Story Bangladesh: From Minnows to Tigers! (End of England tour)
- Thread starter qpeedore
- Start date
Umair7
El Presidente
How many runs will England score? 250 to 270 (I'd go for an exact 255 for 7)
Who takes the most wickets for Bangladesh? Shakib 3
Who top scores for England? Cook 60 to 75
Which Bangladeshi bowler has the lowest economy rate? Shakib
Who takes the most wickets for Bangladesh? Shakib 3
Who top scores for England? Cook 60 to 75
Which Bangladeshi bowler has the lowest economy rate? Shakib
Dipak
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Location
- Mumbai, India
Don't worry, qpee, we all love this story!
Last edited:
qpeedore
SOTM Winner - July 2014
The winner of the prediction contest is...a three way tie! Unprecedented! Now I have no idea how I'm going to write THREE of you guys into this thing...
Play 1st ODI
As commentary began, the picture cut to the press box where the winners of a local radio contest were seated in prime position, with an excellent view of the proceedings. The commentary team announced that there had been an unusual three-way tie for first place in the contest, and that they felt that to pick just one after the contest would have been unfair. Thoughts from them would come throughout the innings.
As to the on-field action, England started slowly, being cautious to some good opening bowling from the Bangladeshi strike bowlers. It was not until the fifth over when the first boundary came but after that, both Cook and Strauss were able to find the boundary with frequency. Despite that, Bangladesh still did not let them run away with things and by the end of the first Powerplay they were 40 without loss. All three radio contest winners thought that for England to get a big score, one of the two openers would have to stay in and get some runs. The first man thought it would be Strauss, but he was overshadowed by the opinions of the others, who insisted that Cook might just be in more of a run-scoring mood.
Bangladesh delayed taking their Powerplay, instead pushing a couple more fielders outside of the circle and plugging the gaps. Cook took those fielders on and hit the first six of the match in the 11th over, slogging one clean over long on and into the stands. User2010, one of the contest winners, fell silent as cheers from both Dipak and Umair2000 could be heard.
Alastair Cook holds his pose as he watches the ball sail over the rope
Roy was the first change bowler and he made an early impact when he removed the dangerous Cook, bowled comprehensively for 33. Now, it was Dipak's and Umair2000's turn to fall silent. Out stepped Beasley and he picked up where he left off in the last match, getting himself off the mark with an on drive for four.
Beasley took a particular liking to Roy, hitting him all over the park and ruining what were previously good figures. Roy was pulled from the attack and Mahmadullah came in to replace him.
With Shakib and Mahmadullah bowling in tandem, scoring became a little more difficult and Englands run rate dropped a little. Bangladesh saw their chance to take the bowling Powerplay at the start of the 27th over.
Shakib, pictured, and Mahmadullah kept things quiet
Strauss started it well, taking Mahmadullah for a couple of fours in the first over. The second boundary brought up his fifty and it really was well-played by him. Apart from that, the Powerplay was relatively uneventful and Bangladesh would have been happy with their performance in those five overs.
With the Powerplay over, Bangladesh decided to stick with spin and once Shakib finished his spell, Islam came into the attack. His first over was a maiden but after that England decided to take a few chances and they chose to attack Mahmadullah. He went for 12 runs in his 8th over. Islam continued to bowl well, however, and he accounted for Beasley just as the wicketkeeper-batsman was looking dangerous. He missed a straight ball and was bowled for 45. England were 160 for 2 in the 38th over and they had a great platform on which to build.
Islam was not to be denied however, and he soon had another wicket. This one was the vital wicket of Strauss, bowled by one that turned just a little more than the batsman was expecting. He was out for 82.
Shakib al Hasan celebrates a wicket with bowler Naeem Islam
He had another wicket with his next ball, Weaver hitting one right into the lap of the man at square leg. A potential hat-trick was in the making and Bangladesh decided to attack as much as they could for the next ball.
The new man in was Pietersen, however, and he was an experienced batsman. The ball was good, pitched perfectly and turning in a fraction. But Pietersen backed away a little and played it out to backward point for a single to avoid the hat-trick and get himself off the mark.
England took their batting Powerplay at the start of over number 40 and they would have been looking to score as much as possible in those five overs before going into the death. It started well for them, getting 11 runs from the first over. The second over seemed to be going in a similar manner, but Islam adjusted well after being taken for four and all Keen could do was hit it right to short third man, who took a good catch. He went for 16 with the score at 189 for 5.
Swann and Pietersen unleashed their power for the rest of the restrictions, and the runs flowed. They were able to find the gaps and take the ball to the boundary with ease. By the end, they had scored an incredible 60 runs in the 5 overs for the loss of only one wicket.
Islam was in a great spell, however, and he was not to be denied. The very first ball after the Powerplay ended, he got Swann trying to do too much and he ended up hitting one straight up into the air. Long off ran across well to take a well-judged catch just a few feet from the boundary rope. Islam had his first-ever ODI five-wicket haul. He was elated and his teammates all surrounded him with congratulations and high fives. Nobody could have predicted the young all-rounder's haul to that point, but he was far from done.
Before the over was up he had himself yet another wicket, that of Broad. Shakib had set an aggressive field and he was rewarded when Islam had Broad hitting one to short leg. Nobody sets a short leg in the death of an ODI. But Shakib did, and it worked.
Naeem Islam could not be stopped
The penultimate over was where Pietersen decided that if he was batting with the tail, he would have to make the bulk of the runs himself. He did just that, taking Aziz for a couple fours and a six before taking a single to ensure he had strike for the last over. Aziz managed to get Brien out, disturbing the timber, but the damage had been done earlier in the over.
Islam was the man entrusted with the last over and he did superbly. Pietersen was on 44 and he would have wanted 50 but after taking a boundary early on he tried to push hard for a couple, but the fielder did well to restrict them to a single. Stock was no batsman and Islam had yet another wicket to put himself well in the running for the man of the match award. England ended with a good score but if not for Islam, that score could have been much higher.
End of England innings 260/9(50), Strauss 85(120), Islam 7-50(9)
Bangladesh need 261 runs at 5.2 per over
Prediction contest answers:
England's score - 260/9 (1 point each to User, Umair, and Dipak)
Highest Bangladeshi wicket-taker - Naeem Islam, 7/50 (Nobody saw this one coming!)
Top scorer for England - Andrew Strauss, 82 (1 point to User)
Lowest economy rate - Shakib, 2.70 (1 point each to Umair and Dipak)
Scores for the prediction contest:
User2010 - 2
Umair2000 - 2
Dipak - 2
Play 1st ODI
As commentary began, the picture cut to the press box where the winners of a local radio contest were seated in prime position, with an excellent view of the proceedings. The commentary team announced that there had been an unusual three-way tie for first place in the contest, and that they felt that to pick just one after the contest would have been unfair. Thoughts from them would come throughout the innings.
As to the on-field action, England started slowly, being cautious to some good opening bowling from the Bangladeshi strike bowlers. It was not until the fifth over when the first boundary came but after that, both Cook and Strauss were able to find the boundary with frequency. Despite that, Bangladesh still did not let them run away with things and by the end of the first Powerplay they were 40 without loss. All three radio contest winners thought that for England to get a big score, one of the two openers would have to stay in and get some runs. The first man thought it would be Strauss, but he was overshadowed by the opinions of the others, who insisted that Cook might just be in more of a run-scoring mood.
Bangladesh delayed taking their Powerplay, instead pushing a couple more fielders outside of the circle and plugging the gaps. Cook took those fielders on and hit the first six of the match in the 11th over, slogging one clean over long on and into the stands. User2010, one of the contest winners, fell silent as cheers from both Dipak and Umair2000 could be heard.
Alastair Cook holds his pose as he watches the ball sail over the rope
Roy was the first change bowler and he made an early impact when he removed the dangerous Cook, bowled comprehensively for 33. Now, it was Dipak's and Umair2000's turn to fall silent. Out stepped Beasley and he picked up where he left off in the last match, getting himself off the mark with an on drive for four.
Beasley took a particular liking to Roy, hitting him all over the park and ruining what were previously good figures. Roy was pulled from the attack and Mahmadullah came in to replace him.
With Shakib and Mahmadullah bowling in tandem, scoring became a little more difficult and Englands run rate dropped a little. Bangladesh saw their chance to take the bowling Powerplay at the start of the 27th over.
Shakib, pictured, and Mahmadullah kept things quiet
Strauss started it well, taking Mahmadullah for a couple of fours in the first over. The second boundary brought up his fifty and it really was well-played by him. Apart from that, the Powerplay was relatively uneventful and Bangladesh would have been happy with their performance in those five overs.
With the Powerplay over, Bangladesh decided to stick with spin and once Shakib finished his spell, Islam came into the attack. His first over was a maiden but after that England decided to take a few chances and they chose to attack Mahmadullah. He went for 12 runs in his 8th over. Islam continued to bowl well, however, and he accounted for Beasley just as the wicketkeeper-batsman was looking dangerous. He missed a straight ball and was bowled for 45. England were 160 for 2 in the 38th over and they had a great platform on which to build.
