th over:Bangladesh 166-6 (Tamim 100, Naeem 9) Pietersen, once the great white off-spinning hope circa 2003, comes on and sees his second ball dispetched over midwicket for four. Great footwork from Tamim and then he pushes a single to bring up his century.

33rd over:Bangladesh 160-6 (Tamim 95, Naeem 8) Under edge off a cross-bat drive gets Naeem (from the halfway line) four of Big Bres but he can’t cream the full toss that follows it and just gets one. Tamim hooks a single to get to 95, the highest Bangladesh score against England and it has been a marvellous innings to watch – apart from his calling. Bresnan finishes off with a wide and a dot ball. His feet are taking a heavy pounding in his delivery stride on this surface.

32nd over:Bangladesh 153-6 (Tamim 93, Naeem 3) Swann continues and is rattling through the overs. They’re taking singles but not using their powerplay yet. Surely it’s time.

31st over:Bangladesh 148-6 (Tamim 91, Naeem 2) Bresnan lollops back into the attack, pitches his first two balls just back of a length – Naeem clips the second off the outside edge for a single. They’ve tied Tamim up brilliantly in the last few overs with some canny bowling and consistentloy good fielding. Andy Flower has made a huge difference in the field this past year. Lots of shots of the Bangla coach Jamie Siddons looking splendid in primrose but brooding and glowering quite threateningly.

30th over contd:Bangladesh 147-6 (Tamim 90, Naeem 1) A senseless run out – a bad call from Tamim and Pietersen walked to smack off the bails as both batsman ended up at the non striker’s end. then Mahmadullah turned his first ball which looked slower than the previous two and dollied it up to Collingwood who dived in from short mid-on.

WICKET! Mahmadullah c Collingwood b Swann 0

WICKET! Mushfiqur run out 22

29th over:Bangladesh 145-4 (Tamim 89, Mushfiqur 22) Here’s Ian with a dew update: “My man in Bangladesh is reporting no dew for the last week. Carn the Tigers.

28th over:Bangladesh 144-4 (Tamim 89, Mushfiqur 21) More Collingwood enforcement stuff after a first-ball short aberration pulled for a single. Then Mushfiqur late cuts a four, the first for an age. Too wide from Collingwood, who chastises himself by pulling his hair. It might be a result of havinng the grubby ball changed. This one doesn’t appear as soft as the one they were using to slow Bangldesh down.

27th over:Bangladesh 137-4 (Tamim 88, Mushfiqur 15) Tightish lbw shout from Swann to Tamim as he goes for a sweep but it pitched outside off. A short leg would have bagged Mushfiqur third ball as he pops up a catch from a viciously spinning Swann delivery but there’s no one there. England may well find it difficult if the Bangladesh boys can make it turn like this – as Ian Whitchurch points out: “And Shakib and Razzak can actually turn the ball – and Aftab bowls similar stuff to Collingwood.” I’m assuming there might be dew to contend with. Am I wrong?

26th over:Bangladesh 135-4 (Tamim 86, Mushfiqur 12) “What’s up with Rob, Rob? Tell us it’s nothing graver than a hangover…” asks Philip Podolsky. I think it was a scheduling issue – he thought it was starting at 3.30am and then he could do it and go off for a prior engagement which may or may not have had something to do with Wembley. But with this start I needed to be issued with my call-up papers. The A team of Bull and Hannibal Smyth will be back for the rest of the series. England have done really well since the opening onslaught. Can we praise Cook for that? Collingwood and Swann have found the perfect conditions and Cook must be tempted to bowl them through.

25th over:Bangladesh 128-4 (Tamim 84, Mushfiqur 9) Collingwood ties up Mushfiqur with his lack of pace and subtle tweaks. A couple of laps round the corner gets Bumble talking about cat and mouse. ODI chess without the yoghurt pot plots.

24th over:Bangladesh 124-4 (Tamim 83, Mushfiqur 8) The mid-innings longueurs are here. Clever bowling and batting but not much biff, bang, pow for the non-purists. “Geoffrey swung his induckers a bit more than Colly and wore a cap,” says Gary Naylor. I remember it well – the 1979 World Cup final was a bowling spell too far but he did well inh the tournament up to that stage. “For the forthcoming World Cup on the sub-continent, England should field an attack of Dibbly, Dobbly, Colly, Timmy, and Swanny.” Who can be dibbly and dobbly, though?

23rd over:Bangladesh 119-4 (Tamim 82, Mushfiqur 5) Back to Hoppsy’s correspondent. Richard Finch hits several nails: “There is a major problem with the development of young English cricketers, but this is mainly to do with the competition against rugby and football. Every couple of years there is a (football) European or World Cup that grabs the nations attention AND attracts and inspires young people to follow the game (not to mention the excessive year round coverage). The BBC show the Six Nations every year and a World Cup is shown on terrestrial TV every four years, cricket can’t really compete with either of these – even if you include the Ashes publicity. A way to generate more interest would be to create a first class competition that lasts about five games, is held over bank holiday weekends (or long weekends) in the summer and doesn’t clash with international cricket meaning the star players are able (and obliged) to play. Making a fuss of the domestic game is the solution.” I see your point Richard but it’s about the culture of laiking out these days, too, not just media coverage and subscription apartheid. Collingwood does what Collingwood does – gives away five in a tidy over, asks some questions but gets the right answers so far.

22nd over:Bangladesh 115-4 (Tamim 79, Mushfiqur 2) Mushfiqur gets off the mark with a sweep from way outside off stump and takes the single, hitting it with the spin. Bangladesh then take a tight single – yes, no, sorry – but Mushfiqur gets there with a sprawling dive. Tamim is trying to drop anchor now after the mini collapse and England have the upper hand while he’s being subdued.

21st over:Bangladesh 112-4 (Tamim 78, Mushfiqur 0) Collingwood tosses up his second ball, varies his pace and is looking a real handful in this over. They look like the sort of induckers that used to be Geoffrey Boycott’s stock in trade. Off-cutters, floaters, slower balls – it’s Dermot Reeve light circa 1992. Maiden.

20th over:Bangladesh 112-4 (Tamim 78, Mushfiqur 0) Shakib is upping the rate with a nice sweep for two, full, of guile. WICKET!! Shakib st Prior b Swann 12 I put the hex on him there. Good line and perfect length from Swann inviting Shakib to have a dart. He tried to turn it to midwicket against the turn, it spun away from him and Prior took off the bails. Now they’re saying it was out caught and the replays show he did nick it so Prior did him twice, caught then stumped just to make sure.

19th over:Bangladesh 110-3 (Tamim 78, Shakib 10) Collingwood’s on now to make the batsmen really have to throw themselves into their shots to hit boundaries. Starts with one of his off-cutters, pushed for one. Third ball is a beauty that finds Iqbal’s edge and goes for four. The batsmen seem quite happy to keep the scoreboard ticking over until the medium pacers come back on.

18th over:Bangladesh 103-3 (Tamim 73, Shakib 8) Here comes Graeme Swann and he floats up his first two deliveries, both of which go for singles as Bangladesh post the 100. There’s certainly turn out there, making England’s decision to go with one specialist spinner only a bit of a mystery. They just milk Swann for five cannily, pushing for the gaps and strolling singles.

17th over:Bangladesh 98-3 (Tamim 72, Shakib 5) Drinks then a problem with a sightscreen are followed by a couple of easily stolen singles off Broad’s bowling. Anyone with any knowledge of bars in Singapore to help Richard Coopey out: “Would any OBOers know where I can watch the cricket (and, for that matter, Spurs v Everton later today) in Singapore?” Shakib looks pretty ropey out there at the moment, his timing’s off and his bottom hand so dominant that he is finding it difficult to get any force into his strokes.

16th over:Bangladesh 94-3 (Tamim 69, Shakib 3) Sidebottom pins Shakib back on his crease with this line, looking for an inside edge played-on. It hasn’t been successful yet but there’s enough of a gate there to sneak through. Tamim steals an overthrow when Pietersen wastes his good work to save a four by aiming it at the stumps anyway.

15th over:Bangladesh 89-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 2) Shakib can’t find his range in this last over of the bowling powerplay, his bottom hand overpowering the top and skewing too many shots off the true. Broad tries a slower ball, then a yorker. Pietersen throws the ball to the wicketkeeper and Tamim at the non-striker’s end looks a bit peeved as he had to swerve out of the way. Broad completes a maiden – and the longer they starve Tamim of the strike, the better England look.

