CRICKET:THE RECORD books will show another comprehensive and comfortable win for England over Bangladesh, and yet another in a depressing sequence of Test match losses for the visitors.
Such bare facts do not tell the story of a Bangladesh side that has improved significantly since their last visit here, who batted with real determination and panache but whose bowling, seam in particular, despite the five wickets for Shahadat Hossain in the first England innings, is woefully short of class.
Yesterday, having been bowled out for 382 in their second innings and thus asked to defend only 160, and with the paramount need therefore to make England work for their runs, they threw them at the opposition in such profligate manner it might have been confetti at a wedding. Once Andrew Strauss had cut and pulled the first two legitimate deliveries of the innings to the boundary, any slender doubt as to the outcome had already been removed.
The spinners shackled the innings for a while after an initial burst had seen 50 arrive in a shade over six overs and, for the second time in the game, Alastair Cook found himself victim to a duff lbw decision from Asoka de Silva. But Strauss played with casual freedom at odds with his first innings, cutting, sweeping and, once, waltzing merrily down the pitch and lofting over the infield.
If his attempted switch-hit was as unbecoming as your dad disco dancing (was he trying to prove something?), then he still reached his 50 from only one delivery more than had Tamim Iqbal the previous day, and had made 82 from 88 balls, a romp, when he edged an attempted cut to the keeper. By then, though, only 13 were needed. The tea kettle was just coming to the boil when Jonathan Trott hit the winning runs.
England won while giving an overall performance that was below the standard they would find acceptable. The first innings was underpinned by Trott’s marathon and Strauss’s capacity to hang in when not at his best: there had been a real opportunity for Bangladesh to do damage which they were unable to take.
With the exception of Steven Finn, who was outstanding throughout, the bowling, especially first time around, looked red-ball rusty. Of Finn, there is no doubt that he is now a central plank in future England bowling attacks.
Finn’s eight-over spell yesterday morning, in sullen bowling conditions once more, was the clincher in him gaining the man-of-the-match award over Trott and Tamim. The ball swung for Anderson but it was Finn who did the damage, removing Shakib to a low catch in the gully by Eoin Morgan, the resourceful diligent Junaid Siddique for 74 to go with his 58 in the first innings and Mushfiqur, the Mighty Atom, caught behind from a snorter that bounced and held its line.
Five for 87 was Finn’s reward when Strauss finally removed him from the attack and if he had his sights on one more to become the first England bowler to take 10 in a match here since Ian Botham 32 years ago, then nine for 187 will do. Bresnan finished the innings.
Guardian Service
Lord’s Scoreboard
Overnight: England 505 (JTrott 226, A Strauss 83; Shahadat Hossain 5-98). Bangladesh 282 (Siddique 58, Iqbal 54; S Finn 4-100, J Anderson 4-78) and 328-5 (Iqbal 103, Kayes 75, Siddique 66 no).
Bangladesh – Second Innings
Siddique c Bresnan b Finn 74
Shakib Al Hasan c Morgan b Finn 16
Mushfiqur Rahim c Prior b Finn 0
Rubel Hossain c Strauss b Bresnan 4
Islam not out 0
Extras(b7 lb14 w2 nb1) 24
–––––
Total(110.2 overs) 382
Fall of wickets: 1-185, 2-189, 3-289, 4-321, 5-322, 6-347, 7-354, 8-361, 9-381.
Bowling: Anderson 29-8-84-1, Bresnan 26.2-9-93-3, Finn 24-6-87-5, Swann 27-5-81-0, Trott 4-0-16-1.
England – Second Innings
A Strauss c Rahim b Shakib 82
A Cook lbw b Mahmudullah 23
J Trott not out 36
K Pietersen not out 10
Extras(lb5 w1 nb6) 12
–––––
Total(2 wkts, 35.1 overs) 163
Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-147.
Did not bat: Bell, Morgan, Prior, Bresnan, Swann, Anderson, Finn.
Bowling: Shahadat Hossain 2-0-19-0, Robiul Islam 1-0-12-0, Shakib Al Hasan 16-1-48-1, Rubel Hossain 1-0-8-0, Mahmudullah 15.1-1-71-1.
England beat Bangladesh by 8 wkts
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