Islam was not to be denied however, and he soon had another wicket. This one was the vital wicket of Strauss, bowled by one that turned just a little more than the batsman was expecting. He was out for 82.
Shakib al Hasan celebrates a wicket with bowler Naeem Islam
He had another wicket with his next ball, Weaver hitting one right into the lap of the man at square leg. A potential hat-trick was in the making and Bangladesh decided to attack as much as they could for the next ball.
The new man in was Pietersen, however, and he was an experienced batsman. The ball was good, pitched perfectly and turning in a fraction. But Pietersen backed away a little and played it out to backward point for a single to avoid the hat-trick and get himself off the mark.
England took their batting Powerplay at the start of over number 40 and they would have been looking to score as much as possible in those five overs before going into the death. It started well for them, getting 11 runs from the first over. The second over seemed to be going in a similar manner, but Islam adjusted well after being taken for four and all Keen could do was hit it right to short third man, who took a good catch. He went for 16 with the score at 189 for 5.
Swann and Pietersen unleashed their power for the rest of the restrictions, and the runs flowed. They were able to find the gaps and take the ball to the boundary with ease. By the end, they had scored an incredible 60 runs in the 5 overs for the loss of only one wicket.
Islam was in a great spell, however, and he was not to be denied. The very first ball after the Powerplay ended, he got Swann trying to do too much and he ended up hitting one straight up into the air. Long off ran across well to take a well-judged catch just a few feet from the boundary rope. Islam had his first-ever ODI five-wicket haul. He was elated and his teammates all surrounded him with congratulations and high fives. Nobody could have predicted the young all-rounder's haul to that point, but he was far from done.
Before the over was up he had himself yet another wicket, that of Broad. Shakib had set an aggressive field and he was rewarded when Islam had Broad hitting one to short leg. Nobody sets a short leg in the death of an ODI. But Shakib did, and it worked.
Naeem Islam could not be stopped
The penultimate over was where Pietersen decided that if he was batting with the tail, he would have to make the bulk of the runs himself. He did just that, taking Aziz for a couple fours and a six before taking a single to ensure he had strike for the last over. Aziz managed to get Brien out, disturbing the timber, but the damage had been done earlier in the over.
Islam was the man entrusted with the last over and he did superbly. Pietersen was on 44 and he would have wanted 50 but after taking a boundary early on he tried to push hard for a couple, but the fielder did well to restrict them to a single. Stock was no batsman and Islam had yet another wicket to put himself well in the running for the man of the match award. England ended with a good score but if not for Islam, that score could have been much higher.
End of England innings 260/9(50), Strauss 85(120), Islam 7-50(9)
Bangladesh need 261 runs at 5.2 per over
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
1st One Day International - 24 May 2013
**********************************************
England - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
A Cook b Roy 33
A Strauss b Islam 82
N Beasley b Islam 45
A Keen c Hossain b Islam 16
A Weaver c Nazimuddin b Islam 0
K Pietersen not out 49
G Swann c Mahmud b Islam 16
S Broad c Aziz b Islam 0
A Brien b Aziz 10
D Stock c Nadimuddin b Islam 0
J Anderson not out 0
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (nb5,w4) 9
TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 260
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
D Mahmud 6 1 39 0
T Aziz 10 0 59 1
S Roy 5 0 28 1
S Al Hasan 10 0 27 0
M Mahmudullah 10 1 57 0
N Islam 9 1 50 7
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-58 2-160 3-169 4-169 5-189
6-223 7-223 8-255 9-260
**********************************************Prediction contest answers:
England's score - 260/9 (1 point each to User, Umair, and Dipak)
Highest Bangladeshi wicket-taker - Naeem Islam, 7/50 (Nobody saw this one coming!)
Top scorer for England - Andrew Strauss, 82 (1 point to User)
Lowest economy rate - Shakib, 2.70 (1 point each to Umair and Dipak)
Scores for the prediction contest:
User2010 - 2
Umair2000 - 2
Dipak - 2
Umair7
El Presidente
Wow Everyone Won Waiting For Tigers Innings
Naeem Islam, 7/50 (Nobody saw this one coming!) True
Naeem Islam, 7/50 (Nobody saw this one coming!) True
Dipak
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Location
- Mumbai, India
Great update and een more great is the three way tie. I love this story.
Justin B
School Cricketer
Yes thats true but some things lack and the BPL helped them to become tigers.
Dipak
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Location
- Mumbai, India
Eagerly waiting. 
Umair7
El Presidente
Me Too ^
qpeedore
SOTM Winner - July 2014
Soon, soon. This week most likely. Work is a bitch. 16+ hour sessions 4 times in 9 days will be enough to make anyone go crazy.
qpeedore
SOTM Winner - July 2014
Bangladesh would have wanted a good start but they lost an early wicket when Tamim was out LBW to Anderson in the second over for only 2. He walked back looking frustrated with himself at missing a straight ball.
Mahmadullah and Nafees played defensively for another couple of overs until Nafees hit Bangladesh?s first boundary in the 6th over. In the next over, Broad knocked Mahmadullah?s middle stump clean out of the ground. He started to celebrate but stopped when he noticed his teammates were standing in their positions. He turned to look at the umpire and saw the no ball signal. Broad held his head in his hands. The free hit only went for a single, but Broad did not bowl with the same venom for the rest of the over and it showed.
In his next over he was a lot better and he continued to give Mahmadullah some problems. Mahmadullah was unable to cope with the bowler?s skill and he ended up falling LBW for 13. Bangladesh were 32 for 2.
Islam and Nafees took Bangladesh to the end of the first Powerplay and England immediately took their bowling Powerplay. Bangladesh were on the back foot and England wanted to keep the field in and build some more pressure.
Nafees decided that he would have to show England that Bangladesh were no pushovers and he was the more aggressive one in the Powerplay. There were no real fireworks to speak of, but the few boundaries that Nafees hit was able to keep Bangladesh within the required rate more or less.
He continued after the Powerplay was over, hitting another boundary to enter the 40s. But he was out soon after, edging to the keeper for 41. Bangladesh were 73 for 3. Shakib walked out and got himself off the mark with a good-looking four but ended up walking back after yet another limited-overs failure. He edged his second ball to the keeper and some were beginning to question if the captaincy was affecting his batting.
Islam and Nazimuddin played the next few overs well and ensured that the required rate did not get out of hand. But just when Bangladesh were starting to look good, they lost the important wicket of Islam. Stock was having a great ODI debut and his three wickets so far had all been caught by the wicketkeeper Beasley.
Hossain came out with a lot on his shoulders and he needed to show that he was capable of batting and getting big scores. He got himself off the mark with a single but hit another ball in the next over right up into the air. Thankfully it was between the fielders and it landed safely.
He was riding his luck, though, and he pushed it one step too far when he attempted an ugly swipe across the line and was LBW by Broad for only 14. Bangladesh were in a lot of trouble at 120 for 6.
They were in more trouble when Nazimuddin was out just a few balls later for 21. Once again, Nadimuddin was left with the tail and the required rate was above a run a ball.
The pressure told and he was out edging to first slip cheaply off of Anderson. Mahmud fell without scoring just a couple of balls later and the match was all but over by then.
Aziz hit himself a few boundaries but he tried one too many and was caught at long on to seal a convincing victory for England.
End of Bangladesh innings ? 153/10(34.5), Nafees 41(63), Stock 3-21(5)
England win by 107 runs
Post-match, Shakib is noticeably disappointed but decides to do the diplomatic thing and say that the English team bowled and fielded well and in the end it was just too good for them. There were still two matches to go, however, and if the entire Bangladeshi team could rally and win the next one, England will have a lot to think about in the final match.
Strauss echoes Shakib's thoughts, saying that the English team really performed well first with the bat and then in the field. At no time did they ever consider themselves to be on the losing end of things, and they all had a lot of confidence running through them.
The Man of the Match is surprisingly from the losing team, but with figures of 7 for 50, Islam rightly deserved the award. In broken English, he says that he wishes that his bowling performance had taken his team to a win, but at the same time he is happy on a personal level to have dismissed more than half a team. Perhaps next time he bowls well he might have something to be more happy about.
(Note: I have a MEGA update planned tonight but with the forum rules as they are I can't post everything within a few minutes of each other. No graphics, just story. But...I'm going to make up for flashiness with writing. Provided I can figure out exactly when I can have my next post not added onto the end of this one.)
Edit: Doesn't seem like 5 minutes is enough time to wait between successive posts in the same thread. Damn. Second ODI up in its entirety first thing tomorrow then. Then tomorrow evening, third ODI in its entirety. After that, we'll see how far I can get into the first Pakistani Test match. Again, no graphics, but I owe every follower of this story enough updates to get you a couple series further than you already are.
Re-Edit: Jeez, if 20 minutes is not enough, what is? I'm not going knocking on a mod's or an admin's PM box with this, but when you legitimately prevent members who are NOT spambots or idiots from posting in the way they really want to...well, you create some insanely annoyed people. Just saying.