14th over:Bangladesh 89-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 2) Alex Doherty has girth on his mind: “Not being a regular cricket fan I’m very surprised at how portly some of the lads look out there. Does cricket rank alongside darts in terms of athletic prowess?” You need a big backside to be a bowler, Alex and there’s some big ones out there. But if you think this selection is plump, have you not seen Robbie Key in his pomp? Sidebottom’s back and his first three balls to the captain find a better line – perhaps with a touch of reverse. His line’s tighter and the ball has got softer, meaning the batsman needs to really belt it to pierce England’s ring of four from point to mid-off. A quick single to mid-on finishes the over.

13th over:Bangladesh 88-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 1) Staright after the wicket, which the third umpire took an age to give despite the first replay showing it perfectly, Tamim resumes with another four. It’s been a peach of an innings, mixing power with precision, some wristy shots and Blutoesque forearm blows.

Wicket!! Aftab run out 2 Pietersen was hanging around on the edge of the circle at mid-on and quickly gathered the ball and ran Aftab out by an inch with a deft underarm throw.

12th over:Bangladesh 82-2 (Tamim 60, Aftab 2) Here’s John Starbuck: “I guess that as it’s a Sunday the IT bloke who normally switches on the OBO’s On Off display for automatic update isn’t around today. We’re back to old-fashioned F5 now, which is a swizz when one’s eating pikelets for breakfast as the butter drips over the keyboard.” Mmm, pikelets. Sorry it’s my fault but untilo 10am I sail this ship alone. I’ll get someone far brainier than me to sort it if they ever turn up. He continues: “Re the non-English players in the team: yes, it’s a disappointment when selection get to this degree but it isn’t novel. Leave aside all the 1970s-1980s South African players, the same thing happened at the turn of the last century when English and Australian players were repeatedly poached to play for the other side. Give up whining and concentrate on scouting and coaching for the next generation.”
Tamim plants his front foot and swings at Bresnan’s fourth ball and carves it for four. It’s a fairly rudimentary technique but effective as hell if there’s no swing.

11th over:Bangladesh 73-2 (Tamim 54, Aftab 1) Much better from Broad, bowling now with a scrambled seam to get a bit more unpredictability out of the pitch. Just when you think you’re going to write Broad off for the day, he does something clever like that.

WICKET! Siddique c Kieswetter b Broad 0 Bangladesh 71-2 Clipped Broad’s second ball off his toes to Kieswetter at square leg.

10th over:Bangladesh 68-1 (Tamim 50, Siddique) It was actually a very good slower ball from Bresnan that earned the wicket nand took the leading edge. Tamim brings up his 50 off 32 balls with a very low cut-steer to third man. Kahdemul Islam says he has to wonder why “English players so snooty? They famously look right through the Bangladesh players off the field, and when on the field – outside Bangladesh – give the impression that it’s a chore playing Bangladesh,but whddyado with such a suckhole also having become a Test playing country…” Do you think it’s arrogance that’s making them bowl generally such a dire length?

Wicket!! Kayes c Wright b Bresnan 15 Spoons up a catch to midwicket where Wright makes decent ground to pouch it.

9th over:Bangladesh 63-0 (Tamim 45, Kayes 15) Tom van de Gucht is worried by Sidebottom’s travails: “Does anyone else have the niggling worry that Sidebottom is no longer up to it? In my mind he seems to resemble more and more Boxer the old work horse from Animal Farm towards the end of the story when he was no longer fit for purpose but kept on chugging along with ever diminishing results. Perhaps it’s Cook’s opportunity to stage a Napoleon style coup and take him off to the glue factory.” He’s certainly lost his nip, ever since he was forced to labour through the 2008 season with that dodgy hip. Sad scenes. Tamim larrups another short ball from Broad for four to wide mid-on. Poor thinking from Broad. PITCH IT UP. He then steers the next one to fine leg for four. Where’s Napoleon Cook and his captain’s advice now? Aggh! Wide. Finishes off with an agricultural six over mid-on. He did pitch it up this time but this is shoddy stuff.

8th over:Bangladesh 47-0 (Tamim 31, Kayes 14) A wide from Bresnan after all the praise and a harsh one at that. A cross-bat hoik from Tamim gets four through midwicket and he then takes on Collingwood’s arm and gets home for a well-run single. Kayes then punches a cut for four. This is a brilliant start from Bangladesh.

7th over: Bangladesh 36-0 (Tamim 26, Kayes 9) Broad, with his new crop, replaces Sidebottom. Gary Naylor thinks Bresnan is progressing well as a blossoming ODI talent: “I’m very impressed with Bresnan’s development as a one-day bowler, but this immaculate line and length at a pace well below full throttle won’t help him into the Test XI. His discipline is useful in all forms of the game though.” Unimprovably put, Gary. Broad drops his second ball short and Tamim top-edges a hook over the keeper’s head for four. This is already Bangla’s best first wicket partnership against England. Broad decides to take a leaf out of Bresnan’s book and hits the right length, just short of full. Better – the last three balls are dots.

6th over: Bangladesh 31-0 (Tamim 21, Kayes 9) Bresnan is the pick do far. Speaking of euphemisms for six, I think the worst is “Maximum!” which is quite commonplace these days. Ian Healy, I’ve noticed, has picked up on Billy Bowden’s daft signals and says “Billy’s putting the horns up”. Bowden’s got the horn, what an unpleasant image. Good save on the boundary from Sidebottom but the batsman gets two. Bresnan recovers by giving Kayes a smell of the leather.

5th over: Bangladesh 27 (Tamim 20, Kayes 5) Sidebottom varies his length and drops one short and Tamim shovels it around the corner as it stayed too low then drives with theatrical flourish straight to Broad at mid-on. Sidebottom gets one above wasit-height but Tamim lets it go through to Prior then creams the next one through the covers for four. Then finds his range and whacks the last ball for six over mid-on. “Sixer,” as Mark Nicholas would say. Bobby Willis opts for “wowee”.

4th over: Bangladesh 16-0 (Tamim 10, Kayes 5) Bresnan is pretty much on the mark – the slips have gone and he hits a perfect length on this pitch. Morning to Niall Taylor and Liam Doyle who wonders why Gary Naylor has forgotten his usual anti-Wenger rant in his email. I’m staying out of this one.

3rd over: Bangladesh 15-0 (Tamim 9, Kayes 4) An email arrives from David Hopps, our man in Mirpur. He’s received one of those emails that merits quoting: “I’m sick and tired of what Test cricket has become. I’m also flabbergasted at the glib, cheap, disposable way in which each of you has elected to defend what is becoming of English cricket. First David Hopps on 22nd February: ‘But if young cricketers born and raised in England are repeatedly shown not to be up to it, to criticise Kieswetter for achieving higher standards seems to be conducting the wrong sort of investigation.’ Then on 26th it’s over to Mike Selvey: ‘Meanwhile worrying about qualifications though is merely to treat a symptom. The disease itself needs addressing.’
Oh joy. Surely, if you examine your arguments beyond the imperative of the coming deadline you can see how blithe, how limp and how submissive these positions are?”

There’s more: “I am so often accused of being a lousy patriot that it often staggers me how few people give a flying stuff about this issue when I find myself despairing of it, but surely to goodness you can each see that a crap England side is infinitely better, more real, appropriate and reflective than an England (& Wales) that is not, in any real sense, England?
Fine, take pot shots at the system that produces Bells rather than Pietersens, or Boparas rather than Trotts, but please do not offer deadline stressing perspectives that denigrate those who would rightly question the legitimacy of these transfer players and make it all about development when in fact it is about a system that is rolling over and dying in the face of something noone has the verve, gumption or determination to resist.
So England are a better side with Pietersen, Trott and this latest import – so bloody what. They’d also be better with Ponting and Tendulkar and England would win more matches but then, that would be ridiculous wouldn’t it?
The point is, where is the pride in an England victory, where is the concern about all those apparently inferior England players who don’t now get to play for their (really, it is ‘their’) country, the satisfaction on producing a decent player internally… There is no pride in watching Kieswetter, Pietersen or Trott score runs for their pretend country – none at all, mere satisfaction for some that ‘England’ are doing well, without any sort of reflection on quite what ‘England’ has become.”
Well, let’s come back to that at our leisure. Tamim is dropped at cover by Eoin Morgan – it looked a pretty straightforward chance and Sidebottom, never the most forgiving of bowlers, kicks the turf.

2nd over: Bangladesh 10-0 (Tamim 5, Kayes 4) And it’s an all Yorkshire-born opening attack as Bresnan takes the other end. It’s his 25th birthday today but he hasn’t found any swing to go with his cake as yet. No lift either as the ball dobs through at toe-height to Prior. Bresnan is pretty much on the mark, fixing his line on off and middle but when he tries a short one Kayes top edges a pull that goes over Prior’s head for four.

1st over: Bangladesh 5-0 (Tamim 5, Kayes 0) Ryan Sidebottom gets us off and he’s on the mark with his first delivery but the second is too wide and Tami slashes it hard for four over the head of where fourth slip might be. The wicket looks flat, low and slow. Tamim pushes a single to midwicket to bring the other left-hander to face and Sidebottom stands Kayes up with the last ball off the over.

