- Bangladesh vs England, 1st ODI, Mirpur
- England beat Bangladesh by 21 runs
At least the cricket justified all that effort. These England players, two of them new to the international game, can seldom have played in a stadium with such veering noise levels. To England’s relief the game ended in a silent, half-empty ground, which told the tale: Jake Ball’s fifth wicket, giving him the best figures on ODI debut for England, had sealed a remarkable win, by 21 runs.
Less than an hour earlier Bangladesh needed 39 from 52 balls and that crowd, 25,000 of them, were rapturous – first, that the series was happening at all, then that they were going to win the first game. Imrul Kayes, who already had his second century in four days against the tourists, had shared 118 with the vastly experienced Shakib-al-Hasan. They were cruising.
Then came chaos. Ball, who had already picked up two wickets in his first three overs on ODI debut after being drafted into the side late due to a toe injury to Liam Plunkett, picked up two more in two balls. Shakib pulled to David Willey at midwicket, then Mosaddek Hossain played on.
Adil Rashid had taken the other two wickets to fall. He has, in recent weeks, been trash talked by the media and fans for his absence from the Championship decider, and the Bangladesh players, who believe him an inferior bowler to Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, whom they faced, and beat, last week. Not this time; Bangladesh got after Rashid but to their cost – earlier, Mushfiqur Rahim had followed Mahmudullah in picking out the man in the legside deep.
Now Rashid got one to rip and turn at Mashrafe Mortaza and Jos Buttler took a fine catch moving to his right behind the stumps. Rashid had the wicketkeeper to thank in his next over, as Buttler completed a superb stumping off a legside wide to dismiss the outstanding Kayes and all but guarantee victory, given Bangladesh’s poor tail. The last two to fall were, of course, to Rashid – confounding his reputation as a poor fielder by running out Shafiul Islam from mid-on – and Ball, having Taskin Ahmed caught by Buttler.
Ball finished with five for 51, the first five-wicket haul by an Englishman on debut, but Bangladesh had lost six for 18. Kayes, who batted beautifully through cramp and eight different partners, deserved better. He had launched his second ball, from Chris Woakes, high into the grandstand and, on his recall to the side, never paused for breath. All the hallmarks of his innings in Fatullah on Tuesday were there again: the ability to play the seamers delicately on the offside and brutally through the legside, as well as run Rashid ragged when required. He very nearly guided Bangladesh to their biggest chase on this ground.
Ball was not the only debutant to fare well for England, whose victory came at a cost, with Jonny Bairstow (hip flexor) and Jason Roy (shoulder) joining Plunkett on the injured list. Earlier Ben Duckett had compiled an admirable, patient 60, in a partnership of 153 with Ben Stokes, who made a maiden ODI century. A late blitz from the ever more outrageous Buttler set up Bangladesh’s target of 310.
Stokes strode to his second consecutive ODI top score. One of his stated aims is to prove he can build an innings, particularly when starting against spin. Here was the scene tailor-made: a swift start forgotten thanks to three quick wickets and Bangladesh’s spinners – with Shakib al Hasan having just taken his 101st ODI wicket at this stadium – getting into their work.
Duckett settled into the role of junior partner. He had come to the crease when James Vince tried to drive and was caught at mid-on and soon saw Roy send Shakib straight to long-off and Jonny Bairstow run himself out desperately trying to get off the mark. The comfort of 41 without loss had become 63 for three. In searing heat Duckett deferred strike to Stokes, reverse-swept and bunted down the ground whenever chances presented themselves.
After a shaky start Stokes fired a long-hop from Mosaddek Hossain into the stands beyond midwicket. Three more followed, twice back to midwicket with slog-sweeps and pulls then over long-on with a handsome, low drive, as he began to motor. Most remarkable were the two reverse sweeps for four off Mortaza’s seam. Both men are belligerent by nature – as Duckett hustled and scurried, Stokes with that uniquely violent grace of his.
With both tiring, the stand stalled and England picked up only 50 between the 30th and 40th overs. Bangladesh’s fielding was often amateurish, with both batsmen riding their luck, particularly Stokes, who should have been caught at mid-on on 69 and deep-midwicket two runs later. Duckett was dropped at square-leg sweeping on 59 and went for 60, bowled behind his legs; the timing, with 11 overs left, was the very latest England would want Buttler striding to the crease. By now sapped of the strength that defined his first 80, Stokes sought the stands but found the man on the midwicket fence.
Over to Buttler, who did not tolerate dots on his way to 25 from 26 balls, before unleashing his assault. Shakib was consecutively lofted down the ground for seemingly effortless sixes, then Shafiul Islam – who had impressed with the new ball – found himself flogged through square-leg, midwicket and over long-off. Buttler had pilfered 30 from seven balls and how important that proved. – Agencies