Mahmadullah and Nafees played defensively for another couple of overs until Nafees hit Bangladesh?s first boundary in the 6th over. In the next over, Broad knocked Mahmadullah?s middle stump clean out of the ground. He started to celebrate but stopped when he noticed his teammates were standing in their positions. He turned to look at the umpire and saw the no ball signal. Broad held his head in his hands. The free hit only went for a single, but Broad did not bowl with the same venom for the rest of the over and it showed.
In his next over he was a lot better and he continued to give Mahmadullah some problems. Mahmadullah was unable to cope with the bowler?s skill and he ended up falling LBW for 13. Bangladesh were 32 for 2.
Islam and Nafees took Bangladesh to the end of the first Powerplay and England immediately took their bowling Powerplay. Bangladesh were on the back foot and England wanted to keep the field in and build some more pressure.
Nafees decided that he would have to show England that Bangladesh were no pushovers and he was the more aggressive one in the Powerplay. There were no real fireworks to speak of, but the few boundaries that Nafees hit was able to keep Bangladesh within the required rate more or less.
He continued after the Powerplay was over, hitting another boundary to enter the 40s. But he was out soon after, edging to the keeper for 41. Bangladesh were 73 for 3. Shakib walked out and got himself off the mark with a good-looking four but ended up walking back after yet another limited-overs failure. He edged his second ball to the keeper and some were beginning to question if the captaincy was affecting his batting.
Islam and Nazimuddin played the next few overs well and ensured that the required rate did not get out of hand. But just when Bangladesh were starting to look good, they lost the important wicket of Islam. Stock was having a great ODI debut and his three wickets so far had all been caught by the wicketkeeper Beasley.
Hossain came out with a lot on his shoulders and he needed to show that he was capable of batting and getting big scores. He got himself off the mark with a single but hit another ball in the next over right up into the air. Thankfully it was between the fielders and it landed safely.
He was riding his luck, though, and he pushed it one step too far when he attempted an ugly swipe across the line and was LBW by Broad for only 14. Bangladesh were in a lot of trouble at 120 for 6.
They were in more trouble when Nazimuddin was out just a few balls later for 21. Once again, Nadimuddin was left with the tail and the required rate was above a run a ball.
The pressure told and he was out edging to first slip cheaply off of Anderson. Mahmud fell without scoring just a couple of balls later and the match was all but over by then.
Aziz hit himself a few boundaries but he tried one too many and was caught at long on to seal a convincing victory for England.
End of Bangladesh innings ? 153/10(34.5), Nafees 41(63), Stock 3-21(5)
England win by 107 runs
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
1st One Day International - 24 May 2013
**********************************************
Bangladesh - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
T Iqbal lbw b Anderson 2
S Nafees c Beasley b Stock 41
M Mahmudullah lbw b Broad 13
N Islam c Beasley b Stock 21
S Al Hasan c Beasley b Stock 4
N Nazimuddin c Beasley b Brien 21
S Hossain lbw b Broad 14
N Nadimuddin c Cook b Anderson 11
T Aziz c Stock b Swann 14
D Mahmud b Anderson 0
S Roy not out 4
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (nb2,w4,lb2) 8
TOTAL: (all out, 34.5 overs) 153
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
S Broad 10 3 29 2
J Anderson 6 0 28 3
G Swann 7.5 0 41 1
D Stock 5 0 21 3
A Brien 6 0 32 1
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-3 2-32 3-73 4-77 5-104
6-120 7-131 8-139 9-139 10-153
**********************************************
England won by 107 runs
**********************************************Post-match, Shakib is noticeably disappointed but decides to do the diplomatic thing and say that the English team bowled and fielded well and in the end it was just too good for them. There were still two matches to go, however, and if the entire Bangladeshi team could rally and win the next one, England will have a lot to think about in the final match.
Strauss echoes Shakib's thoughts, saying that the English team really performed well first with the bat and then in the field. At no time did they ever consider themselves to be on the losing end of things, and they all had a lot of confidence running through them.
The Man of the Match is surprisingly from the losing team, but with figures of 7 for 50, Islam rightly deserved the award. In broken English, he says that he wishes that his bowling performance had taken his team to a win, but at the same time he is happy on a personal level to have dismissed more than half a team. Perhaps next time he bowls well he might have something to be more happy about.
(Note: I have a MEGA update planned tonight but with the forum rules as they are I can't post everything within a few minutes of each other. No graphics, just story. But...I'm going to make up for flashiness with writing. Provided I can figure out exactly when I can have my next post not added onto the end of this one.)
Edit: Doesn't seem like 5 minutes is enough time to wait between successive posts in the same thread. Damn. Second ODI up in its entirety first thing tomorrow then. Then tomorrow evening, third ODI in its entirety. After that, we'll see how far I can get into the first Pakistani Test match. Again, no graphics, but I owe every follower of this story enough updates to get you a couple series further than you already are.
Re-Edit: Jeez, if 20 minutes is not enough, what is? I'm not going knocking on a mod's or an admin's PM box with this, but when you legitimately prevent members who are NOT spambots or idiots from posting in the way they really want to...well, you create some insanely annoyed people. Just saying.
Last edited:
qpeedore
SOTM Winner - July 2014
Apparently after testing this thing on and off for an hour, it finally works...second ODI up now in its entirety...
Pitch report and weather forecast ? 2nd ODI
Today has excellent cricketing conditions. The skies are partly covered but even when the sun is out it will not be too hot. There is a slight breeze that might just help the ball to move around but for the most part, it will be up to the skill of the bowlers to put the ball in the right areas.
The pitch itself is a balanced one. There are big scores to be had, but only if the batsmen play properly and do not look to play outside of their limits.
Squads
England
Alastair Cook (Bat)
Andrew Strauss (CAPT ? Bat)
Nick Beasley (WK)
Andy Keen (Bat)
Aaron Weaver (Bat)
Kevin Pietersen (Bat)
Graeme Swann (All)
Aaron Brien (All)
Stuart Broad (Bowl)
Daniel Stock (Bowl)
James Anderson (Bowl)
After winning the first ODI so convincingly, England have stuck with the same team. This squad has a lot of talent in it, both batting and bowling, and it will be hard for Bangladesh to overcome them today.
Watch out for
Andrew Strauss ? England built their last innings on the back of his 82 and if he can do something similar today, his men will have no problems batting around him.
Daniel Stock ? His international career already looks promising. After a bit of nerves in the T20 match, he recovered well to take 3-21 in the first ODI.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (Bat)
Shahriar Nafees (Bat)
Mohammed Mahmadullah (All)
Naeem Islam (All)
Shakib Al Hasan (CAPT ? All)
Nazimuddin (Bat)
Saghir Hossain (WK)
I Kamal (Bat)
Tareq Aziz (Bowl)
Dolar Mahmud (Bowl)
Subashis Roy (Bowl)
Bangladesh are sorely missing Shuvagoto Hom and they have tried another person lower down the order in Kamal. Shakib is under some pressure himself, having failed with the bat regularly in limited overs.
Watch out for
Naeem Islam ? His 7 wickets last time around was a treat to see and the English batsmen should be on their guard once he comes into the attack.
Shahriar Nafees ? He was really the only Bangladeshi to stick around and he has some good form behind him. Bangladesh will want him to make a big score today.
The toss
As Strauss tosses the coin, Shakib calls tails. The coin lands and spins for a while before finally landing. The match referee calls heads and Strauss informs Shakib of his decision and shakes his hand. He turns to the camera and in the short interview, he states that he will bat first. He thinks that Bangladesh did not do well at all chasing last time and it should be the same once again today.
Shakib says the he would have liked to bat first as the pitch looks better early on, but he does not mind bowling too much. He says that England got a par score last time that was not chased properly and today the squad will look to fix that problem.
Play ? 2nd ODI
Mahmud and Aziz started right on target, aiming right at off stump and just outside the stumps. England were equal to it, ensuring that they were solid in defense but also attacking the wayward deliveries. The run rate was kept low, but the bowling and fielding was good such that by the end of the first 10 overs, England were 35 without loss.
Bangladesh took the bowling Powerplay immediately. Strauss decided that it was time to up the run rate and in the first Powerplay over he took Mahmud all over the park with a six and a four before following it with a couple of singles and a two. 15 runs in total came from the over.
Aziz was under pressure to keep it tight at the other end and he bowled a reasonable over, even enticing Cook into a false shot. But there were no slips and the edge just managed to beat the fielder into the third man boundary.
Mahmadullah and Roy took over as first-change bowlers and in Mahmadullah?s second over he thought he had Strauss with a very faint edge to Hossain behind the stumps. But the umpire remained unmoved despite the loud appeal from the keeper and bowler. To be fair, Strauss never looked nervous so it was probably that he never hit it.
England continued to progress along and soon enough the Bangladeshi fielders began to look very flat. They just seemed to be going through their routines without really trying too hard. Even Shakib himself appeared a little out of sorts.
Cook was the first to reach his fifty, off of 69 deliveries. He got there with a straight four that the bowler just could not manage to get his hand to. Strauss followed a few overs later, just leaning on one that went all along the ground to the cover boundary.
The bowlers seemed to stop attacking and their lines and lengths faltered. England took advantage of this and the run rate approached 5 an over. Cook entered the 90s without even being bothered too much. At the other end, Strauss continued to give him support even as his own score progressed.