The wicket is looking verdant but we’re told it’s going to be hard and should suit England’s seamers. Morning to Gary Naylor: “I was impressed with young Kieswetter in his interview,” he writes. “If he qualifies, he should be picked on merit. That England do not produce enough home-grown players is a different matter.” Can’t quibble with that Gary but I think he might as well have the gloves as well if they’re going to use him. Bumble has just been interviewed sitting in an auto-rickshaw, proclaiming, “Start the rickshaw” as he sets off on his quest to head for the Himalayas.

Good morning I’m afraid Rob Smyth won’t be with you this morning. After a late call-up I’m having to fill those big shoes and despite being soaked to the skin on the way in I’m looking forward to this Mirpur ODI and seeing how Alastair Cook copes with his elevation. I’m just off to try and get dry with paper towels and attempt to jam my head into one of those Dyson driers. I’ll be back for the first over.
England have won the toss and put Bangladesh in.
Teams:
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan (Capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (Wkt), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam.
England: A N Cook (Capt), C Kieswetter, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, E J G Morgan, L J Wright, M J Prior (Wkt), T T Bresnan, S C J Broad, G P Swann, R J Sidebottom.
Umpires: Nadir Shah and R J Tucker

Rob Smyth will be here from 0745. Ish.

Meantime Mike Selvey ponders the significance of the rumoured selection of South African born Craig Kieswetter:

The figures are unarguable. When England play their opening one-day international against Bangladesh, it will be Craig Kieswetter – of Somerset but born, raised and cricket-nurtured in South Africa – who will open the batting and not Kent’s Joe Denly.

So much is right and proper. Denly’s scores, since he was elevated to the England one-day ranks, have done little to enhance his case for continuing inclusion: 67 against Ireland first up but then 0, 11, 45, 25, 53, 5, 21, 5, 36, 0, 14, 1 and 5. Already his time was running out. Kieswetter, of course, has no international scores but his success with the England Lions, playing alongside Denly, has been notable not just for the runs scored and the rate at which they came – 31 from 24 balls, 77 (52), 40 not out (42), 50 not out (32) and 81 (66) – but also for the increased confidence shown by the sequence. It was no surprise when, hastily added to the full squad for Bangladesh, he marked the first of the warm-up matches by scoring 143 from 123 balls.

Equally unarguable, unpalatable though the situation may be to many, is his credential to represent England…

Read the rest of the article here.

Rob Bagchi

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28 Feb 2010

Bangladesh v England – live!0

Posted in: Cricket• England Cricket Team• England in Bangladesh 2010• Minute by minutes• Sport• guardian.co.uk

Live from Mirpur. Email Rob Bagchi with your thoughts.

26th over: England 124-3 (Morgan 7, Collingwood 28) Collingwood uses his feet to hit a four over deep midwicket then Morgan springs to life with his reverse sweep getting him his first four. The crowd falls silent. I’d expected a bit more noise all the time instead of sporadic hubub when things are going well.

25th over: England 115-3 (Morgan 3, Collingwood 23) Mahmadullah takes the ball and has a touch of a dressage horse to his run-up. They can’t hit him off the square so adapt by trying to glance him about. It keeps the scoreboard moving but it doesn’t look too comfortable.

24th over: England 112-3 (Morgan 2, Collingwood 21) Two off Razzak’s over as Morgan continues to look bashful and Collingwood alternates blocks with biffs that don’t quite come off. Sixteen off the powerplay.

23rd over: England 110-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 20) Shafiul comes back into the attack after 15 overs of spin and fires in a couple of pitched-up deliveries that Collingwood digs out on the off side. Collingwood comes on the charge to try and unsettle the bowler but again cannot pierce the off-side ring. So he goes leg-side and chips him over wide mid-on for four. When he looks as sternm as he looks today, Collingwood, facially, does resemble Alan Shearer when trying to appear sincere.

22nd over: England 106-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 16) I sort of meant, Gary, and put it badly, that it’s more about competence than integrity now. Razzak ties Morgan down but then again he often looks a bit lacklustre at the beginning of his innings. I don’t know if he’s a slow starter, or needs to find his range, or doesn’t like these pitches. Maiden.

21st over: England 106-3 (Morgan 1, Collingwood 16) “Talking of reviving the 80s, that LBW Cook got was like the old days on the subcontinent,” opines Gary Naylor. It was a shocker but at least we have such accomplished neutral umpires these days that we can’t become conspiracy theorists. They’re just poor, now. England were in danger of finding the run rate creeping up and up as Bangladesh exert the pressure but Collingwood breaks free by carving a loose ball through point for four.

20th over: England 100-3 (Morgan 0, Collingwood 12) Razzak is on and Bangladesh have called for their bowling powerplay. Collingwood tangles his feet for the first two balls and then comes down the pitch to belt it over midwicket for four. Razzak’s lack of flight is causing problems for Collingwood who wants to get down the pitch to him.

19th over contd: England 96-3 (Morgan , Collingwood 7) Hit on the pad after he forced a shot through the off side. It drifted in from round the wicket and appeared to straighten but the Hawk suggests it was missing leg by a (relatively) hefty margin.

Wicket! Cook lbw Naeem 64

19th over: England 91-2 (Cook 64, Collingwood 7) I’ve misrepresented Paul Frame. Sorry! “Rob I didn’t mean Pringle, I was talking about Fraser when referring to one of the best English bowlers of the last 30 years.” I loved Gus, too, Paul. Only the Dazzler has given me fonder memories and Devon Malcolm in 1994.

18th over: England 91-2 (Cook 60, Collingwood 7) Four byes from Razzak’s first ball. His hands are nowhere near low enough when he stands up to the spinners and relies on his legs to block if the ball doesn’t carry.

17th over: England 83-2 (Cook 58, Collingwood 5) “Comparisons are all good and fun, but surely Swann is better than Richard Illingworth? writes Paul Frame. “Oh, and Gus Fraser wasn’t the honest county trundler in 1992 it was Pringle. Why does nobody give one of the best English bowlers for the last 30 years the respect he deserves?” If you mean Pringle I think it’s because the memory of his first few years in the side has prejudiced the image of what a fine bowler he became under Gooch’s captaincy. Collingwood rocks on to the back foot and carves Naeem through midwicket for a well-run three after three dot balls. Collingwood’s textbook forward defensive off the last ball provokes Naeem into a fit of pique and he swings his foot and storms off to long leg. Odd.

16th over: England 79-2 (Cook 57, Collingwood 3) I forgot to mention that with his catch in the Bangladesh innings Collingwood became the first Englishman to take 100 wickets, 100 catches and score 1,000 runs in ODIs. Cap doffed. The spinners are rattling through these overs. It’s a great policy to churn through them when you’ve got the upper hand. England, looking to consolidate, could look up and see five or six overs gone in 15 minutes at this rate.

15th over: England 77-2 (Cook 56, Collingwood 1) Naeem has pegged England back in tandem with his captain. England are being lured to play big shots but are being very circumspect after the loss of those two wickets.

14th over contd: England 75-2 (Cook 554, Collingwood 0) Pietersen got a faint edge as the ball snuck between bat and pad and ballooned to slip. There’s a bit of confusion whether he was out lbw or caught. Snickometer suggests he didn’t hit it and Pietersen certainly looked hacked off.

Wicket!! Pietersen c Siddique b Shakib 1

14th over: England 74-1 (Cook 54, Pietersen 1) Tom Hopkins is taken by Tom VDG’s analogy: “But I would suggest that Gus Fraser was miles better than Sidebottom. He could take serious (ie Australian and, at the time, West Indian) wickets, which even pre-injuries I’m not sure Sidebottom could, and I don’t remember him ever looking as unthreatening as Sidebottom has against South Africa.” Gus was a mumbling, grumbling class act. If only Martin Bicknell had been more trusted, what a pair they would have made.

13th over contd: England 74-1 (Cook 54, Pietersen 1) Kieswetter came unstuck, caught in no man’s land by his happy feet and stranded by a good yard. He went for a masive slog and ended up looking flummoxed. Pietersen gets off the mark first ball.

Wicket!! Kieswetter st Mushfiqur b Naeem 19

13th over: England 70-0 (Cook 52, Kieswetter 18) I think Collingwood does have Fairbrotherish tendencies, perhaps with the potential to do even more than the Lancashire imp. Morgan, though, is our Michael Bevan in the making. If England are to get to a World Cup final for the first time in 19 years, we’ll need one.

