Saturday, June 5, 2010

England thrashes Bangladesh

Steven Finn took five wickets as England thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 80 runs inside three days in the second Test to wrap up a 2-0 series victory at Old Trafford here on Sunday.

Bangladesh, following-on, were dismissed for 123 in 34.1 overs with fast bowler Finn taking five wickets for 42 runs in 10 overs.

James Anderson took three for 16 in 10 on his Lancashire home ground.

Defeat meant Bangladesh have now lost 34 of their 68 Tests by an innings.

Anderson and Finn combined to reduce Bangladesh, who'd suffered a dramatic collapse in yesterday's final session, to 37 for five in the 13th over. Only Mohammad Mahmudullah, with 38, offered much resistance.

England, after rain meant no play was possible before lunch, saw captain Andrew Strauss enforce the follow-on. Bangladesh, dismissed for 216 after losing all 10 first innings wickets after tea on Saturday, were still 203 runs behind England's 419.

In overcast conditions, their top order struggled against England's new ball pair on Sunday.

England captured the prize wicket of Tamim Iqbal, who'd made hundreds in his last two knocks, including 108 in the first innings of this match, when the left-hander was caught behind second ball for just two fending at a rising Anderson delivery.

It was the first time in six innings against England that Tamim had failed to pass fifty.

Imrul Kayes, the Tigers' other left-handed opener, then fell hooking Finn for the second time in the match, with Test debutant Ajmal Shahzad once more taking a catch at long leg.

Junaid Siddique was then caught by Kevin Pietersen in the gully off Anderson and when Finn had Jahurul Islam edging through to wicketkeeper Matt Prior for naught, after trying to cut a lifting ball that was too close to him, Bangladesh were 21 for four off eight overs.

The 6ft 8in quick had taken two wickets for 12 runs in four overs, including two for three in seven balls. Mohammad Ashraful off-drove Finn for four in textbook fashion.

However, his innings of 14 ended when he couldn't keep down an Anderson delivery that moved off the pitch and edged to Jonathan Trott at first slip.

Bangladesh were now 37 for five, with Anderson having taken three wickets for 10 runs in 6.2 overs.

And the Tigers were 39 for six when Yorkshire quick Shahzad bowled Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan between bat and pad.

But four byes, conceded by Prior -- nursing a finger injury -- off the bowling of off-spinner Graeme Swann gave Bangladesh the consolation of surpassing their record lowest Test innings score of 62 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2007.

Mahmudullah several times hooked Finn to the boundary but, trying to repeat the stroke, he edged and was well caught by a leaping Prior to end a 52-ball innings featuring five fours.

Bangladesh were now 97 for eight and that became 119 for nine when Shafiul Islam was caught at first slip by Strauss off Finn.

And the match ended when Abdur Razzak holed out off Swann.

England's total saw Ian Bell make 128. Bell's third hundred in five Tests against Bangladesh took his average against the Tigers to 158.25.

Swann, with five wickets for 76 runs -- his first five-wicket Test haul in England -- did the bulk of the damage in Bangladesh's first innings, after they had been 153 for one.

No comments:

Post a Comment