When Mahmadullah got the first wicket all the way in the 38th over, England had amassed 184 runs up to that point. The Bangladeshis did not even bother to celebrate too much. They just clapped a little and stayed in their fielding positions for the most part. Jaime Siddons looked on in the dressing room, clearly not happy with what he was seeing. He stopped the 12th man and had a few words with him. When the substitute came onto the field with the drinks, all the fielders reluctantly congregated and they had a few words before going back.
Whatever the message from Siddons was, it seemed to work. The very next over, Roy bowled with much more pace and venom and he had Strauss LBW for 83. England were 188 for 2 now and Bangladesh looked rejuvenated.
England took their batting Powerplay at the start of over 40, with two new batsmen in the middle. An unusual decision but it could work out for them. However, Bangladesh seemed like a different team and Beasley was bowled through the gate by Islam for only 5.
Mahmud returned, only to find the batsmen in an aggressive mood. He was taken for two fours in the first over of his new spell, but he had the last laugh as he had Weaver miscuing one to be caught at long on.
He continued in his next over, showing that full and straight was the way to go. Pietersen backed away too much and lost his middle stump for only 7. England were letting their strong start go to waste as they were 237 for 5 at that point, with 5 overs to go.
Aziz then had Swann LBW for 1 before Mahmud removed Broad. The last wicket to fall was that of Keen, LBW to Aziz as he tried to get some runs at the death. They ended their 50 overs with a good score, but they really should have gotten a lot more considering the start that the openers had given them.
End of England innings ? 260/8(50), Cook 93(112), Mahmud 3-62(10)
Bangladesh need 261 runs at 5.2 per over
Bangladesh did not impress anyone with their nonchalance in the field and even if they were to win this match, a lot of questions still remained in the air. Tamim and Nafees strode to the middle, looking to try to answer some of those questions early on.
Tamim started positively, taking his second ball to the mid off boundary for four. Nafees was a little more cautious at the other end and Anderson had him playing and missing at a couple of deliveries. He got off the mark later in the over, however, and in the next over he showed that he had no nerves. Broad tried for the fuller delivery but he got it wrong and the full toss was hit over the long on boundary and into the crowd.
Tamim and Nafees knew little other than attack, and attack they did. Strauss was soon scratching his head and wondering where to place his fielders in the Powerplay. But the Bangladesh openers continued to power along. Tamim was by no means peaceful, but he paled in comparison to Nafees, who seemed to be seeing the ball well, and was hitting it all over the park.
They calmed down a little as Strauss set his field well and protected the boundaries as best as he could. But that opened up some gaps and the openers just worked the ball around and took the singles when they could. By the 10 over mark, Bangladesh were 47 for no wicket and looking well on track.
England did not opt for the Powerplay, but it did not matter as Swann struck in his first over to have Nafees caught at short midwicket by Strauss for 28. They took the Powerplay after that over, however.
Mahmadullah did not last long before he was LBW by Stock for 0. In the very next over, Tamim gave Swann his second wicket as he fell LBW for only 29. Suddenly Bangladesh had lost 3 wickets and were looking shaky.
Shakib and Islam would have to bat out of their skins if they were to take the match home for Bangladesh. Shakib started well enough, timing the ball and working it into the gaps for singles and twos. But he lost Islam at the other end, also LBW to Swann.
Swann was in the middle of a great spell of bowling and it was not long before he had yet another, this time it was the wicket of Nazimuddin, who was LBW for only 4.
Shakib was still in the middle, and the wicketkeeper Hossain joined him. The run rate kept climbing above a run a ball and it soon crossed 7 an over. Hossain looked good as he settled and entered the 20s.
Bangladesh decided to take their batting Powerplay at the start of the 31st over, still 143 runs needed in 20 overs. But both batsmen in the middle had gotten themselves off to a start and they both needed to carry on and score big.
That was not to be, however, as Hossain fell to Brien for 25. Kamal came in and immediately set out looking for the boundary. He saw his captain fall at the other end, however, LBW to give Swann his 5th wicket.
By the time Kamal himself was out to Brien, the match was all but over. Swann picked up a 6th before the innings ended but Bangladesh definitely had a lot to think about as they left this game.
End of Bangladesh innings ? 161/10(40.3), Al Hasan 42(68), Swann 6-41(10)
England win by 99 runs
Shakib, as the losing captain, speaks first in the post-match ceremony. He says that the England openers just outdid every tactic placed before them, and before long the hung shoulders and drooped heads started to show on his team. With the past that they have had, it was all too easy to fall right back into the hole of being the whipping boys of international cricket, but if their recent performances could be highlighted, it showed that they could be competitive. Unfortunately, today they just we not competitive enough.
Strauss is happy about winning the series, saying that after a tied Test series where Bangladesh definitely gave them more than a few scares, it was nice to walk away as the better team finally. He also goes on to say that while Bangladesh may have lost by a big margin today, he does not think that the cricketing world should see them as inferior any longer, because they are a professional unit and have improved so much over the past year or so. He thinks that perhaps some players may be rested for the dead rubber but at the same time with cricket always being played it is nice to have players in form and part of a winning unit, so do not expect any surprises when the third ODI comes around.
Graeme Swann is the Man of the Match. He says that bowling in England as a spinner is largely a hit-or-miss affair with the cold conditions affecting both the way the bowler grips the ball and how it responds off of the pitch. It may be the reason why England has relied heavily on finger spinners rather than traditional wrist spinners in recent times. He has had to rely less on rotations of the ball and more on subtle variations for his wickets, and as can be seen from his haul today, it seems to be working.[/font]
Okay, so third ODI up tomorrow in its entirety. Happy reading. And...no, the graphics were awesome, amazing, nice, wonderful...but they make me search too much with my perfectionist self for them. Often I'd find an amazing picture and notice that one blurry out-of-focus player is actually not in the team. So I won't use that graphic. Yes, I'm THAT perfectionist. Don't try to talk me out of it. I already had a lot of pain using that pic earlier with Dravid in the background.
So...no graphics. Let's see how a text-heavy story fares against the others.
Pitch report and weather forecast ? 2nd ODI
Today has excellent cricketing conditions. The skies are partly covered but even when the sun is out it will not be too hot. There is a slight breeze that might just help the ball to move around but for the most part, it will be up to the skill of the bowlers to put the ball in the right areas.
The pitch itself is a balanced one. There are big scores to be had, but only if the batsmen play properly and do not look to play outside of their limits.
Squads
England
Alastair Cook (Bat)
Andrew Strauss (CAPT ? Bat)
Nick Beasley (WK)
Andy Keen (Bat)
Aaron Weaver (Bat)
Kevin Pietersen (Bat)
Graeme Swann (All)
Aaron Brien (All)
Stuart Broad (Bowl)
Daniel Stock (Bowl)
James Anderson (Bowl)
After winning the first ODI so convincingly, England have stuck with the same team. This squad has a lot of talent in it, both batting and bowling, and it will be hard for Bangladesh to overcome them today.
Watch out for
Andrew Strauss ? England built their last innings on the back of his 82 and if he can do something similar today, his men will have no problems batting around him.
Daniel Stock ? His international career already looks promising. After a bit of nerves in the T20 match, he recovered well to take 3-21 in the first ODI.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (Bat)
Shahriar Nafees (Bat)
Mohammed Mahmadullah (All)
Naeem Islam (All)
Shakib Al Hasan (CAPT ? All)
Nazimuddin (Bat)
Saghir Hossain (WK)
I Kamal (Bat)
Tareq Aziz (Bowl)
Dolar Mahmud (Bowl)
Subashis Roy (Bowl)
Bangladesh are sorely missing Shuvagoto Hom and they have tried another person lower down the order in Kamal. Shakib is under some pressure himself, having failed with the bat regularly in limited overs.
Watch out for
Naeem Islam ? His 7 wickets last time around was a treat to see and the English batsmen should be on their guard once he comes into the attack.
Shahriar Nafees ? He was really the only Bangladeshi to stick around and he has some good form behind him. Bangladesh will want him to make a big score today.
The toss
As Strauss tosses the coin, Shakib calls tails. The coin lands and spins for a while before finally landing. The match referee calls heads and Strauss informs Shakib of his decision and shakes his hand. He turns to the camera and in the short interview, he states that he will bat first. He thinks that Bangladesh did not do well at all chasing last time and it should be the same once again today.
Shakib says the he would have liked to bat first as the pitch looks better early on, but he does not mind bowling too much. He says that England got a par score last time that was not chased properly and today the squad will look to fix that problem.
Play ? 2nd ODI
Mahmud and Aziz started right on target, aiming right at off stump and just outside the stumps. England were equal to it, ensuring that they were solid in defense but also attacking the wayward deliveries. The run rate was kept low, but the bowling and fielding was good such that by the end of the first 10 overs, England were 35 without loss.
Bangladesh took the bowling Powerplay immediately. Strauss decided that it was time to up the run rate and in the first Powerplay over he took Mahmud all over the park with a six and a four before following it with a couple of singles and a two. 15 runs in total came from the over.
Aziz was under pressure to keep it tight at the other end and he bowled a reasonable over, even enticing Cook into a false shot. But there were no slips and the edge just managed to beat the fielder into the third man boundary.