12th over: England 70-0 (Cook 52, Kieswetter 18) Cook gets to 50 on his captaincy debut. “Surely Paul Collingwood is this England side’s Neil Fairbrother (even though he’s right handed)? Freddie is the mercurial one. And Ian Bell is Graham Hick. The resemblance really is uncanny! I predict an England loss in the 2011 World Cup final. You heard it here first.” Thanks Cory Hazlehurst for that and to Robin Hazlehurst for this: “To carry on the 90s comparison, I think that Smyth of your parish was comparing Eoin Morgan to Fairbrother recently. And how about Owais Shah as a modern day Hick, just not doing what he really ought to at the top level. And Panesar as Tufnell, can’t bat or field too well but spins it well and is seen as a bit of a comedy act.” Any relation to Ronnie?

11th over: England 65-0 (Cook 48, Kieswetter 17) Naeem hits a trickier length for Kieswetter’s favoured modus operandi. He wants to come down the wicket but Naeem is trying to get him in two minds. Cook almost gets himslef out with a slog sweep which he misses and catches the outside of his front pad – missing leg stump.

10th over: England 61-0 (Cook 47, Kieswetter 16) Shakib brings himself back on. Bob Willis says, tongue firmly in cheek, “is this Alastair Cook or Brian Lara out there”. It’s Cook, Bob. You can tell because he’s only got three scoring shots – perfectly adequate today but for the long-term? An over of “a-milking they will go”, a dash of “nicely nurdled, sir” and some ugly slog sweeps.

9th over: England 59-0 (Cook 44, Kieswetter 15) Tom van de Gucht reckosn its deja vu time all over again: “This England ODI side has a very “early 90’s” Vibe to it. KP and Kieswitter are the modern day Lamby and Smith, Cook has taken on Atherton’s FEC mantle, Prior is filling Alec Stewarts boots, being shunted up and down he order. Sidebottom is an honest medium paced county trundler in the mould of Gus Fraser. Bresnan resembles Botham from his twilight years, portly and good at slogging. And finally we have also squeezed in a good old fashioned Dermot Reeve-ish bits and piece player in the form of Wright . Perhaps that’s Flowers masterplan, a bit of retro cricket, that’s the last thing the opposition are going to expect.” Where’s your Fairbrother and Hick, though, Tom? And what about the mercurial Lewis, De Freitas and Gladstone Small?
Kieswetter again waltzes down the wicket and smashes Razzak for a straight four – he was trying the on drive but got squared up a touch.

8th over: England 54-0 (Cook 43, Kieswetter 11) Naeem, the offspinner, comes on. Cook’s cut jabbed for two and a slog-swept four starts the over. He then loses his balnace somwhat and is clipped on the pad, his head too far over, but the ball is missing leg. Two overthrows. Cook is playing it very late and looks vulnerable.

7th over: England 45-0 (Cook 34, Kieswetter 11) Spin at both ends as Abdur Razzak tries his left-arm spin. He looks a dead ringer for the captain as the bowler but has more flight. Kieswetter is a dancer when faced with spin. vgery ball he’s been down the pitch to the spinners so far. No forward presser, he, but a remarkably positive, old school technique. He looks vulnerable to a stumping but then may be gambling that Mushfiqur has got iron gloves on. Cook unveils his slog sweep for two as the cakewalk progresses then copies it for a single. There is dew out there after all, the Bangladesh fielders slipping about a couple of times.

6th over: England 41-0 (Cook 31, Kieswetter 10) Shakib is trying to unsettle the Somerset stumper with a very tight line to draw him down the pitch. He smothers the spin well and gets off strike. Cook takes a different tack, stands up tall, no foot movement and swings at it – and gets a two and a four, edged, for his troubles. Attempted a ludicrous run off the last ball but Kieswetter sent him back – the throw is wayward, though and Cook gets back. Good, loud shrieked “NOOOOOOOOO” from Kieswetter.

5th over: England 34-0 (Cook 25, Kieswetter 9) Cook clips a single square of the wicket, allowing Kieswetter a pop at Mortaza. He comes down the pitch and punches a four through the covers. More settled against seam, he takes a single with a confident push. Mortaza trhen feeds Cook’s favourite off-side shot, the open-faced Essex square drive. The choir boy bags another four with a backlift-light off drive.

4th over: England 20-0 (Cook 16, Kieswetter 4) Shakib brings himself on to give it a twirl from the fourth over. Kieswetter’s using a Puma bat, just like Pele would. Drives his first two deliveries to silly mid off, the first a bump ball that gets the crowd going. And edges the fourth ball for four, through Mushfiqur’s legs. A great chance to bag him for a duck goes missing and he looked plum lbw from the arm ball – Hawk_eye sayd it would hit the middle of leg stump. Jammy sod. Twice.

3rd over: England 16-0 (Cook 16, Kieswetter 0) Mortaza is a bit of a bustler these days, arcing the ball in from Cook’s off-stump, trying to fool him with the one that goes straight on. He hasn’t managed it just yet and Cook prods the non-swingers, two of them, to point. Cook’s inside edge is found, hinting that the gate is still wide open, but Mortaza doesn’t look fast enough to make him pay for the space betwen bat and pad. Cook cuts the last ball for two and finally we’ll see Kieswetter.

2nd over: England 14-0 (Cook 14, Kieswetter 0) Shafiul takes the new ball, and he’s immediately quicker than Mortaza. Drops his second ball short, a filthy long hop, short-arm jabbed by Cook with that ugly pull of his for four. “Five Live’s innings break featured an Alastair Cook profile,” messages Gary Naylor. “Everyone thought he was lovely and spoke of him being polite and thoughtful as a youngster. Unlike profiles of Ricky Ponting and Stephen Waugh, nobody talked about how he dealt with the bouncers and sledging of grade cricket when just into his teens. Sings well though.” Love the “Stephen” – very Australian. What does he sing? The Messiah? He works a two off his feet. This is loose stuff to start with from Bangladesh. He pinches the strike again off the last ball. Kieswetter, though, isn’t chewing his handle yet.

1st over: England 7-0 (Cook 7, Kieswetter 0) Cook takes the first ball and scampers an easy two off Mortaza. A touch of swing then encourages Cook to clip it again through midwicket for two then an identical shot gets three to finish the over)

Break: Forgot to give Swann his proper dues. He bowled well and bravely given how much power Tamim had shown when he came on to bowl. I wonder, given his obvious intelligence, whether he wouldn’t make a very good captain, particularly for the one-day side. Why do batsmen always get it and rotate their bowlers by numbers rather than give it to a bowler who understands the nuances better. Tamim demonstrated again what a fine eye he has and I was impressed by his maturity, his dreadful running apart. Lee James has a soft spot for Bangladesh, too: “I must confess a serious liking for Bangladesh, very keen to see them make it as a test-playing nation. They look further along than the Lankans after a similar time and have huge room for improvement- the one series I don’t mind England losing a few games in.
Bresnan and Sidebottom hardly inspire do they? I hope we have some fast bowlers learning their trade somewhere in the Cape to help us out.” Sidebottom is struggling, no doubt, but Bresnan did OK and used the pitch very well. Broad conjures up something routinely precisely when you’re on the brink of having a rant at him. In some ways that makes him even more infuriating. Let’s see what Kieswetter’s made of, now.

That’s the innings break. In the words of the peerless Barry Taylor: “Ta ta for a bit.”

46th over:Bangladesh 228 all out Sidebottom gets another chance, I’m not sure why when Bresnan has overs left. Wright seems to have pulled his left hamstring when diving in the field last over and keeps prodding the back of his thigh. Milky milky Sidebottom for the first two balls then he wraps the innings up WICKET! Razzak c Cook b Sidebottom 2 The ball was outside off stump and Razzak leant back and hit it like a golf shot to Cook at mid off. “Have Bangladesh been playing ODIs for 10 years or 10 minutes?” poses Gary Naylor “All sides are capable of the occasional collapse, but it happens too frequently to Bangladesh and squanders so much talent.” They’re very young, Gary, and play with a lack of expectation about them. I’d say it takes longer than 10 years to come to grips with international cricket. All the signs suggest they’re going to get there, though.

45th over:Bangladesh 226-9 (Shafiul 10, Razzak 1) There’s been some excellent groundfielding by England today. Gone are the days when the big boot would come out – Wright, Collingwood, Pietersen have been throwing themselves around with abandon. They look like a genuine 10 and jack these two but Sahfiul then belts one arrow straight for four that almost took the umpire’s head off.

44th over:Bangladesh 220-9 (Shafiul 5, Razzak 1) Bresnan, who started well and has outshone the wayward Sidebottom, comes in to bowl and gets cut for four third ball. That was a dross delivery, short, wide and eminently thrashable. He comes back well, finding his stock heavy ball outside off.

