Key events
WICKET! Vince st Mushfiqur b Taijul 6 (England 45-3)
I don’t know, I really don’t. I was just writing that maidens shouldn’t bother England as they’ve loads of overs and batters in hand, but Vince premeditates a mooch down, Taijul drops a little shorter, and Mushfiqur does the rest. We got ourselves a ball-game.
12th over: England 45-2 (Malan 22, Vince 6) Target 210 Mehidy Hasan is bowling beautifully, diddling Malan with a beauty that drifts, grips and nips away. Maiden.
11th over: England 45-2 (Malan 22, Vince 6) Target 210 Eeesh, after a single to Malan, Vince does really well to block a grubber, forcing bat down just in time. And then, more classic Vince, jumping down to caress over extra with a flourish – held, naturally – for four. Two singles follow, and England are back away.
10th over: England 38-2 (Malan 20, Vince 1) Target 210 Mehidy Hasan continues, his second over also the last of the powerplay. And it’s a goodun too, Malan shoving its final delivery to long on for one, the only run coming from it. The required rate is now 4.30; the current rate is 3.80 or, in other words, Bangladesh need wickets.
9th over: England 37-2 (Malan 19, Vince 1) Target 210 Vince, you’d reckon, has only an outside chance of making the World Cup squad, so needs to make the most of this chance. He turns into the on side for one, then Malan drives towards cover, and that completes an excellent over from Taijul, just two runs from it and the wicket of Salt.
WICKET! Salt b Taijul Islam 12 (England 35-2)
There we go! Taijul bowls a little quicker and Salt backs away, backs away, then can’t get the bat down properly, and when there’s no turn he’s totally wrapped up, losing his leg peg, perhaps off edge or pad! Bangladesh needed that and didn’t Taijul enjoy it!
8th over: England 35-1 (Salt 12, Malan 18) Target 210 Mahidy Hasan into the attack, the third twirler deployed in just eight overs, and Malan waits for him, cutting four behind square on the off side. Next ball, he stretches down, then at the last second decides to drive, relieved to see it drop just short of extra … who fumbles, allowing the batters to run two.
7th over: England 29-1 (Salt 12, Malan 12) Target 210 Yup, they’re moving. Taijul into the attack and Malan blocks his loosener, then, prances down and wellies six over long on! A single follows, then Salt finds his edge again, squirting three away behind the wicket, and a further one means 11 off the over. Bangladesh need another breakthrough really, which isn’t me being dramatic even though I feel like I am, saying that after seven overs, but defending a small target they can’t have a team of England’s quality exceeding the rate with batters in hand.
6th over: England 18-1 (Salt 9, Malan 4) Target 210 I really like the look of Taskin, and not just because he reminds me of Tosker, who I don’t actually like. Anyhow, gratuitous nostalgia aside, after a single to Malan, Salt forces away through midwicket and it looks like Shakib should cut-off, but the ball seems to speed up as he chugs alongside, so that’s four. England are moving – a little.
5th over: England 13-1 (Salt 5, Malan 3) Target 210 Shakib continues and begins with a leg bye, then Malan eases down to go over the top but a single to midwicket is all he can manage. Salt then nudges to mid on and they go again – that’s really well-run because they’re home quick enough to take the shy out of the equation. Two to extra follows, and that’s six from the over, England’s best so far.
“May I just say how completely gutted I was to be physically unable to follow the overnight Tests in NZ,” emails Alistair Connor. “As a Kiwi in France, a daytime Test matches my sleeping hours quite precisely. The morning routine of dialling up the Guardian cricket page on my phone to find the OBO « as it happened » link, while squinting to try to avoid knowing the outcome … then frantically paging back to the start of play, still squinting … made my breakfasts absolute magic. Especially day four, with growing incredulity: my God, we’re still in this… Deep thanks to you, Tanya and the rest of the crew. It was real. Virtually.”
Ahhhh thanks, I’m choking up. Mainly because I’m still sleep-deprived. But seriously, we all love this thing of ours and its little community; getting to collate its thoughts is is our privilege.
4th over: England 7-1 (Salt 2, Malan 1) Target 210 Bangladesh have started really well here, and I guess England are torn between either doing as they do or playing with a little more circumspection on the basis that sensible batting should equal victory. Tangentially, how are we feeling about the Test situation? I’m a simpleton mark, but I totally back Stokes: frankly, his team should’ve won, so if we’re recriminating, it should be with them not with him, given the Testvangelists have already established that they’re playing for a higher purpose – the future of this beautiful thing of ours – than the basic “winning cricket matches”. Anyhow, two dots then Taksin slants across Malan and reckons he’s kissed a bit of bat so appeals exactly as you would, like it’s a fait accompli; after a long think, Tamim decides that actually it isn’t. Still, he’d’ve took a maiden, and this is a terrific contest.
