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Bangladesh v England Day 2

Thursday, October 23 2003

From an overnight 24-2, Bangladesh were in circumspect mode when the second day dawned, following the inevitable overnight rain. just 14 runs were added in the first 40 minutes in the face of very accurate seam bowling from the England openers before Hoggard struck for the first time, clean bowling Hannan Sarkar for 20.

In the following over, Harmison got one to lift viciously from a length and take the gloves of Rajin Saleh (11). The ball looped invitingly over the batsman's shoulder and Chris Read took the straightforward catch. Bangladesh were in all sorts of trouble at 40-4 and in desperate need of a partnership.

Alok Kapali and Mushfiqur Rahman added a degree of stability with Kapali quick to pounce on anything loose. The pair added a vital 32 for the fifth wicket with Rahman content to play the sheet-anchor role, eager to give the strike to his hard-hitting compatriot. Kapali had just struck his fourth sparkling boundary and given Hoggard's figures a slight rearranging when Michael Vaughan turned to Gareth Batty for the first time.

With just his third ball in test cricket, the Worcestershire off-break bowler achieved the breakthrough, Kapali (28) somehow contriving to totally misjudge the flight and direction of the ball angled unerringly at his off stump to leave Bangladesh in dire straits once more on 72-5. This brought Khaled Mashud to the crease and he and Rahman in ultra-defensive mode safely negotiated the remainder of the morning session and shepherded Bangladesh through to the luncheon interval on a precarious - but much improved - 102-5.

The afternoon session grew increasingly murky as a passing shower cloud took up residence over the Bangabandhu National Stadium. After much to-ing and fro-ing, the floodlights were switched on but mercifully any rain which fell was more a sprinkling than the deluge of the preceding day.

Hoggard's recall for his fifth spell of the innings should have brought the immediate demise of Khaled Mashud with a slower ball. The batsman, deceived in the flight, played fractionally too early and the ball flew to Vaughan at mid-off. The England skipper was perhaps a little slow in picking up the flight of the ball and only laid fingertips to the eminently presentable opportunity.

As Bangladesh finally managed to accelerate the scoring rate beyond two runs per over, the batsmen were still getting scant reward for some flowing strokes over the lush outfield. Mushfiqur Rahman found the bowling of Batty to his liking and finally managed to power a short ball through the off side for only his second boundary in almost two hours.

Rahman eventually departed for a valuable 34 when an excellent inswinging yorker from the highly impressive Hoggard struck the batsman full on the instep, leaving the umpire in no doubt that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps. The partnership had added a very valuable 60 and rescued Bangladesh for a potentially embarrassing position, taking them on to 132-6.

Another excellent inswinger from Hoggard accounted for Khaled Mahmud for just 4, the Bangladesh skipper being trapped on the crease plumb in front when he was rapped on the pad. At this stage, Bangladesh were 148-7 and threatening to go belly-up.

Hoggard was perilously close to removing the troublesome Khaled Mashud two overs later when he extracted a prodigious amount of lift and rapped the batsman on the gloves. The ball flew high and handsome, just out of the reach of Chris Read for four fortunate runs.

The Yorkshireman should have also bagged Mohammad Rafique shortly afterwards when the bowler extracted a little lateral movement from the placid wicket and found the outside edge, only for Trescothick to spill a difficult, low chance in the slips.

As England sought to hasten the arrival of the new ball, Vaughan turned to both spinners bowling in tandem. The left-handed Mohammad Rafique grasped his opportunity and launched a half volley from Batty high over long on all the way for six.

Ashley Giles came in for similar treatment by Rafique four deliveries later with a massive pick-up over midwicket and high into the stands for another maximum as the scoreboard, given some impetus of late, continued to rattle along with renewed vigour.

Mashud's thoroughly deserved maiden half-century came courtesy of a neat clip for three following the recall of Rikki Clarke. When Mashud had come to the crease, Bangladesh were in extreme difficulty on 72-5. A hundred runs had been added for the loss of just two more wickets.

The Mohammad Rafique show continued unabated with another crashing six over long on off the bowling of the hapless Giles as the England back-up bowlers failed to give sufficient support to the magnificent efforts of Hoggard and Harmison earlier in the innings.

Mashud's sterling effort finally came to an end on 51 when Rikki Clarke pitched the ball up and rapped the Bangladeshi wicket-keeper on the pad to give the young Surrey man his first test wicket. Two balls later, Clarke nearly struck again with an excellent yorker to Mashrafe Mortaza, the ball narrowly evading the off stump somehow.

With Giles smashed out of the attack, Batty was thrust back into the firing line - and Mortaza duly obliged with a six of his own over long on as the Bangladesh tail sought to press on before the return of the main line seamers and the new ball.

The return of Harmison was greeted by a flashing square cut from the highly confident Rafique, but it was the Durham paceman, bowling round the wicket, who had the last laugh with a superb inswinging yorker which left the batsman flailing the air as the ball thudded into his off stump. Rafique's 32 cannot be praised too highly. It had been an exceptional effort of controlled striking and had taken Bangladesh within touching distance of 200.