43rd over:Bangladesh 214-9 (Shafiul 0, Razzak 0) Powerplay called. “After the spelling errors (hair’s breadth, please) you’ll be calling the home team The Bangles next,” says John Satrbuck. “Cue your own puns.” Am I only dreaming? Broad follows Tamim who stepped away to leg and pins him. No run. Slower ball next and Tamim turns down the single, wanting to farm the strike. He then hooks it one-handed but the ball falls short of Morgan at mid-on. WICKET! Tamim b Broad 125 He wanted to hog the strike, turning down a couple of singles then stepped across his stumps to try and flick the ball down to fine leg and loses his middle stump. Clever line from Broad – good strategy and execution. It was a superb innings, though, paced brilliantly. Broad nearly takes Shafiul’s head off with his first ball.

42nd over:Bangladesh 214-8 (Tamim 125, Razzak 0) It seems there going to wait for Swann to finish before going for the batting powerplay. A single off the second brings Mortaza on strike and the crowd simply adores him. WICKET! Mortaza lbw Swann 4 It was certainly hitting the stumpsbut it looked to hit him outside the line. The crowd groans. Incidentally I hate that Rowntrees Randoms ad. So self-consciously quirky it makes you cringe.

41st over:Bangladesh 213-7 (Tamim 124, Mortaza 4) Luke Wright gets Cook’s nod to turn his arm over and gets a WICKET! first ball Naeem c Morgan b Wright 25 Wright tempted him with a fairly juicy lossener, perhaps slower than Naeem expected and he dug up a short-armed drive to Morgan at cover who caught it above his head comfortably. Enter Mortaza after a year’s injury hell and whips his first ball to long leg for four. Naeem’s was more of a sliced drive from the slower ball on second look. Wright bounces back with a pair of identical deliveries just outside off stump that Mortaza misses.

40th over:Bangladesh 209-6 (Tamim 124, Naeem 24) Swann comes back to try and put the cork back in the bottle and manages it successfully for the first four balls tying them up for singles. They take five off the over.

39th over:Bangladesh 204-6 (Tamim 122, Naeem 22) Cook’s shuffling his options and brings back Collingwood. And gets battered for six first ball over long on by Tamim, just as he did 30 overs ago. A two then a single. “Surely you mean a hair’s breath? In over 36″ write Geoffrey and Ulla Roberts. Sorry! Obssessed with hares in our house after the 999th reading of “Guess how much I love you?” last night. Excellent over for the Banglas. “The Tigers are hanging in there,” suggests Ian Whitchurch. “Dragged over the line by Tanim. If the rest of the side can manage 120, it’s a very defendable score.”

38th over:Bangladesh 192-6 (Tamim 113, Naeem 19) Josh Green has put on his anorak so we don’t have to: “Just a quick one, Tamim Iqbal’s current 103* out of 175 puts him in 11th place in the table of players who have contributed the highest percentage of runs in a single innings, he’s scored 58.8% of Bangladesh’s runs! Viv Richards is first with 69% of the runs in a match against England in 1984, and funnily enough David Gower is in 10th. This is the kind of statistical analysis you get on the Surrey cricket blog.” Thanks Josh. Broad comes back and hits a better length, making the bat do the work rather than the batsman’s forearm strength. Still no powerplay.

37th over:Bangladesh 188-6 (Tamim 111, Naeem 18) Tamim steers Sid’s opening delivery down to third man. Sky are keen on going to shots of Cook to see how his body language is shaping up. Pretty positive so far – not many councils with the senior pros. He looks like his own man out there so far. Uppercut for four over the keeper as Sidebottom comes round the wiucket to Naeem again. He just doesn’t seem to have the zip for this line of attack. Think Gough on this wicket. Last ball flat-batted for four by Tamim through cover. Awful over.

36th over:Bangladesh 176-6 (Tamim 104, Naeem 12) Two scrambled after yet another mix-up in calls, Iqbal getting home by a hare’s breadth. Pietersen doesn’t seem to favour a consistent line, like Sidebottom trying to experiment with every delivery. Over, round, over, round. Does it make that much of a difference with the field he’s got?

35th over:Bangladesh 171-6 (Tamim 102, Naeem 11) Khademul Islam wishes the complaining would cease: “Am reading Lawrence Booth’s Cricket, Lovely Cricket, and there’s a fair bit of moaning and whingeing about, like the Brits emailing to OBO, about the heartache of being an English cricket team fan. You guys should knock it off. Ever think of what we Bangladeshis go through, especially once the team starts to hit the self destruct
button this hard like it’s doing now?” Khademul, we’re British. We wouldn’t enjoy ourselves if we were deprived of the opportunity to whinge. It’s what we do. Ryan Sidebottom comes round the wicket, but looks nothing like as adept as Wasim. But then, who is? Comes back over to Tamim and throws in a couple of slower ones, then a wide from round to Naeem. Five off the over as the lights start to glow.

34th over:Bangladesh 166-6 (Tamim 100, Naeem 9) Pietersen, once the great white off-spinning hope circa 2003, comes on and sees his second ball dispetched over midwicket for four. Great footwork from Tamim and then he pushes a single to bring up his century.

33rd over:Bangladesh 160-6 (Tamim 95, Naeem 8) Under edge off a cross-bat drive gets Naeem (from the halfway line) four of Big Bres but he can’t cream the full toss that follows it and just gets one. Tamim hooks a single to get to 95, the highest Bangladesh score against England and it has been a marvellous innings to watch – apart from his calling. Bresnan finishes off with a wide and a dot ball. His feet are taking a heavy pounding in his delivery stride on this surface.

32nd over:Bangladesh 153-6 (Tamim 93, Naeem 3) Swann continues and is rattling through the overs. They’re taking singles but not using their powerplay yet. Surely it’s time.

31st over:Bangladesh 148-6 (Tamim 91, Naeem 2) Bresnan lollops back into the attack, pitches his first two balls just back of a length – Naeem clips the second off the outside edge for a single. They’ve tied Tamim up brilliantly in the last few overs with some canny bowling and consistentloy good fielding. Andy Flower has made a huge difference in the field this past year. Lots of shots of the Bangla coach Jamie Siddons looking splendid in primrose but brooding and glowering quite threateningly.

30th over contd:Bangladesh 147-6 (Tamim 90, Naeem 1) A senseless run out – a bad call from Tamim and Pietersen walked to smack off the bails as both batsman ended up at the non striker’s end. then Mahmadullah turned his first ball which looked slower than the previous two and dollied it up to Collingwood who dived in from short mid-on.

WICKET! Mahmadullah c Collingwood b Swann 0

WICKET! Mushfiqur run out 22

29th over:Bangladesh 145-4 (Tamim 89, Mushfiqur 22) Here’s Ian with a dew update: “My man in Bangladesh is reporting no dew for the last week. Carn the Tigers.

28th over:Bangladesh 144-4 (Tamim 89, Mushfiqur 21) More Collingwood enforcement stuff after a first-ball short aberration pulled for a single. Then Mushfiqur late cuts a four, the first for an age. Too wide from Collingwood, who chastises himself by pulling his hair. It might be a result of havinng the grubby ball changed. This one doesn’t appear as soft as the one they were using to slow Bangldesh down.

27th over:Bangladesh 137-4 (Tamim 88, Mushfiqur 15) Tightish lbw shout from Swann to Tamim as he goes for a sweep but it pitched outside off. A short leg would have bagged Mushfiqur third ball as he pops up a catch from a viciously spinning Swann delivery but there’s no one there. England may well find it difficult if the Bangladesh boys can make it turn like this – as Ian Whitchurch points out: “And Shakib and Razzak can actually turn the ball – and Aftab bowls similar stuff to Collingwood.” I’m assuming there might be dew to contend with. Am I wrong?

26th over:Bangladesh 135-4 (Tamim 86, Mushfiqur 12) “What’s up with Rob, Rob? Tell us it’s nothing graver than a hangover…” asks Philip Podolsky. I think it was a scheduling issue – he thought it was starting at 3.30am and then he could do it and go off for a prior engagement which may or may not have had something to do with Wembley. But with this start I needed to be issued with my call-up papers. The A team of Bull and Hannibal Smyth will be back for the rest of the series. England have done really well since the opening onslaught. Can we praise Cook for that? Collingwood and Swann have found the perfect conditions and Cook must be tempted to bowl them through.

25th over:Bangladesh 128-4 (Tamim 84, Mushfiqur 9) Collingwood ties up Mushfiqur with his lack of pace and subtle tweaks. A couple of laps round the corner gets Bumble talking about cat and mouse. ODI chess without the yoghurt pot plots.