3rd over: England 7-1 (Salt 2, Malan 1) Target 210 Salt takes a single to long off, and he probably knows he needs to assert himself here because there aren’t that many matches before the World Cup but there are several handy batters after his spot. Malan then adds a Red Bull-one, turning to mid on and setting off as Shanto shies and misses; I reckon he was home with a hit, just.
2nd over: England 5-1 (Salt 1, Malan 0) Target 210 Pace from the other end, Taskin opening up with a Test-match delivery, full and just outside off; Salt defends to mid on. Oh and have a look! A jaffa follows, quick and bit shorter, bouncing and missing the edge outside off. This is excellent stuff, the only run off the over coming from its final ball – another leading edge, flashed past gully to deep and squarish third. This is boiling.
WICKET! Roy c Tamim Iqbal b Shakib Al Hasan 4 (England 4-1)
Hello! Roy jinks down the track and at first look seems to be trying to see how high he can sky one. The reality is probably a leading edge, but either way, Tamim has plenty time to prime and watch the ball plop into his grateful hands. Great start for the hosts!
1st over: England 4-0 (Roy 4, Salt 0) Target 210 Aaaargggghhhh! Trying to remind everyone how good he is, Roy goes hard at Shakib’s first ball and drills a return on the stretch … that Shakib can’t quite reach following through! What a start that would’ve been! Instead, Roy late cuts the fourth delivery for four.
Righto, the players are ready, Roy and Salt opening and Shakib to open.
Tymal Mills also just referred to “your 250s, your 300s,” which is not something you hear often: pluralised numbers. If anyone happens to have recorded today’s coverage, the part of my brain that is even more infantile that the rest would love to include it in this.
Presumably Harry Brook will force his way into the squad; Joe Root should be a lock, especially in India; Jonny Bairstow is to come back; Ben Stokes will surely put in an appearance; Liam Livingstone too … and that’s half a team. It’s a ridiculous state of affairs, it really is.
England do look in good nick though. An attack containing Mark Wood and Jofra Archer is a problem for anyone; add to that Adil Rashid, and perhaps the most ludicrous battery of batters the world has ever seen and they’ve got a decent chance in India – especially if, as Tymal Mills has just explained, tracks are likely to be flat.
Thanks Tanya and good morning everyone. It’s a funny one this, because Bangladesh aren’t far off a par score, and yet you kind of expect England to ease home in paradoxically frantic fashion. We shall see…
And as Steven Finn and Tymal Mills rub their hands in glee about the return to fitness of Mark Wood, it is time for me to hand over to Daniel Harris, who will be your expert guide to England’s reply. Thanks for messages – bye!
England need 210 to win
47.2 overs: Bangladesh 209 all out ( Rahman 0) About twenty runs short of the par score at Mirpur, and you would imagine that it won’t give England’s stellar batting line up, playing for World Cup places, too much to worry about. A job well done by England’s bowlers: Archer got better and better, Wood was fast and timely, Woakes parsimonious, the spinners on point – Rashid in particular finding some rumbustious turn. For Bangladesh, a nice innings by Shanto and reward for the selectors for sticking with him.
WICKET! Taijul c and b Moeen 10 (Bangladesh 209 all out)
A what-have-I-got-to-lose hoike and Moeen just waits for it to fall to earth
47th over: Bangladesh 209-9 ( Taijul 9, Mustafizur 0 ) A wide, a no ball and a wicket. Jofra Archer completes a pleasing ten over spell of 2-37. From a sticky start, his rhythm improved, with the usual sprinkling of unplayable jaffas.
WICKET! Taskin c Buttler b Archer 14 (Bangladesh 208-9)
Taskin keeps out a slower ball but is done by a quick one that passes between body and bat and is taken by a flowing Buttler.
46th over: Bangladesh 206-8 ( Taskin 14, Taijul 9) Another wide, some awkward singles and then a quite stunning little dab through midwicket brings Taijul four. In the Bangladesh dugout, fast bowling coach Allan Donald smiles. Wood sniffs
In my inbox a sudden deluge of emails advising me how to nail professional pictures for Linkedin, how to make my home more energy efficient and what foods to eat to prevent travel sickness. Save me from these OBOers, bring me your thoughts on Jofra’s return.
45th over: Bangladesh 197-8 ( Taskin 14, Taijul 3) Another wide, these extras here and there giving Bangladesh some much-needed runs. It’s a big ask for the tailenders to pick up runs off Jofra Archer and they do well to pick up a couple of singles.
It has its moments.