16 year old Enamul Haque Jr. strode confidently to the wicket but was at the non-striker's end as Mortaza took three off Hoggard to take the total to 201-9. The same batsman drove Harmison confidently through the covers as the big Durham man strove for his fifth wicket of the innings - and it duly arrived two deliveries later. Mortaza backed away, Harmison followed him with a ball which ricocheted off the pads on to the stumps to leave Bangladesh on 203 all out and the excellent Harmison the possessor of his first five wicket haul in test cricket at a personal cost of only 35 runs.

England's reply started with a wide, Mortaza projecting the first delivery in the general direction of first slip, but the rest of the initial over was largely uneventful. The first run off the bat came courtesy of a pushed single by Vaughan, then Trescothick got under way with a signature off drive through mid-off for the first boundary of the session. A flashing square cut brought Trescothick another boundary when Mortaza dropped short as England sought to stamp some semblance of authority on the early proceedings.

Michael Vaughan survived an enormous appeal as Rahman brought one back off the seam. There was a loud noise and Mashud gleefully threw the ball in the air, but the celebrations were premature as umpire Aleem Dar remained impassive. Slow motion replays confirmed just how good a decision it was, the ball narrowly evading the edge of the bat and flicking the top of the batsman's pad.

Rahman overpitched to Trescothick and the Somerset opener had little hesitation in smacking the ball through extra cover for his third four in quick time, but Vaughan continued to have a torrid time, surviving two more speculative appeals in rapid succession off the bowling of the bustling Khaled Mahmud.

Using the blade as opposed to the cudgel, Trescothick, continuing to prosper, caressed another boundary through third man when Mortaza erred in line and length again as the England openers continued to enjoy contrasting fortunes. Vaughan, looking sorely out of touch, seemed to be the recipient of all the bad bounces and all the good deliveries at this stage.

The spin of Mohammad Rafique was introduced in the 13th over and once more an awful bounce caused trouble to Vaughan, still becalmed on just a single. As if to emphasise the differing fortunes enjoyed by the England openers, Khaled Mahmud forced a regulation nick from the edge of Trescothick's bat, only to see the ball fly at catchable height through the slips for yet another boundary.

Vaughan's stagnation finally ended when he pounced on a rare half-volley from Mohammad Rafique for three through the off side, then Trescothick smashed the same bowler over midwicket for four off the following delivery to take his own account into the forties. Vaughan found the ropes for the first time with a well-timed cut past gulley, then a neat clip through midwicket elevated his own contribution into double figures and took the opening partnership past the half-century at the end of the 15th over.

An uppish drive by Vaughan through extra cover for four off Rafique was followed by a sweep through midwicket with the same result as England prospered in the late evening floodlight-enhanced sunshine. Successive boundaries by Trescothick, one through mid-on and the other pulled past midwicket, took him past 50 as his late-season form showed no sign of abating at this stage.

Enamul Haque Jr. made his first appearance into the attack and despite being swept for four by Vaughan from his first ball, proceeded to demonstrate his enormous potential, generating prodigious turn from the hitherto unresponsive track. Dropping too short and wide, the same bowler was bludgeoned through the covers by Trescothick as the light rapidly began to fade. In the same over another ball, this time only fractionally short, was whipped to the midwicket fence with consummate timing as England continued to make rapid inroads into the Bangladesh score.

With left-arm spin from both ends, Vaughan was looking much happier than an hour earlier and the England captain swept Mohammad Rafique through midwicket for his fifth boundary of the innings. As the runs continued to flow and the game threatened to race away from Bangladesh, Khaled Mahmud turned once more to his quickest bowler, Mashrafe Mortaza, to put the brakes on and he duly obliged with a maiden, Vaughan seemingly content to play for the next day.

Trescothick, on the other hand, continued to blaze away, crashing a short Rafique delivery through the covers for his twelfth four under the bright floodlights. The prolific opener then proceeded to despatch the same bowler over midwicket for a maximum to take the opening partnership beyond a hundred. Another splendid cover drive brought four more off the very next ball as the English batsmen seemingly had no difficulty in sighting the red ball under the artificial light.

Eventually, the light was offered to the batsmen and a protracted discussion between the batsmen, understandable bearing in mind the faux-pas committed against South Africa in the summer, ultimately resulted in England seeking the sanctity of the dressing-room. It almost appeared that the batsmen seemed keen on remaining in the centre for the remaining four overs and the decision was pressed upon them by the umpires. Taking into account the fact that fielders may well have been having trouble sighting balls struck into the outfield, it seemed a sensible decision.

England closed on 111 without loss, having seen off over half of the Bangladeshi total with little difficulty, Vaughan's first half an hour at the crease notwithstanding. For Bangladesh, much credit has to be given to Rahman and Mashud for their rescue act and to Rafique's controlled aggression. Mortaza bowled with great spirit against Trescothick who finished the day undefeated on 77, but the star of the second day was most definitely big-hearted Steve Harmison who continues to go from strength to strength.

Close of play summary

Day 2 England 111-0 (Trescothick 77*, Vaughan 30*) trail Bangladesh 203 all out (Khaled Mashud 51, Harmison 5-35, Hoggard 3-55) by 92 runs with 10 wickets standing

Day 1 Bangladesh 24-2 (Hannan Sarkar 18*, Rajin Saleh 0*, Harmison 2-9)

Posted by Eddie