Mahmadullah and Roy took over as first-change bowlers and in Mahmadullah?s second over he thought he had Strauss with a very faint edge to Hossain behind the stumps. But the umpire remained unmoved despite the loud appeal from the keeper and bowler. To be fair, Strauss never looked nervous so it was probably that he never hit it.
England continued to progress along and soon enough the Bangladeshi fielders began to look very flat. They just seemed to be going through their routines without really trying too hard. Even Shakib himself appeared a little out of sorts.
Cook was the first to reach his fifty, off of 69 deliveries. He got there with a straight four that the bowler just could not manage to get his hand to. Strauss followed a few overs later, just leaning on one that went all along the ground to the cover boundary.
The bowlers seemed to stop attacking and their lines and lengths faltered. England took advantage of this and the run rate approached 5 an over. Cook entered the 90s without even being bothered too much. At the other end, Strauss continued to give him support even as his own score progressed.
When Mahmadullah got the first wicket all the way in the 38th over, England had amassed 184 runs up to that point. The Bangladeshis did not even bother to celebrate too much. They just clapped a little and stayed in their fielding positions for the most part. Jaime Siddons looked on in the dressing room, clearly not happy with what he was seeing. He stopped the 12th man and had a few words with him. When the substitute came onto the field with the drinks, all the fielders reluctantly congregated and they had a few words before going back.
Whatever the message from Siddons was, it seemed to work. The very next over, Roy bowled with much more pace and venom and he had Strauss LBW for 83. England were 188 for 2 now and Bangladesh looked rejuvenated.
England took their batting Powerplay at the start of over 40, with two new batsmen in the middle. An unusual decision but it could work out for them. However, Bangladesh seemed like a different team and Beasley was bowled through the gate by Islam for only 5.
Mahmud returned, only to find the batsmen in an aggressive mood. He was taken for two fours in the first over of his new spell, but he had the last laugh as he had Weaver miscuing one to be caught at long on.
He continued in his next over, showing that full and straight was the way to go. Pietersen backed away too much and lost his middle stump for only 7. England were letting their strong start go to waste as they were 237 for 5 at that point, with 5 overs to go.
Aziz then had Swann LBW for 1 before Mahmud removed Broad. The last wicket to fall was that of Keen, LBW to Aziz as he tried to get some runs at the death. They ended their 50 overs with a good score, but they really should have gotten a lot more considering the start that the openers had given them.
End of England innings ? 260/8(50), Cook 93(112), Mahmud 3-62(10)
Bangladesh need 261 runs at 5.2 per over
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
2nd One Day International - 26 May 2013
**********************************************
England - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
A Cook lbw b M'udullah 93
A Strauss lbw b Roy 87
N Beasley b Islam 5
A Keen lbw b Aziz 44
A Weaver c Iqbal b Mahmud 11
K Pietersen b Mahmud 7
G Swann lbw b Aziz 1
S Broad c Hossain b Mahmud 3
A Brien not out 3
D Stock not out 0
J Anderson
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (nb2,w4) 6
TOTAL: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 260
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
D Mahmud 10 1 62 3
T Aziz 10 1 43 2
S Roy 10 0 49 1
M Mahmudullah 8 0 42 1
S Al Hasan 5 0 26 0
N Islam 7 0 38 1
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-184 2-188 3-194 4-223 5-237
6-243 7-256 8-260
**********************************************Bangladesh did not impress anyone with their nonchalance in the field and even if they were to win this match, a lot of questions still remained in the air. Tamim and Nafees strode to the middle, looking to try to answer some of those questions early on.
Tamim started positively, taking his second ball to the mid off boundary for four. Nafees was a little more cautious at the other end and Anderson had him playing and missing at a couple of deliveries. He got off the mark later in the over, however, and in the next over he showed that he had no nerves. Broad tried for the fuller delivery but he got it wrong and the full toss was hit over the long on boundary and into the crowd.
Tamim and Nafees knew little other than attack, and attack they did. Strauss was soon scratching his head and wondering where to place his fielders in the Powerplay. But the Bangladesh openers continued to power along. Tamim was by no means peaceful, but he paled in comparison to Nafees, who seemed to be seeing the ball well, and was hitting it all over the park.
They calmed down a little as Strauss set his field well and protected the boundaries as best as he could. But that opened up some gaps and the openers just worked the ball around and took the singles when they could. By the 10 over mark, Bangladesh were 47 for no wicket and looking well on track.
England did not opt for the Powerplay, but it did not matter as Swann struck in his first over to have Nafees caught at short midwicket by Strauss for 28. They took the Powerplay after that over, however.
Mahmadullah did not last long before he was LBW by Stock for 0. In the very next over, Tamim gave Swann his second wicket as he fell LBW for only 29. Suddenly Bangladesh had lost 3 wickets and were looking shaky.
Shakib and Islam would have to bat out of their skins if they were to take the match home for Bangladesh. Shakib started well enough, timing the ball and working it into the gaps for singles and twos. But he lost Islam at the other end, also LBW to Swann.
Swann was in the middle of a great spell of bowling and it was not long before he had yet another, this time it was the wicket of Nazimuddin, who was LBW for only 4.
Shakib was still in the middle, and the wicketkeeper Hossain joined him. The run rate kept climbing above a run a ball and it soon crossed 7 an over. Hossain looked good as he settled and entered the 20s.
Bangladesh decided to take their batting Powerplay at the start of the 31st over, still 143 runs needed in 20 overs. But both batsmen in the middle had gotten themselves off to a start and they both needed to carry on and score big.
That was not to be, however, as Hossain fell to Brien for 25. Kamal came in and immediately set out looking for the boundary. He saw his captain fall at the other end, however, LBW to give Swann his 5th wicket.
By the time Kamal himself was out to Brien, the match was all but over. Swann picked up a 6th before the innings ended but Bangladesh definitely had a lot to think about as they left this game.
End of Bangladesh innings ? 161/10(40.3), Al Hasan 42(68), Swann 6-41(10)
England win by 99 runs
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
2nd One Day International - 26 May 2013
**********************************************
Bangladesh - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
T Iqbal lbw b Swann 20
S Nafees c Strauss b Swann 28
M Mahmudullah lbw b Stock 0
N Islam c Beasley b Swann 3
S Al Hasan lbw b Swann 42
N Nazimuddin lbw b Swann 4
S Hossain c Strauss b Brien 25
I Kamal lbw b Brien 20
T Aziz lbw b Swann 0
D Mahmud lbw b Anderson 12
S Roy not out 4
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (nb1,b1,lb1) 3
TOTAL: (all out, 40.3 overs) 161
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
S Broad 5 0 26 0
J Anderson 5.3 0 25 1
G Swann 10 1 41 6
D Stock 10 0 32 1
A Brien 10 0 35 2
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-47 2-48 3-48 4-69 5-75
6-118 7-138 8-138 9-148 10-161
**********************************************
England won by 99 runs
**********************************************Shakib, as the losing captain, speaks first in the post-match ceremony. He says that the England openers just outdid every tactic placed before them, and before long the hung shoulders and drooped heads started to show on his team. With the past that they have had, it was all too easy to fall right back into the hole of being the whipping boys of international cricket, but if their recent performances could be highlighted, it showed that they could be competitive. Unfortunately, today they just we not competitive enough.
Strauss is happy about winning the series, saying that after a tied Test series where Bangladesh definitely gave them more than a few scares, it was nice to walk away as the better team finally. He also goes on to say that while Bangladesh may have lost by a big margin today, he does not think that the cricketing world should see them as inferior any longer, because they are a professional unit and have improved so much over the past year or so. He thinks that perhaps some players may be rested for the dead rubber but at the same time with cricket always being played it is nice to have players in form and part of a winning unit, so do not expect any surprises when the third ODI comes around.
Graeme Swann is the Man of the Match. He says that bowling in England as a spinner is largely a hit-or-miss affair with the cold conditions affecting both the way the bowler grips the ball and how it responds off of the pitch. It may be the reason why England has relied heavily on finger spinners rather than traditional wrist spinners in recent times. He has had to rely less on rotations of the ball and more on subtle variations for his wickets, and as can be seen from his haul today, it seems to be working.[/font]
Okay, so third ODI up tomorrow in its entirety. Happy reading. And...no, the graphics were awesome, amazing, nice, wonderful...but they make me search too much with my perfectionist self for them. Often I'd find an amazing picture and notice that one blurry out-of-focus player is actually not in the team. So I won't use that graphic. Yes, I'm THAT perfectionist. Don't try to talk me out of it. I already had a lot of pain using that pic earlier with Dravid in the background.
So...no graphics. Let's see how a text-heavy story fares against the others.
Last edited:
qpeedore
SOTM Winner - July 2014
Pitch report and weather forecast 3rd ODI
The outfield is pretty slow today, but as the day wears on and the sun comes out it should dry up a bit. Batting might be tougher in the first hour, but expect it to get better after that. Otherwise, the conditions are almost ideal for cricket and both batsmen and bowlers should enjoy things if they play well.
