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Bdesh-Eng: Groundhog Day

Tuesday, November 11 2003

Bangladesh inexplicably replaced star batsman Habibul Bashar with uncapped Moniruzzaman following the former's rash dismissal in the first match at Chittagong. They also welcomed experienced left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique back from injury to replace Jamaluddin Ahmed, whilst England remained unchanged.

For the change in cast, the script hardly differed. James Anderson, clearly better for the break post-South Africa, caused the Bangladeshi top order all sorts of problems as the hosts showed little hope in their repeated desire to fence, complete with hard hands, at anything back of a length or anywhere for that matter outside off stump. Hannan Sarkar was taken by Collingwood at cover, debutant Moniruzzaman fell caught behind, and Anderson had 2/0 off 13 balls.

Richard Johnson joined the party as Nafis Iqbal (4) chased one well outside off to give Read another take before Alok Kapali (2) pushed at another one in the corridor with sadly predictable results. It took a 20-over, 53-run stand of dogged, Test-style resistance (again) to find respectability before Rajin Saleh (37) pulled a short ball from Rikki Clarke straight to square leg Ashley Giles. Khaled Mahmud (4) was completely deceived by Ashley Giles' arm ball, and it didn't take long for him to be trapped palpably leg-before to a chorus of derision from the Bangabandhu crowd.

Khaled Mashud (4) fell in almost identical fashion to the top order, Andy Flintoff the beneficiary, before Mushfiqur Rahman's 131-minute, 93-ball vigil for 22 runs came to an end as he chopped a back-foot drive off Johnson onto the stumps. Rafique was then dropped by Vikram Solanki at point before some big hitting from Rafique prolonged the fall of the executioner's axe. Manjural Islam Rana (8) fell to a smart pick up and throw from Solanki before some wild swipes from Tapash Baisya (12*) and Rafique (27*) led to 134/9 54 added for the final two wickets. Going to reverse the batting line up for the next game, boys?

Marcus Trescothick dispatched Tapash's first ball to the point boundary but Solanki (0) was twice beaten and rapped on the pads by the seamer's in-duckers. He got away with the first one, but the stay of execution lasted just one ball. Trescothick (9) then followed a big Vaughan six with what can only be termed a hoik, the end result being a chop onto the stumps. The malaise spread to Paul Collingwood who played a dirty great swipe (there really aren't any other adjectives) across a straight one from Tapash and was bowled.

Enter Flintoff. Exit ball. It really wouldn't have mattered that much had I copied and pasted Friday's match report with a few tweaks, would it? The Lancastrian's first seven balls yielded two fours and a six. However, Rahman was unlucky not to dismiss him in the final over of his creditable and economical return of 1/28, after Flintoff top-edged a pull on 26 only for Moniruzzaman by now having a debut to forget entirely to put down a sitter at mid-off. Reprieved, Flintoff cut loose and Rafique's erring in length led to the ball being deposited in the stands at mid-wicket twice in two overs, costing 27 runs between them. He the followed it up by disdainfully flicking Mahmud over the midwicket rope with scarcely any effort.

It was fitting that the all-rounder dealt the final blow as he hammered another Mahmud full toss through midwicket for four to finish the job with more than 22 overs to spare, ending unbeaten on 70 off just 47 balls contrasting to Bangladesh, who took 205 balls to make 70 with nine fours added to his four sixes. Vaughan was content to play the anchor, his 37* taking up 69 balls and including four boundaries as well as the maximum off Tapash.

It all added up to another painfully predictable defeat number 46 in a row for the Bangladeshis, who have shown very, very little sign of competing in ODIs, whilst England are now likely to rotate the squad for the final match on Wednesday at the Bangabandhu, with Andrew Strauss, Anthony McGrath, Gareth Batty and James Kirtley expected to get run outs.

Bangladesh 134/9 (Rajin Saleh 37, RL Johnson 3/22)

England 137/3 (A Flintoff 70*, MP Vaughan 37*)

England win by 7 wickets

England lead the 3-ODI series 2-0 with one to play

CricketWeb Player of the Match: Andrew Flintoff

Posted by James