Bangladesh have waited a long time for their first World Cup match but when it came it could not have been a more galling experience. On the field, New Zealand served up a comprehensive six-wicket defeat with 17 overs to spare; around the boundary Essex's catering ideas extended little further than offering devout Muslims an unwelcome supply of cold bacon rolls.
Whatever ambitions had been fired by Bangladesh's World Cup qualification, by dint of winning the ICC Trophy and their subsequent elevation to full one-day status, an orderly New Zealand performance reacquainted them with reality.
No matter. "Bangladesh, show them your appearance," exhorted one banner in a passionate, and largely Asian, capacity crowd. The appearance was of a side, and its supporters, vastly enjoying themselves.
Bangladesh boasts 1,500 clubs and 100,000 registered players. They are as passionate about cricket as Brazil are about football. Their potential is vast. But their total of 116 was the lowest by a non-Test nation on World Cup debut, out-stripped by the likes of Canada, UAE and Scotland.
Enthusiasm counted for nothing against a New Zealand side that already has been held to be underrated so often that they are in danger of becoming over-rated; a side replete with adaptable batsmen and endless all-rounders; the style of side England considered becoming two years ago under Adam Hollioake before abandoning the idea.
By the 21st over, Bangladesh were 51 for seven and the jocular devotion of their supporters was being sorely tested. Their batting possessed flair, naivety and first-day nerves in roughly equal quantities. In the cold and overcast conditions of an English May, a boon to New Zealand's collection of medium-pacers, Bangladesh's capitulation was swift.
A slow pitch did not seam excessively, but it seamed enough. Shahriar Hossain was Bangladesh's leading scorer in club cricket last season, Mehrab Hossain registered their first international one-day 100. Both fell lbw to in-swingers in Geoff Allott's first two overs.
Aminul Islam, the captain, is famous enough in Bangladesh that he is university known as "Bulbul" which translates as little bird. But he lost his middle stump slogging at Chris Cairns.
And so it went on. There was no chance to differentiate between Khaled Masud and Khaled Mahmud - the former is a wicket-keeper, the latter, at a shade over five feet, is one of the smallest men in world cricket - when they had already departed from the scene.
What remained was largely irrelevant. Hasibul Hussain managed to pepper the TV gantry with a straight six against Chris Harris but even he was unluckily given out by the Zimbabwean umpire Ian Robinson, who failed to rule Allott's chest-high full toss an illegal delivery.
Gavin Larsen, in his third World Cup and greyer round the temples these days, does not waste such opportunities and three wickets brought him the Man of the Match award.
"It was like being back in Wellington," Larsen said. "There was a gusty wind to bowl into and it was pretty cold. It felt like an away match but that helped to ginger us up a bit."
Strangely, though, the Kiwis were troubled only three days before their meeting with Australia in Cardiff. Their reply was overly tentative and, as their stroke players perished, the abiding memory was a stodgy 35, from 86 balls, from Matthew Horne. "It was the sort of match we wanted to get out of the way," said captain Stephen Fleming.
Keith Arthurton will miss the West Indies' match against Bangladesh in Clontarf on Friday after straining foot ligaments in Sunday's match against Pakistan.