Squads
England
Alastair Cook (Bat)
Andrew Strauss (CAPT Bat)
Nick Beasley (WK)
Andy Keen (Bat)
Aaron Weaver (Bat)
Kevin Pietersen (Bat)
Graeme Swann (All)
Aaron Brien (All)
Stuart Broad (Bowl)
Daniel Stock (Bowl)
James Anderson (Bowl)
England will be looking for a 3-0 sweep of the ODI series with a win today, and judging from their performances in the past two games, they will be well on track for another big win here.
Watch out for
Alastair Cook He fell 7 runs short of a century in the last match, and he shared a massive opening stand with his captain. Expect another big score from him if he gets going.
Graeme Swann 6 wickets in the second ODI makes him more than a threat to the batsmen. His ability to deceive batsmen will no doubt be on show today as well.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (Bat)
Shahriar Nafees (Bat)
Mohammed Mahmadullah (All)
Naeem Islam (All)
Shakib Al Hasan (CAPT All)
Nazimuddin (Bat)
Saghir Hossain (WK)
I Kamal (Bat)
Tareq Aziz (Bowl)
Dolar Mahmud (Bowl)
Subashis Roy (Bowl)
Bangladesh are going to have to rethink their squad after this series is over, but for now they have decided to stay with the same team.
Watch out for
Dolar Mahmud He was the only bowler to really trouble the batsmen at times in the last match, and as Bangladeshs number one seamer he has to set the example.
Shakib Al Hasan His 42 was the highest Bangladeshi score, but he will have to do quite a bit more today if he wants to get his team a consolation victory.
The toss
Shakib calls heads in the air but he loses out and the coin lands tails-up. Strauss makes no hesitation about choosing to bat, saying that they have had success setting a score and putting the pressure on the visitors, and today they would look to do the same. When asked about complacency he says that he cannot think of any reasons to be complacent at all. There is no room for complacency in international cricket.
Shakib says that his team is determined to be more competitive in this match. They have looked over their mistakes and hope to address as much of them as possible.
Play 3rd ODI
Bangladesh needed to make an impact early on, as they saw for themselves just what could happen when England kept wickets in hand for the end. Instead of Mahmud opening the attack as usual, though, it was Roy standing at the top of his mark with the white ball in hand.
There was a hint of movement in the air for him, and by the end of the over he had shown that he was capable of moving it both ways. The openers negotiated it well enough, however, and they also got England going with a quick single to Mahmud at mid on.
Aziz bowled at the other end and was the victim of the innings first boundary, a wild slash by Cook that luckily for him flew over the slips and went down to the rope. Cook was showing his intentions early on.
Roy began his second over and it was clear that Strauss was having some difficulty in picking him up. Roy mixed his inswingers and outswingers well and he set Strauss up beautifully, eventually getting the batsman to just chip one right to mid off. He went off without scoring and Roy was elated to get the breakthrough.
Cook kept being aggressive though, and he took Aziz for another four in the next over. Aziz adjusted his length and Cook was unable to score any further runs in the over despite swinging at every ball. Beasley, on the other hand, was more cautious as he started and it took him 10 balls before he got off the mark.
Bangladesh used that to their advantage and tightened things up. Runs were hard to come by and it was clear that Cook was getting a little edgy. But it was Beasley who lost his wicket first, bowled by a beauty from Aziz. Beasley looked to play it to leg but played all around it and he lost his middle stump. He went for 2 and England were 14 for 2 in the 9th over.
Keen came to the middle and relieved the pressure almost immediately with a few boundaries, taking England up to 29 for 2 by the end of 10 overs. Bangladesh took the bowling Powerplay immediately as they were still in an excellent position and needed to get it out of the way.
Mahmud replaced Roy at the start of the 11th over and started quite well, only 2 runs being scored in the over. Aziz continued from his end but it was perhaps not the best decision around as Cook took him for three boundaries to leave him looking disappointed with himself.
He was replaced by Shakib but Keen showed the Bangladeshi captain no respect as he swept him for a big six before playing an even better-looking cover drive for four. As the Powerplay ended, England were in a much stronger position and Bangladesh needed a wicket or two to quiet the batsmen down.
The field spread with the restrictions lifted but Keen just kept going. He found the gaps and took the ball over the boundary two more times to send his strike rate soaring past 100. His fifty came up in almost no time at all and England would have been happy at that stage.
Islam replaced Mahmud and together with Shakib, they stemmed the flow of runs somewhat. The pressure told on Cook as he tried to sweep one past fine leg but he could only get a top edge and the wicketkeeper took an excellent catch as he dived forward to claim it. Cook went for 36 and Bangladesh had themselves a wicket at a vital time.
Weaver looked positive at the start himself, taking over from Cook and making sure that the pressure was not all on Keen to score the runs quickly. But Keen just kept playing as he had been and it was not long before he would have been thinking of a century for himself.
He entered the 90s at about the same time that Weaver entered the 40s. Weaver got to fifty first, with a cleanly hit four straight down the ground. Keen lingered on 99 for a while, and at the start of over 41, England took the batting Powerplay. The score was 195 for 3 at the time.
Mahmud returned and he showed that he was made for death bowling, getting Weaver to edge one to the lone slip from the very first ball of the Powerplay. Weaver went for 54 and Englands hopes of having two set batsmen during the Powerplay were dashed.
That brought Pietersen to the middle and he went about things with confidence, hitting his first ball for a boundary. Keen had meanwhile been on 99 for some time now and when he got back on strike he tried to get past 100 in ODIs for the first time with a wild swing. The ball took the top edge and spiraled over the infield. The man at short fine leg ran as hard as he could but he could not get there to take the catch and Keen found himself with his first century in ODI cricket.
Roy picked up the wicket of Pietersen with a piece of good bowling, full and straight to trap the batsman right in front of the stumps. He then continued with his good display by getting Swann two balls later with another simple LBW decision. Roy was just getting the ball to tail into the batsman late on and that was perhaps due to some reverse swing.
The England tail could do very little as Bangladesh seemed revived by the two quick wickets and they just did not build a partnership late on to take them to a better score. They ended with a challenging total but they could and should have gotten more.
End of England innings 257/9(50), Keen 124*(119), Roy 4-35(10)
Bangladesh need 258 to win at 5.1 per over
There was a lot of work to do if Bangladesh wanted to win and they needed runs from more than just one or two batsmen. Tamim and Nafees walked to the middle with the intention of knocking off as much of the total as possible as quickly as possible.
England were accurate early on and Bangladesh did not particularly look very attacking. They perhaps wanted to settle in before attacking but Nafees had no chance to settle as he was LBW by Broad for only 3.
Islam came out at number 3, replacing Mahmadullah. A good decision, some thought, as Mahmadullah had been short of form recently and 3 was an important position in which to bat. To be fair to Mahmadullah, it was pointed out in the commentary box that Islam did not have much form with the bat recently himself.
He went about correcting that, however, taking his first ball for four before hitting a big six over backward point in the next over and following it with yet another four. Tamim joined in himself, taking Anderson for two fours in the 8th over. By the end of 10 overs Bangladesh were 42 for 1 with Tamim and Islam looking settled.
England took the bowling Powerplay immediately and kept the field in, looking to intimidate Bangladesh with fielders right under their eyes. It worked as Islam tried to cut one over the slips but could only get a bottom edge to the keeper. He went for 23.
Nazimuddin looked out of sorts as he scored very slowly. Tamim continued doing what he does and taking boundaries when he could. It kept the required rate under 6 but he really needed Nazimuddin to start scoring quicker at the other end.
Nazimuddin went about doing just that as he hit a straight six before whipping one through midwicket for four. Tamim kept going himself and entered the 40s, in sight of another half century. He got there with a four down the ground off of a back foot punch and celebrated with a raise of the bat. Nothing special, as he knew he had to keep going.
With the spinners Brien and Swann in action at both ends, the boundaries dried up a little and the asking rate climbed above a run a ball for the first time in the match. Still, it did not seem like Bangladesh were not out of it. Nazimuddin was scoring a little slowly but he was out there scoring at least, and Tamim knew how to play big when the moment came.
The runs came in singles and it was Nazimuddin who cracked under the pressure first. He tried to play an ugly shot but missed completely and was out LBW for 31. Out walked Shakib to join Tamim in the middle.
Shakib could only manage 3 runs before he hit one right to midwicket, however. Bangladesh were 131 for 4 in the 32nd over. Hossain came out with the rate approaching 7 but he was unable to stop it from going past 7 an over as he tried to settle in.
He hit one four before being bowled and finally Mahmadullah came to the crease with the required rate beginning to go skyward. But that combined with good bowling from England, caused Bangladesh to lose it and suddenly Mahmadullah was bowled by Broad cheaply.
With wickets tumbling at one end, Tamim was all but forgotten as he probably sighted a century for himself. However it was not to be as he was LBW by Swann to a delivery that he really should have played at.
The tail was there for Bangladesh and they had not been known to hang around long and in fact it was just a matter of time before the team was all out and England had completed a 3-0 rout of the hapless Bangladeshis.