44th over: Bangladesh 194-8 ( Taskin 13, Taijul 2) Hawk eye thwarts Adil Rashid, who seems to have Taskin lbw, plum as you like on the back pad. Taskin reviews, but a suddenly generous Hawkeye suggests that the ball would have bounced over the top of the stumps. To squeeze more salt into the wound, Taskin swings the next ball with vigour into the (very male) crowd for six! Four follows through third to great delight.
43rd over: Bangladesh 183-8 ( Taskin 3, Taijul 1) Reward for Archer – who is mostly bowling at a less express pace than Mark Wood. A rather stylish dab into the covers takes Taijul off the mark. Everything in Mirpur looks like it is being viewed through a pastel lense – from the grey buildings, to the pale green grass and the milky blue-grey sky.
WICKET! Mehidy c Buttler b Archer 7 (Bangladesh 182-8)
Archer grabs his first wicket as Mehidy wafts and a diving Buttler scoops up the chance.
42nd over: Bangladesh 182-7 ( Mehidy 7, Taskin 3)Rashid tosses the ball from hand to hand, contemplating what magic to send down. Bangladesh’s boundary drought continues, but they gratefully accept a wide and scamper through four singles.
41st over: Bangladesh 177-7 ( Mehidy 5, Taskin 1) Woakes as penny-pinching as ever.
40th over: Bangladesh 175-7 ( Mehidy 4, Taskin 0) Jacks again, beige support sleeves under his short-sleeved England shirt.And that’s a maiden ODI wicket! He grins and clenches both fists – Bangladesh in danger of not batting out their full allocation here.
WICKET! Afif c Rashid b Jacks 10 (Bangladesh 175-7)
Lazy slap to mid on, where Rashid makes no mistake.
Simon Burnton
39th over: Bangladesh 171-6 ( Afif 8, Mehidy 2 ) Mehidy nearly chops on, as Woakes returns for his second spell.
One titbit I forgot to pass on, the tickets for this match feature the Bangladesh flag alongside the Union Jack rather than the George’s Cross. Several local journalists asked me yesterday if this was likely to cause a significant diplomatic incident but I reassured them that nobody was likely to be too exercised (but that they should definitely be more careful when Ireland visit in a couple of weeks). Happily the right flags are being flown above the grandstand today.
38th over: Bangladesh 169-6 ( Afif 7, Mehidy 1 ) Afif makes the most of a rare loose ball from Rashid, cutting him joyfully for four.
37th over: Bangladesh 162-6( Afif 5, Mehidy 0 ) Wood gets his just rewards, as the dangerous Mahmudullah nuzzles the ball legside to the waiting Butter.
“ Hi Tanya.” Morning Sam Rowe.
“Woolworths – a sadly missed institution of my youth.
All of my first music cd’s (I just missed the cassette era) were bought from Woolworths at my small town in Devon.
The demise of Woolworths in my town signified the start of the decline of the town.
I’ve lived in Sydney for the last 20 years. Woolworths is a major supermarket here.
I often flash back to the pick and mix, or queueing the day the new oasis album was released, when I do the weekly shop.
Keep up the great work! What a test match in Wellington that was!”
A classic of the genre! And the pick n mix sadly missed – the overpriced offerings at the cinema can’t compete.
WICKET! Mahmudullah c Buttler b Wood 31 (Bangladesh 162-6)
Soft signal not out from the umpires, who seem to be worried that Buttler hasn’t taken the catch cleanly. But the replay shows a clean pair of gloves and that’s a big blow for Bangladesh
36th over: Bangladesh 159-5 ( Mahmudullah 30, Afif 0) Mahmudullah fancies a punt, and slog-sweeps Rashid up and across the leg side boundary. But Rashid finishes the over happy, picking up Shanto, who played well for his maiden half century. A dejected crowd suddenly grow quiet.
WICKET! Shanto c Roy b Rashid 58 (Bangladesh 159-5)
Roy makes no mistake this time, diving and grabbing at midwicket, as Shanto pulls prettily at a googly.
35th over: Bangladesh 152-4 ( Shanto 51, Mahmudullah 15) Wood mixing it up, on a good length one ball, short and flying the next, as Mahmudullah sways and ducks for safety.
Morning @tjaldred, what a feast of cricket today with two Tests and this game. While India disintegrate on their Bunsen, going at 4.2 an over is some very 1985 Gillette Cup areas. I know we need to wait until England have batted on this surface but it’s pleasingly sedate.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) March 1, 2023
34th over: Bangladesh 149-4 ( Shanto 56, Mahmudullah 22) On the radio, Jarod Kimber points out how slowly Adil Rashid is bowling – more sedately than Sarah Glenn was sending them down during the recent T20 World Cup. He’s the master of conditions – and that’s pinkly perfect by Shanto, reverse-sweeping him for four.