24th over:Bangladesh 124-4 (Tamim 83, Mushfiqur 8) The mid-innings longueurs are here. Clever bowling and batting but not much biff, bang, pow for the non-purists. “Geoffrey swung his induckers a bit more than Colly and wore a cap,” says Gary Naylor. I remember it well – the 1979 World Cup final was a bowling spell too far but he did well inh the tournament up to that stage. “For the forthcoming World Cup on the sub-continent, England should field an attack of Dibbly, Dobbly, Colly, Timmy, and Swanny.” Who can be dibbly and dobbly, though?

23rd over:Bangladesh 119-4 (Tamim 82, Mushfiqur 5) Back to Hoppsy’s correspondent. Richard Finch hits several nails: “There is a major problem with the development of young English cricketers, but this is mainly to do with the competition against rugby and football. Every couple of years there is a (football) European or World Cup that grabs the nations attention AND attracts and inspires young people to follow the game (not to mention the excessive year round coverage). The BBC show the Six Nations every year and a World Cup is shown on terrestrial TV every four years, cricket can’t really compete with either of these – even if you include the Ashes publicity. A way to generate more interest would be to create a first class competition that lasts about five games, is held over bank holiday weekends (or long weekends) in the summer and doesn’t clash with international cricket meaning the star players are able (and obliged) to play. Making a fuss of the domestic game is the solution.” I see your point Richard but it’s about the culture of laiking out these days, too, not just media coverage and subscription apartheid. Collingwood does what Collingwood does – gives away five in a tidy over, asks some questions but gets the right answers so far.

22nd over:Bangladesh 115-4 (Tamim 79, Mushfiqur 2) Mushfiqur gets off the mark with a sweep from way outside off stump and takes the single, hitting it with the spin. Bangladesh then take a tight single – yes, no, sorry – but Mushfiqur gets there with a sprawling dive. Tamim is trying to drop anchor now after the mini collapse and England have the upper hand while he’s being subdued.

21st over:Bangladesh 112-4 (Tamim 78, Mushfiqur 0) Collingwood tosses up his second ball, varies his pace and is looking a real handful in this over. They look like the sort of induckers that used to be Geoffrey Boycott’s stock in trade. Off-cutters, floaters, slower balls – it’s Dermot Reeve light circa 1992. Maiden.

20th over:Bangladesh 112-4 (Tamim 78, Mushfiqur 0) Shakib is upping the rate with a nice sweep for two, full, of guile. WICKET!! Shakib st Prior b Swann 12 I put the hex on him there. Good line and perfect length from Swann inviting Shakib to have a dart. He tried to turn it to midwicket against the turn, it spun away from him and Prior took off the bails. Now they’re saying it was out caught and the replays show he did nick it so Prior did him twice, caught then stumped just to make sure.

19th over:Bangladesh 110-3 (Tamim 78, Shakib 10) Collingwood’s on now to make the batsmen really have to throw themselves into their shots to hit boundaries. Starts with one of his off-cutters, pushed for one. Third ball is a beauty that finds Iqbal’s edge and goes for four. The batsmen seem quite happy to keep the scoreboard ticking over until the medium pacers come back on.

18th over:Bangladesh 103-3 (Tamim 73, Shakib 8) Here comes Graeme Swann and he floats up his first two deliveries, both of which go for singles as Bangladesh post the 100. There’s certainly turn out there, making England’s decision to go with one specialist spinner only a bit of a mystery. They just milk Swann for five cannily, pushing for the gaps and strolling singles.

17th over:Bangladesh 98-3 (Tamim 72, Shakib 5) Drinks then a problem with a sightscreen are followed by a couple of easily stolen singles off Broad’s bowling. Anyone with any knowledge of bars in Singapore to help Richard Coopey out: “Would any OBOers know where I can watch the cricket (and, for that matter, Spurs v Everton later today) in Singapore?” Shakib looks pretty ropey out there at the moment, his timing’s off and his bottom hand so dominant that he is finding it difficult to get any force into his strokes.

16th over:Bangladesh 94-3 (Tamim 69, Shakib 3) Sidebottom pins Shakib back on his crease with this line, looking for an inside edge played-on. It hasn’t been successful yet but there’s enough of a gate there to sneak through. Tamim steals an overthrow when Pietersen wastes his good work to save a four by aiming it at the stumps anyway.

15th over:Bangladesh 89-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 2) Shakib can’t find his range in this last over of the bowling powerplay, his bottom hand overpowering the top and skewing too many shots off the true. Broad tries a slower ball, then a yorker. Pietersen throws the ball to the wicketkeeper and Tamim at the non-striker’s end looks a bit peeved as he had to swerve out of the way. Broad completes a maiden – and the longer they starve Tamim of the strike, the better England look.

14th over:Bangladesh 89-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 2) Alex Doherty has girth on his mind: “Not being a regular cricket fan I’m very surprised at how portly some of the lads look out there. Does cricket rank alongside darts in terms of athletic prowess?” You need a big backside to be a bowler, Alex and there’s some big ones out there. But if you think this selection is plump, have you not seen Robbie Key in his pomp? Sidebottom’s back and his first three balls to the captain find a better line – perhaps with a touch of reverse. His line’s tighter and the ball has got softer, meaning the batsman needs to really belt it to pierce England’s ring of four from point to mid-off. A quick single to mid-on finishes the over.

13th over:Bangladesh 88-3 (Tamim 65, Shakib 1) Staright after the wicket, which the third umpire took an age to give despite the first replay showing it perfectly, Tamim resumes with another four. It’s been a peach of an innings, mixing power with precision, some wristy shots and Blutoesque forearm blows.

Wicket!! Aftab run out 2 Pietersen was hanging around on the edge of the circle at mid-on and quickly gathered the ball and ran Aftab out by an inch with a deft underarm throw.

12th over:Bangladesh 82-2 (Tamim 60, Aftab 2) Here’s John Starbuck: “I guess that as it’s a Sunday the IT bloke who normally switches on the OBO’s On Off display for automatic update isn’t around today. We’re back to old-fashioned F5 now, which is a swizz when one’s eating pikelets for breakfast as the butter drips over the keyboard.” Mmm, pikelets. Sorry it’s my fault but untilo 10am I sail this ship alone. I’ll get someone far brainier than me to sort it if they ever turn up. He continues: “Re the non-English players in the team: yes, it’s a disappointment when selection get to this degree but it isn’t novel. Leave aside all the 1970s-1980s South African players, the same thing happened at the turn of the last century when English and Australian players were repeatedly poached to play for the other side. Give up whining and concentrate on scouting and coaching for the next generation.”
Tamim plants his front foot and swings at Bresnan’s fourth ball and carves it for four. It’s a fairly rudimentary technique but effective as hell if there’s no swing.

11th over:Bangladesh 73-2 (Tamim 54, Aftab 1) Much better from Broad, bowling now with a scrambled seam to get a bit more unpredictability out of the pitch. Just when you think you’re going to write Broad off for the day, he does something clever like that.

WICKET! Siddique c Kieswetter b Broad 0 Bangladesh 71-2 Clipped Broad’s second ball off his toes to Kieswetter at square leg.

10th over:Bangladesh 68-1 (Tamim 50, Siddique) It was actually a very good slower ball from Bresnan that earned the wicket nand took the leading edge. Tamim brings up his 50 off 32 balls with a very low cut-steer to third man. Kahdemul Islam says he has to wonder why “English players so snooty? They famously look right through the Bangladesh players off the field, and when on the field – outside Bangladesh – give the impression that it’s a chore playing Bangladesh,but whddyado with such a suckhole also having become a Test playing country…” Do you think it’s arrogance that’s making them bowl generally such a dire length?

Wicket!! Kayes c Wright b Bresnan 15 Spoons up a catch to midwicket where Wright makes decent ground to pouch it.

9th over:Bangladesh 63-0 (Tamim 45, Kayes 15) Tom van de Gucht is worried by Sidebottom’s travails: “Does anyone else have the niggling worry that Sidebottom is no longer up to it? In my mind he seems to resemble more and more Boxer the old work horse from Animal Farm towards the end of the story when he was no longer fit for purpose but kept on chugging along with ever diminishing results. Perhaps it’s Cook’s opportunity to stage a Napoleon style coup and take him off to the glue factory.” He’s certainly lost his nip, ever since he was forced to labour through the 2008 season with that dodgy hip. Sad scenes. Tamim larrups another short ball from Broad for four to wide mid-on. Poor thinking from Broad. PITCH IT UP. He then steers the next one to fine leg for four. Where’s Napoleon Cook and his captain’s advice now? Aggh! Wide. Finishes off with an agricultural six over mid-on. He did pitch it up this time but this is shoddy stuff.

8th over:Bangladesh 47-0 (Tamim 31, Kayes 14) A wide from Bresnan after all the praise and a harsh one at that. A cross-bat hoik from Tamim gets four through midwicket and he then takes on Collingwood’s arm and gets home for a well-run single. Kayes then punches a cut for four. This is a brilliant start from Bangladesh.