End of Bangladesh innings 201/10(46.5), Iqbal 90(104), Broad 5-46(10)
England win by 56 runs
The Bangladeshi team collects their little medals before Shakib comes up to speak. It is mentioned that the Bangladeshis showed up well for the Tests, yet for the ODIs it seemed as if their batting and occasionally the bowling just did not click. He agrees with that, saying that after the Test series was over, there was a lot of pressure on them to do well in the ODIs, however they just could not execute well on all three disciplines of the game - bowling, batting and fielding. The limited overs format put even more pressure on them to score the runs that they needed, however in international cricket at the highest level there needed to be a lot more commitment. He has no doubt that the team has the talent needed, they just do not seem to be capable of getting the results that they would like. He is glad for the break between tours, and knows that when the team goes to Pakistan, they will be rested and rearing to go.
Strauss is happy for the win, but at the same time he is cautious. Winning against a lower-ranked team like Bangladesh is still a very good thing, as international wins never come easy, however against tougher opposition they know that they still have some aspects of their game to work on. He gives credit to Bangladesh for never giving up even in the face of defeat, and says that the next time they face the tourists, things might very well be much different.
Keen is both the man of the match and the man of the series after top scoring for England twice and by that helping them to victory in those games. He is a bit nervous as he gives the interview, saying that at the moment he is just happy to score runs for his team and further ensure his spot in the final eleven. Bangladesh might be a so-called weak team, but runs are runs and the more runs he scores, the more he can keep playing in the first team. He is wished good luck on a hopefully long career ahead, and the coverage begins to close off.
The commentary team thanks everyone for tuning in and enjoying England's dominance over Bangladesh before turning to talk to each team's future tours this season and what could possibly be expected of them.
Okay, the England series is over after what seems like (and could very well be) an entire year real-time. Tough luck for my squad to lose all three matches, but...things happen. Next up is Pakistan, and I have a lot of thinking to do. With Islam stepping up and Shakib failing repeatedly with the bat, what is next for the former world number one all-rounder? What about the wicketkeeping position? Do I continue trying every possible keeper available or not? Would a full-strength Pakistani team be too much for my fledgling team, or will there be some twists in the tale? Keep reading to find out...
A couple of issues before I continue though.
First, a minor one. Pakistan also use green as their primary colour, and yellow on white is just too jarring. What colour should I use for them when I eventually update? On a minor note, the Aussies are up after Pakistan. I guess I could use orange for them, since they use dark yellow from time to time...but...y'know. I just would like to know.
Second, uh...ICC 2010 is way old. Don't get me wrong, I would not give up this match engine for anything. I haven't tried ICC 2011 or 2012, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a very good simulator (and MILES better than Cricket Captain, where I can beat Australia with a half strength Bangladesh team on a regular basis...even though the latter has a much better bowling engine, I still think overall ICC beats it to oblivion). The problem lies in reviews, the fact that the Powerplay overs now have restrictions on when they can be taken, etc. I can manage to cope with the whole two new balls from each end thing. And ICC has never had runners as a part of the game anyways. D/L issues also tamper with the realism aspect of things in ICC, where it's just not been implemented as far as 2010.
I'm willing to continue with ICC, as I've been there since ICC III, then 2009 and 2010...but of course I'm not made of money and ICC 2011 and 2012 just don't seem to give me the things that I REALLY want from them.
So...my second question in a nutshell...continue even though it's not realistic or in keeping with the current rules of cricket? I would appreciate some feedback, on these issues, please. Feel free to comment on the actual story too! It's...not easy writing it you know. Especially when from now on I'm doing away with graphics altogether. Text-only stories CAN survive on PlanetCricket. And I will prove it.
The outfield is pretty slow today, but as the day wears on and the sun comes out it should dry up a bit. Batting might be tougher in the first hour, but expect it to get better after that. Otherwise, the conditions are almost ideal for cricket and both batsmen and bowlers should enjoy things if they play well.
Squads
England
Alastair Cook (Bat)
Andrew Strauss (CAPT Bat)
Nick Beasley (WK)
Andy Keen (Bat)
Aaron Weaver (Bat)
Kevin Pietersen (Bat)
Graeme Swann (All)
Aaron Brien (All)
Stuart Broad (Bowl)
Daniel Stock (Bowl)
James Anderson (Bowl)
England will be looking for a 3-0 sweep of the ODI series with a win today, and judging from their performances in the past two games, they will be well on track for another big win here.
Watch out for
Alastair Cook He fell 7 runs short of a century in the last match, and he shared a massive opening stand with his captain. Expect another big score from him if he gets going.
Graeme Swann 6 wickets in the second ODI makes him more than a threat to the batsmen. His ability to deceive batsmen will no doubt be on show today as well.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (Bat)
Shahriar Nafees (Bat)
Mohammed Mahmadullah (All)
Naeem Islam (All)
Shakib Al Hasan (CAPT All)
Nazimuddin (Bat)
Saghir Hossain (WK)
I Kamal (Bat)
Tareq Aziz (Bowl)
Dolar Mahmud (Bowl)
Subashis Roy (Bowl)
Bangladesh are going to have to rethink their squad after this series is over, but for now they have decided to stay with the same team.
Watch out for
Dolar Mahmud He was the only bowler to really trouble the batsmen at times in the last match, and as Bangladeshs number one seamer he has to set the example.
Shakib Al Hasan His 42 was the highest Bangladeshi score, but he will have to do quite a bit more today if he wants to get his team a consolation victory.
The toss
Shakib calls heads in the air but he loses out and the coin lands tails-up. Strauss makes no hesitation about choosing to bat, saying that they have had success setting a score and putting the pressure on the visitors, and today they would look to do the same. When asked about complacency he says that he cannot think of any reasons to be complacent at all. There is no room for complacency in international cricket.
Shakib says that his team is determined to be more competitive in this match. They have looked over their mistakes and hope to address as much of them as possible.
Play 3rd ODI
Bangladesh needed to make an impact early on, as they saw for themselves just what could happen when England kept wickets in hand for the end. Instead of Mahmud opening the attack as usual, though, it was Roy standing at the top of his mark with the white ball in hand.
There was a hint of movement in the air for him, and by the end of the over he had shown that he was capable of moving it both ways. The openers negotiated it well enough, however, and they also got England going with a quick single to Mahmud at mid on.
Aziz bowled at the other end and was the victim of the innings first boundary, a wild slash by Cook that luckily for him flew over the slips and went down to the rope. Cook was showing his intentions early on.
Roy began his second over and it was clear that Strauss was having some difficulty in picking him up. Roy mixed his inswingers and outswingers well and he set Strauss up beautifully, eventually getting the batsman to just chip one right to mid off. He went off without scoring and Roy was elated to get the breakthrough.
Cook kept being aggressive though, and he took Aziz for another four in the next over. Aziz adjusted his length and Cook was unable to score any further runs in the over despite swinging at every ball. Beasley, on the other hand, was more cautious as he started and it took him 10 balls before he got off the mark.
Bangladesh used that to their advantage and tightened things up. Runs were hard to come by and it was clear that Cook was getting a little edgy. But it was Beasley who lost his wicket first, bowled by a beauty from Aziz. Beasley looked to play it to leg but played all around it and he lost his middle stump. He went for 2 and England were 14 for 2 in the 9th over.
Keen came to the middle and relieved the pressure almost immediately with a few boundaries, taking England up to 29 for 2 by the end of 10 overs. Bangladesh took the bowling Powerplay immediately as they were still in an excellent position and needed to get it out of the way.
Mahmud replaced Roy at the start of the 11th over and started quite well, only 2 runs being scored in the over. Aziz continued from his end but it was perhaps not the best decision around as Cook took him for three boundaries to leave him looking disappointed with himself.
He was replaced by Shakib but Keen showed the Bangladeshi captain no respect as he swept him for a big six before playing an even better-looking cover drive for four. As the Powerplay ended, England were in a much stronger position and Bangladesh needed a wicket or two to quiet the batsmen down.
The field spread with the restrictions lifted but Keen just kept going. He found the gaps and took the ball over the boundary two more times to send his strike rate soaring past 100. His fifty came up in almost no time at all and England would have been happy at that stage.
Islam replaced Mahmud and together with Shakib, they stemmed the flow of runs somewhat. The pressure told on Cook as he tried to sweep one past fine leg but he could only get a top edge and the wicketkeeper took an excellent catch as he dived forward to claim it. Cook went for 36 and Bangladesh had themselves a wicket at a vital time.
Weaver looked positive at the start himself, taking over from Cook and making sure that the pressure was not all on Keen to score the runs quickly. But Keen just kept playing as he had been and it was not long before he would have been thinking of a century for himself.
He entered the 90s at about the same time that Weaver entered the 40s. Weaver got to fifty first, with a cleanly hit four straight down the ground. Keen lingered on 99 for a while, and at the start of over 41, England took the batting Powerplay. The score was 195 for 3 at the time.
Mahmud returned and he showed that he was made for death bowling, getting Weaver to edge one to the lone slip from the very first ball of the Powerplay. Weaver went for 54 and Englands hopes of having two set batsmen during the Powerplay were dashed.