33rd over: Bangladesh 142-4 ( Shanto 51, Mahmudullah 20) Gorgeous timing fro Mahmuddlah who sends Wood flying through the offside for four.
“Morning Tanya, Morning All,” Lovely to hear from you Em Jackson!
”Am I the only one watching/reading that’s humming in their mind, “It’s a Cinch” to the tune by [the] Pet Shop Boys when seeing England’s jersey?
So far though, professional performance and like every cricket fan out there, I was begging for Roy to hold on to that “catch” to his right earlier on.”
I love a bit of Pet Shop Boys on a Wednesday morning, or any morning tbh. “Actually” was one of the first albums I bought from Woolworths, Surbiton, and I played it constantly until it started unspooling on itself in that disturbing way cassette tapes liked to do.
32nd over: Bangladesh 136-4 ( Shanto 51, Mahmudullah 15) Shanto all at sea as Rashid runs through his bag of tricks. Two dancing leg breaks which do a couple of lengths of the swimming pool, a couple of googlies which beat a probing bat. A brace of wides the only relief. They take DRINKS.
Fifty for Shanto!
31st over: Bangladesh 133-4 ( Shanto 50, Mahmudullah 15) Shanto tries to swing at a rising ball from Archer, misses, and it is called no ball for height. But he nudges a couple off his legs for two, repeats the shot next ball and that’s a maiden ODI fifty for Shanto. Huge celebrations in the stands – well played!
30th over: Bangladesh 127-4 ( Shanto 46, Mahmudullah 14)Mahmudullah is beaten by a beauty from Rashid as he props forward. A huge appeal for lbw next ball, as Rashid pleads dramatically with both hands pleading. He is turned down both by the umpire and the captain. TV replays show it would have been umpire’s call.
29th over: Bangladesh 127-4 ( Shanto 46, Mahmudullah 14) Archer has silver beads at the bottom of his braids, which look for all the world like fancy dangly earrings as he runs in. Nearly, very nearly, as Shanto is foxed by a bouncer and gets a top edge into the offside, but Roy, running in from backward point, can’t reach it.
28th over: Bangladesh 126-4 ( Shanto 46, Mahmudullah 13) Something completely different from Jacks at the other end, who is calmly ploughing through his overs. For reference, 228 is the average score at Mirpur. If you haven’t overdosed on cricket recently, do send me your thoughts.
27th over: Bangladesh 120-4 ( Shanto 44, Mahmudullah 10) In the crowd a man with a stuffed tiger on his head watches Jofra Archer come back for his second spell. His penultimate ball at 77mph is followed by an 88mph bullet, which perplexes and hurries Mahuadullah
It was only yesterday that red-ball England were playing in one of the greatest Test finishes.
What a Test match and series to be part of. Didn’t go our way but an amazing advert for the game between two teams who gave it everything.
Can’t wait for the summer already! pic.twitter.com/nlC3xMPTL3
— Joe Root (@root66) March 1, 2023
26th over: Bangladesh 120-4 ( Shanto 44, Mahmudullah 10) Jacks is giving it a sprightly tweak and slides one past Shanto’s outside edge.
25th over: Bangladesh 107-4 ( Shanto 43, Mahmudullah 8) Fabulous shot by Mahmudullah, who floats down the pitch and cracks Moeen sure and fast back past his feet for four.
24th over: Bangladesh 107-4 ( Shanto 40, Mahmudullah 1) The tall, slim figure of Jacks again. Sunglasses on, fizzes through his over, dust puffing from the surface. Bangladesh pocket two singles. Intriguing to know how England’s big dollar scoring will fare on these low scoring Bangladesh pitches.
23rd over: Bangladesh 107-4 ( Shanto 40, Mahmudullah 1) Moeen low key delight to the backdrop of washing powder adverts, and the spinners doing it for England.
WICKET! Shakib b Moeen 8 (106-4)
The crowd are silenced as Shakib sweeps from outside leg stump, but mistimes it horribly and loses his leg stump.
22nd over: Bangladesh 97-3 ( Shanto 38, Shakib 1) Will Jacks gets his first bowl in an ODI. His first delivery isn’t the ball of his dreams, a long hop which Shakib cuts merrily for four. A mistimed sweep follows but the fielder isn’t quite int eh right place to swallow it up.
21st over: Bangladesh 97-3 ( Shanto 38, Shakib 1) England’s spinners doing what they do best, whizzing through their overs almost before the batters realise what is happening. In other news, I don’t want anyone to get too jealous, but I’m really enjoying the electric throw I got for my birthday.