7th over: Bangladesh 36-0 (Tamim 26, Kayes 9) Broad, with his new crop, replaces Sidebottom. Gary Naylor thinks Bresnan is progressing well as a blossoming ODI talent: “I’m very impressed with Bresnan’s development as a one-day bowler, but this immaculate line and length at a pace well below full throttle won’t help him into the Test XI. His discipline is useful in all forms of the game though.” Unimprovably put, Gary. Broad drops his second ball short and Tamim top-edges a hook over the keeper’s head for four. This is already Bangla’s best first wicket partnership against England. Broad decides to take a leaf out of Bresnan’s book and hits the right length, just short of full. Better – the last three balls are dots.

6th over: Bangladesh 31-0 (Tamim 21, Kayes 9) Bresnan is the pick do far. Speaking of euphemisms for six, I think the worst is “Maximum!” which is quite commonplace these days. Ian Healy, I’ve noticed, has picked up on Billy Bowden’s daft signals and says “Billy’s putting the horns up”. Bowden’s got the horn, what an unpleasant image. Good save on the boundary from Sidebottom but the batsman gets two. Bresnan recovers by giving Kayes a smell of the leather.

5th over: Bangladesh 27 (Tamim 20, Kayes 5) Sidebottom varies his length and drops one short and Tamim shovels it around the corner as it stayed too low then drives with theatrical flourish straight to Broad at mid-on. Sidebottom gets one above wasit-height but Tamim lets it go through to Prior then creams the next one through the covers for four. Then finds his range and whacks the last ball for six over mid-on. “Sixer,” as Mark Nicholas would say. Bobby Willis opts for “wowee”.

4th over: Bangladesh 16-0 (Tamim 10, Kayes 5) Bresnan is pretty much on the mark – the slips have gone and he hits a perfect length on this pitch. Morning to Niall Taylor and Liam Doyle who wonders why Gary Naylor has forgotten his usual anti-Wenger rant in his email. I’m staying out of this one.

3rd over: Bangladesh 15-0 (Tamim 9, Kayes 4) An email arrives from David Hopps, our man in Mirpur. He’s received one of those emails that merits quoting: “I’m sick and tired of what Test cricket has become. I’m also flabbergasted at the glib, cheap, disposable way in which each of you has elected to defend what is becoming of English cricket. First David Hopps on 22nd February: ‘But if young cricketers born and raised in England are repeatedly shown not to be up to it, to criticise Kieswetter for achieving higher standards seems to be conducting the wrong sort of investigation.’ Then on 26th it’s over to Mike Selvey: ‘Meanwhile worrying about qualifications though is merely to treat a symptom. The disease itself needs addressing.’
Oh joy. Surely, if you examine your arguments beyond the imperative of the coming deadline you can see how blithe, how limp and how submissive these positions are?”

There’s more: “I am so often accused of being a lousy patriot that it often staggers me how few people give a flying stuff about this issue when I find myself despairing of it, but surely to goodness you can each see that a crap England side is infinitely better, more real, appropriate and reflective than an England (& Wales) that is not, in any real sense, England?
Fine, take pot shots at the system that produces Bells rather than Pietersens, or Boparas rather than Trotts, but please do not offer deadline stressing perspectives that denigrate those who would rightly question the legitimacy of these transfer players and make it all about development when in fact it is about a system that is rolling over and dying in the face of something noone has the verve, gumption or determination to resist.
So England are a better side with Pietersen, Trott and this latest import – so bloody what. They’d also be better with Ponting and Tendulkar and England would win more matches but then, that would be ridiculous wouldn’t it?
The point is, where is the pride in an England victory, where is the concern about all those apparently inferior England players who don’t now get to play for their (really, it is ‘their’) country, the satisfaction on producing a decent player internally… There is no pride in watching Kieswetter, Pietersen or Trott score runs for their pretend country – none at all, mere satisfaction for some that ‘England’ are doing well, without any sort of reflection on quite what ‘England’ has become.”
Well, let’s come back to that at our leisure. Tamim is dropped at cover by Eoin Morgan – it looked a pretty straightforward chance and Sidebottom, never the most forgiving of bowlers, kicks the turf.

2nd over: Bangladesh 10-0 (Tamim 5, Kayes 4) And it’s an all Yorkshire-born opening attack as Bresnan takes the other end. It’s his 25th birthday today but he hasn’t found any swing to go with his cake as yet. No lift either as the ball dobs through at toe-height to Prior. Bresnan is pretty much on the mark, fixing his line on off and middle but when he tries a short one Kayes top edges a pull that goes over Prior’s head for four.

1st over: Bangladesh 5-0 (Tamim 5, Kayes 0) Ryan Sidebottom gets us off and he’s on the mark with his first delivery but the second is too wide and Tami slashes it hard for four over the head of where fourth slip might be. The wicket looks flat, low and slow. Tamim pushes a single to midwicket to bring the other left-hander to face and Sidebottom stands Kayes up with the last ball off the over.

The wicket is looking verdant but we’re told it’s going to be hard and should suit England’s seamers. Morning to Gary Naylor: “I was impressed with young Kieswetter in his interview,” he writes. “If he qualifies, he should be picked on merit. That England do not produce enough home-grown players is a different matter.” Can’t quibble with that Gary but I think he might as well have the gloves as well if they’re going to use him. Bumble has just been interviewed sitting in an auto-rickshaw, proclaiming, “Start the rickshaw” as he sets off on his quest to head for the Himalayas.

Good morning I’m afraid Rob Smyth won’t be with you this morning. After a late call-up I’m having to fill those big shoes and despite being soaked to the skin on the way in I’m looking forward to this Mirpur ODI and seeing how Alastair Cook copes with his elevation. I’m just off to try and get dry with paper towels and attempt to jam my head into one of those Dyson driers. I’ll be back for the first over.
England have won the toss and put Bangladesh in.
Teams:
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan (Capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (Wkt), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam.
England: A N Cook (Capt), C Kieswetter, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, E J G Morgan, L J Wright, M J Prior (Wkt), T T Bresnan, S C J Broad, G P Swann, R J Sidebottom.
Umpires: Nadir Shah and R J Tucker

Rob Smyth will be here from 0745. Ish.

Meantime Mike Selvey ponders the significance of the rumoured selection of South African born Craig Kieswetter:

The figures are unarguable. When England play their opening one-day international against Bangladesh, it will be Craig Kieswetter – of Somerset but born, raised and cricket-nurtured in South Africa – who will open the batting and not Kent’s Joe Denly.

So much is right and proper. Denly’s scores, since he was elevated to the England one-day ranks, have done little to enhance his case for continuing inclusion: 67 against Ireland first up but then 0, 11, 45, 25, 53, 5, 21, 5, 36, 0, 14, 1 and 5. Already his time was running out. Kieswetter, of course, has no international scores but his success with the England Lions, playing alongside Denly, has been notable not just for the runs scored and the rate at which they came – 31 from 24 balls, 77 (52), 40 not out (42), 50 not out (32) and 81 (66) – but also for the increased confidence shown by the sequence. It was no surprise when, hastily added to the full squad for Bangladesh, he marked the first of the warm-up matches by scoring 143 from 123 balls.

Equally unarguable, unpalatable though the situation may be to many, is his credential to represent England…

Read the rest of the article here.

Rob Bagchi

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28 Feb 2010

Tottenham v Everton – live!0

Posted in: Everton• Football• Minute by minutes• Premier League• Sport• Tottenham Hotspur• guardian.co.uk

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42mins: Which they very nearly do. Bale crosses low from the left and a lunging Defoe is inches away from turning it in at the near post.

40mins: Everton’s first and best chance, Neville crossing from the right and Rodwell sending a free header wide from eight yards or so. I still think they’ve got hope here, though obviously they can’t concede another.

37mins: “Can I just say how disappointing it is, from an Arsenal fan’s perspective, that Good Ol’ Harry has finally realised how good Pavlyuchenko is,” writes Chris Sturrock. “His previous neglect of the Russian had been a real source of amusement and reassurance to me. I just hope he has a customary change of heart about him before the derby game at White Hart Lane.”

35mins: It says something of Tottenham’s current inflated levels of confidence that Bassong just intercepted the ball on the edge of his own area, layed it off to a teammate, thundered 80 yards up the pitch, dummied the return ball and sprinted into the penalty area all set to collect his goal of the season award when he met Bale’s cross with a stunning header into the top corner. Bale’s cross, however, went straight into Phil Neville’s midriff.

33mins: Suddenly Everton are looking very much like they did on Thursday, letting their opponents pass freely in front of their defence and hoping for the best.