That brought Pietersen to the middle and he went about things with confidence, hitting his first ball for a boundary. Keen had meanwhile been on 99 for some time now and when he got back on strike he tried to get past 100 in ODIs for the first time with a wild swing. The ball took the top edge and spiraled over the infield. The man at short fine leg ran as hard as he could but he could not get there to take the catch and Keen found himself with his first century in ODI cricket.
Roy picked up the wicket of Pietersen with a piece of good bowling, full and straight to trap the batsman right in front of the stumps. He then continued with his good display by getting Swann two balls later with another simple LBW decision. Roy was just getting the ball to tail into the batsman late on and that was perhaps due to some reverse swing.
The England tail could do very little as Bangladesh seemed revived by the two quick wickets and they just did not build a partnership late on to take them to a better score. They ended with a challenging total but they could and should have gotten more.
End of England innings 257/9(50), Keen 124*(119), Roy 4-35(10)
Bangladesh need 258 to win at 5.1 per over
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
3rd One Day International - 28 May 2013
**********************************************
England - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
A Cook c Hossain b Islam 36
A Strauss c Iqbal b Roy 0
N Beasley b Aziz 2
A Keen not out 124
A Weaver c Aziz b Mahmud 54
K Pietersen lbw b Roy 17
G Swann lbw b Roy 0
S Broad c Aziz b Roy 9
A Brien lbw b Mahmud 0
D Stock lbw b Mahmud 5
J Anderson not out 5
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (nb1,w3,b1) 5
TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 257
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
S Roy 10 2 35 4
T Aziz 10 0 62 1
D Mahmud 10 0 62 3
S Al Hasan 10 0 50 0
N Islam 10 0 47 1
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-5 2-14 3-95 4-195 5-225
6-225 7-243 8-244 9-250
**********************************************There was a lot of work to do if Bangladesh wanted to win and they needed runs from more than just one or two batsmen. Tamim and Nafees walked to the middle with the intention of knocking off as much of the total as possible as quickly as possible.
England were accurate early on and Bangladesh did not particularly look very attacking. They perhaps wanted to settle in before attacking but Nafees had no chance to settle as he was LBW by Broad for only 3.
Islam came out at number 3, replacing Mahmadullah. A good decision, some thought, as Mahmadullah had been short of form recently and 3 was an important position in which to bat. To be fair to Mahmadullah, it was pointed out in the commentary box that Islam did not have much form with the bat recently himself.
He went about correcting that, however, taking his first ball for four before hitting a big six over backward point in the next over and following it with yet another four. Tamim joined in himself, taking Anderson for two fours in the 8th over. By the end of 10 overs Bangladesh were 42 for 1 with Tamim and Islam looking settled.
England took the bowling Powerplay immediately and kept the field in, looking to intimidate Bangladesh with fielders right under their eyes. It worked as Islam tried to cut one over the slips but could only get a bottom edge to the keeper. He went for 23.
Nazimuddin looked out of sorts as he scored very slowly. Tamim continued doing what he does and taking boundaries when he could. It kept the required rate under 6 but he really needed Nazimuddin to start scoring quicker at the other end.
Nazimuddin went about doing just that as he hit a straight six before whipping one through midwicket for four. Tamim kept going himself and entered the 40s, in sight of another half century. He got there with a four down the ground off of a back foot punch and celebrated with a raise of the bat. Nothing special, as he knew he had to keep going.
With the spinners Brien and Swann in action at both ends, the boundaries dried up a little and the asking rate climbed above a run a ball for the first time in the match. Still, it did not seem like Bangladesh were not out of it. Nazimuddin was scoring a little slowly but he was out there scoring at least, and Tamim knew how to play big when the moment came.
The runs came in singles and it was Nazimuddin who cracked under the pressure first. He tried to play an ugly shot but missed completely and was out LBW for 31. Out walked Shakib to join Tamim in the middle.
Shakib could only manage 3 runs before he hit one right to midwicket, however. Bangladesh were 131 for 4 in the 32nd over. Hossain came out with the rate approaching 7 but he was unable to stop it from going past 7 an over as he tried to settle in.
He hit one four before being bowled and finally Mahmadullah came to the crease with the required rate beginning to go skyward. But that combined with good bowling from England, caused Bangladesh to lose it and suddenly Mahmadullah was bowled by Broad cheaply.
With wickets tumbling at one end, Tamim was all but forgotten as he probably sighted a century for himself. However it was not to be as he was LBW by Swann to a delivery that he really should have played at.
The tail was there for Bangladesh and they had not been known to hang around long and in fact it was just a matter of time before the team was all out and England had completed a 3-0 rout of the hapless Bangladeshis.
End of Bangladesh innings 201/10(46.5), Iqbal 90(104), Broad 5-46(10)
England win by 56 runs
Code:
**********************************************
England v Bangladesh
3rd One Day International - 28 May 2013
**********************************************
Bangladesh - 1st Innings
----------------------------------------------
T Iqbal lbw b Swann 90
S Nafees lbw b Broad 3
N Islam c Beasley b Broad 23
N Nazimuddin lbw b Brien 31
S Al Hasan c Broad b Stock 3
S Hossain lbw b Broad 8
M Mahmudullah b Broad 1
I Kamal not out 20
T Aziz b Broad 4
D Mahmud c & b Anderson 9
S Roy b Anderson 4
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (w3,lb2) 5
TOTAL: (all out, 46.5 overs) 201
**********************************************
O M R W
----------------------------------------------
S Broad 10 0 46 5
J Anderson 8.5 1 42 2
G Swann 10 3 25 1
D Stock 10 0 58 1
A Brien 8 0 28 1
----------------------------------------------
Fall of Wickets:
1-9 2-47 3-122 4-131 5-149
6-151 7-169 8-174 9-197 10-201
**********************************************
England won by 56 runs
**********************************************The Bangladeshi team collects their little medals before Shakib comes up to speak. It is mentioned that the Bangladeshis showed up well for the Tests, yet for the ODIs it seemed as if their batting and occasionally the bowling just did not click. He agrees with that, saying that after the Test series was over, there was a lot of pressure on them to do well in the ODIs, however they just could not execute well on all three disciplines of the game - bowling, batting and fielding. The limited overs format put even more pressure on them to score the runs that they needed, however in international cricket at the highest level there needed to be a lot more commitment. He has no doubt that the team has the talent needed, they just do not seem to be capable of getting the results that they would like. He is glad for the break between tours, and knows that when the team goes to Pakistan, they will be rested and rearing to go.
Strauss is happy for the win, but at the same time he is cautious. Winning against a lower-ranked team like Bangladesh is still a very good thing, as international wins never come easy, however against tougher opposition they know that they still have some aspects of their game to work on. He gives credit to Bangladesh for never giving up even in the face of defeat, and says that the next time they face the tourists, things might very well be much different.
Keen is both the man of the match and the man of the series after top scoring for England twice and by that helping them to victory in those games. He is a bit nervous as he gives the interview, saying that at the moment he is just happy to score runs for his team and further ensure his spot in the final eleven. Bangladesh might be a so-called weak team, but runs are runs and the more runs he scores, the more he can keep playing in the first team. He is wished good luck on a hopefully long career ahead, and the coverage begins to close off.
The commentary team thanks everyone for tuning in and enjoying England's dominance over Bangladesh before turning to talk to each team's future tours this season and what could possibly be expected of them.
Okay, the England series is over after what seems like (and could very well be) an entire year real-time. Tough luck for my squad to lose all three matches, but...things happen. Next up is Pakistan, and I have a lot of thinking to do. With Islam stepping up and Shakib failing repeatedly with the bat, what is next for the former world number one all-rounder? What about the wicketkeeping position? Do I continue trying every possible keeper available or not? Would a full-strength Pakistani team be too much for my fledgling team, or will there be some twists in the tale? Keep reading to find out...
A couple of issues before I continue though.
First, a minor one. Pakistan also use green as their primary colour, and yellow on white is just too jarring. What colour should I use for them when I eventually update? On a minor note, the Aussies are up after Pakistan. I guess I could use orange for them, since they use dark yellow from time to time...but...y'know. I just would like to know.
Second, uh...ICC 2010 is way old. Don't get me wrong, I would not give up this match engine for anything. I haven't tried ICC 2011 or 2012, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a very good simulator (and MILES better than Cricket Captain, where I can beat Australia with a half strength Bangladesh team on a regular basis...even though the latter has a much better bowling engine, I still think overall ICC beats it to oblivion). The problem lies in reviews, the fact that the Powerplay overs now have restrictions on when they can be taken, etc. I can manage to cope with the whole two new balls from each end thing. And ICC has never had runners as a part of the game anyways. D/L issues also tamper with the realism aspect of things in ICC, where it's just not been implemented as far as 2010.
I'm willing to continue with ICC, as I've been there since ICC III, then 2009 and 2010...but of course I'm not made of money and ICC 2011 and 2012 just don't seem to give me the things that I REALLY want from them.
So...my second question in a nutshell...continue even though it's not realistic or in keeping with the current rules of cricket? I would appreciate some feedback, on these issues, please. Feel free to comment on the actual story too! It's...not easy writing it you know. Especially when from now on I'm doing away with graphics altogether. Text-only stories CAN survive on PlanetCricket. And I will prove it.
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