GOAL! Very good goal indeed! Croatia 2, Everton 0 (Modric 28) Corluka, Kranjcar and Modric play keep-ball down the right, totally befuddling the Everton defence and finding more and more space in increasingly dangerous areas with every tippy-tappy pass until Modric shoots over Howard and into the net very stylishly from 15 yards or so, possibly with the aid of a deflection. No non-Croatian foot touched the ball for about two minutes.

26mins: Pienaar crosses from the left, Gomes comes to claim, gets half a hand on it, spills it and wins a ludicrous free-kick even though Yakubu didn’t touch him at all. There’s hope here for Everton.

25mins: Quite an even game now. Everton have just had a couple of corners without creating a chance, then Bale bursts down the left, crosses well and Kranjcar heads at goal. Not very well, but it’s a chance.

21mins: Palacios passes to Pavlyuchenko, who cuts in from the left wing and lashes a shot from 20-odd yards that starts heading to the near post and then veers at the last moment towards the centre of goal. Howard pushes it away.

20mins: Bale does terrifically well to get back at Anichebe and win the ball, but the Everton striker, making his first start for aeons after a nasty injury, takes a worrying amount of time to get up. Seems OK, though…

19mins: It’s been emphatically different since the goal, with Everton having at least as much of the play as Tottenham. “They’re asking a few questions,” agrees Chris Waddle.

17mins: Everton win a corner, Heurelho Gomes comes to claim it. He jumps alone, gets both gloves on the ball, then drops it at an astonished Yakubu’s feet. The ball is eventually hacked clear, but that was abysmal goalkeeping.

16mins: Chris Waddle is letting rip at the Everton midfield, who have “done nothing” and are “all showing to feet” when what they require is “legs”.

14mins: Gina G is Australian, as Gary Naylor so correctly points out. I have changed the offending paragraph so it looks like I didn’t make the mistake in the first place [bursts into evil cackle].

GOAL! Tottenham 1 Everton 0 (Pavlyuchenko, 11) Spurs get their reward for all the early possession. They don’t have to work very hard for it, though – a longish ball to Defoe, who’s given way too much time to turn and run into the right side of Everton’s penalty area. His shot is low and hard and woefully off target, so much so that his strike partner is able to turn it in.

10mins: Tottenham haven’t quite had 100% of possession so far, but it’s close.

9mins: Phil Neville has been booked for a rather amateurish tackle on Gareth Bale out near the left corner flag.

7mins: It’s actually a perfect pitch, the ball’s zipping about like Zippy at the zip-lovers’ annual zip convention. Long, fast, true passes along the ground are the theme so far. I’m feeling optimistic about this one.

4mins: Anichebe gives the ball to Defoe, he feeds Pavlyuchenko – decent link-up between the Spurs strikers, but Phil Neville steals the ball before the Russian can shoot.

3mins: The character getting the early praise is Tottenham’s groundsman, Darren Baldwin. The pitch is looking pretty sharp given how close this match apparently was to being rained off.

1min: They’re off!

12.58pm: The players are on the pitch, we’re just a few moments (and adverts) from kick-off)…

12.48pm: This is the time when I would be bringing you the most exciting nuggets of pre-match blather from the ESPN team. I’m waiting.

12.27pm: And we’ve already got some teams! And they’re quite interesting – Defoe: in! Pavluchenko: in! Saha: out! Bilyaletdinov: on the bench!
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Bassong, Dawson, Bale, Kranjcar, Huddlestone, Palacios, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe. Subs: Alnwick, Kaboul, Crouch, Gudjohnsen, Kyle Walker, Dervite,
Assou-Ekotto.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Anichebe, Arteta, Pienaar, Osman, Rodwell, Yakubu. Subs: Nash, Yobo, Jagielka, Bilyaletdinov, Donovan, Vaughan, Gosling.
Referee: Steve Bennett.

12.23pm: Everton are England’s form side at the moment, but then as anyone who had the extremely depressing misfortune of seeing their Europa League performance in Lisbon on Thursday will know, they have the potential to be utterly rubbish. Perhaps they are, at present, the footballing equivalent of Gina G, who hit the high notes in Blighty but was distinctly second best when called upon to represent our nation in Europe (if your stomach is strong enough you can watch her 1996 Eurovision performance, introduced by Virginia Bottomley, for chrissakes, here). One defeat in 12 is their current league run, though eagle-eyed stat-hawks will notice that they have won just one of their last seven away.

Spurs, who closed their training ground last week after an outbreak of something totally hideous, are still grumbling about their game at Goodison in December, where they fluffed a two-goal lead and a stoppage-time penalty to draw 2-2. They list Jermain Defoe as a doubt today, and give Peter Crouch a late fitness test, leaving the way clear for Roman Pavlyuchenko to continue his recent goalscoring run.


You can still read some pre-match stuff here, if you like

If you’re looking for team news ahead of today’s game, you can check out our squad sheets right here. Whichever team Tottenham sends out, though, you have to wonder how much their routine has been disrupted after the club decided to close their training ground on Friday in a bid to contain a virus affecting players and staff.

James Callow reports: Harry Redknapp is hoping the virus sweeping through the club will not derail Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League hopes as it did four years ago.

After several first-team players fell ill this week it was decided to close the indoor facilities at the Spurs Lodge training ground in Chigwell, Essex, for sterilisation. Redknapp instead held his pre-match media briefing at White Hart Lane ahead of Sunday’s home match with Everton.

Vedran Corluka and Wilson Palacios were the worst affected but could recover in time for what could be a key match in Spurs’ campaign to finish in the top four.

Read the rest of the article here

Simon Burnton

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28 Feb 2010

Carling Cup: Behind the scenes at the final0

Posted in: Aston Villa• Carling Cup• Editorial• Football• Manchester United• Sport• Wembley stadium• guardian.co.uk

In order to commemorate the 50th League Cup final, the Football League have granted our award winning photographer Tom Jenkins exclusive and unprecedented behind the scence access to record the day’s events

Tom Jenkins


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28 Feb 2010

Ramsey to miss season after leg break0

Posted in: Arsenal• Football• News• Premier League• Sport• guardian.co.uk

• Young midfielder out for rest of season and perhaps longer
• Operation on horrifically broken leg described as successful

Arsenal have confirmed that Aaron Ramsey broke both bones in his lower right leg in a horrific collision at Stoke yesterday.

The young midfielder will miss the rest of the season after a successful operation on his tibia and fibula. Having been rushed to a local hospital yesterday afternoon, he is expected to be moved to London today.

Play was held up for five minutes after Ramsey was tackled by Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross. Several players appeared distressed – two were sick. Shawcross left the field in tears after being shown a red card. Arsenal won the match 3-1.

Arsenal’s manager, Arsène Wenger, called the tackle “horrendous” and said a three-match ban for the red card would be “just ridiculous”.

Stoke’s Tony Pulis, while condemning the tackle, defended Shawcross, saying he “would never, ever go out to hurt a fellow professional”.

An Arsenal statement said: “The operation successfully reduced the fractures and whilst it is too soon to state an exact timescale for recovery, Aaron will certainly miss the remainder of this season. Our thoughts are with Aaron.”

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28 Feb 2010

Pompey ‘could escape nine-point penalty’0

Posted in: Business• Football• News• Portsmouth• Premier League• Sport• guardian.co.uk

• ‘Assumption of automatic deduction has never been tested’
• Administrator is investigating all transfers made by the club

The administrator in charge of Portsmouth believes there is a chance of the club avoiding an expected nine-point penalty.

Andrew Andronikou, a partner at the accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, has been advised that Portsmouth may be able to challenge the imposition of a points penalty for going into administration, should such a penalty be ordered by the Premier League. Portsmouth are four points adrift at the foot of the table.

“The assumption that there is an automatic deduction of points has never been tested before but we will do our very best to avoid a deduction,” Andronikou said.

“Our solicitors believe there may be a slight opportunity but I don’t want to say anything more because that prejudices my position in achieving it. I would say everyone has taken for granted that there will be a deduction of nine points.”

Andronikou, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme, said: “I would imagine [the debts] will bottom around £78m.

“We will know more towards the end of the week. There are lots of contingent creditors I need to look at. I will probably need another week to get to the bottom of it all and see the exact figures.”

Andronikou is investigating Portsmouth’s transfers in the hope of discovering how the club found themselves in such a mess, despite raising around £100m in player sales over the last 20 months.

“Everyone asks how Portsmouth can generate so many funds from player sales but be left with residual liabilities,” Andronikou said. “I am going to go through every transfer on a one-by-one basis. The transfers that have been reported in the press, I am told, aren’t actually the figures of the funds received by the club.

“The most difficult area to discuss at the moment are the cost, expenses, of selling each player. I will go through every single transaction and find out where each penny has been accounted for.”

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