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Listless Tigers taste humiliating defeat despite Shakib’s century
DHAKA, June 8, 2019 (BSS)–Listless bowling, sloppy fielding and mindless batting let Bangladesh down by 106 runs against England despite a classy century of Shakib Al Hasan in their third match of the ICC Cricket World Cup at the Cardiff on Saturday.
A power-packed England batting line up took the full advantage of Bangladesh’s shaky effort in the field to compile a hefty 386-6 before their bowlers tore apart the Tigers with vicious short bowling to dismiss them for 280 in 48.5 overs.
England opener Jason Roy was instrumental in such gigantic total, smashing a 126 ball-153, clobbering 14 fours and five sixes. Jos Buttler hammered 64 off 44 with two fours and four sixes while Jonny Bairstow made 51.
For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan blasted 121 off 119 with 12 fours and one six for his eighth century. It was his third fifty plus score in a row having made 75 and 64 in the last two matches.
It was the highest score of the ongoing World Cup as of now and second highest ODI total against Bangladesh.
England’s 391-4 at Nottingham in 2005 remains the highest total against Bangladesh, meaning the top two ODI total against Bangladesh was held by the English side.
No other teams successfully chased down more than 330 runs in World Cup history so Bangladesh were left to pull off a record.
If really Bangladesh had the intentions to pull off the heist that was completely dented by the dismissal of Soumya Sarkar, who could make just 2 runs before Jofra Archer rattled his stump with 90 mph pace.
Mark Wood ended Tamim’s sluggish stay in the wicket by dismissing him for 19 before Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan added 106-run to hint a fight-back.
England fast bowlers’ strategy was clear–they wanted to undo Bangladesh by short bowling, in which the Tigers time and again proved them vulnerable. It paid the dividends.
After embarrassing Mushfiqur with a barrage of shorts balls, Liam Plunkett got him with a cross seam length ball for 44 and then Adil Rashid removed Mohammad Mithun for 0, forcing Bangladesh loss two wickets in just four balls and two runs.
Shakib was also uncomfortable against short balls but somehow managed to deal it with, showing huge patience unlike his other colleagues.
He and Mahmudullah added 49 runs after which Ben Stokes ended Shakib’s indomitable stay to virtually end the match long before it finished.
Mahmudullah made 28 while Mosaddek Hossain Saikar scored 26.
Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes claimed three wickets apiece, displaying a gem of short bowling effort.
Sloppy fielding cost Bangladesh at least 50 runs but they could mull them lucky as England looked to have propelled past 400, only denied by Tigers comparatively good death over bowling.
Still England plundered 111 runs for three wickets in the last 10 overs, thanks to Liam Plunkett’s unbeaten 9 ball-27.
Mohammad Saifuddin and Mehidy Hasan claimed two wickets apiece, giving away 78 and 67 runs respectively.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza won the toss and elected to bowl first but the decision backfired, with English openers taking the Bangladeshi bowlers in disdain.
Roy and Bairstow combined for a 128 in just 19.1 overs to set the platform upfront, providing the other batsmen a leeway to make carnage.
Mashrafe gave breakthrough, claiming the wicket of Bairstow after he hit his first World Cup fifty.
With Joe Root in company, Roy seemed to have found his Midas touch, scoring runs at will.
Mohammad Saifuddin rattled Root’s stump with a slower delivery, bringing an end to the 77-run partnership. Root made 21.
Meantime, Roy reached his ninth century, with a powerful pull of Mustafizur’s short-of-length delivery for boundary. Roy however became the only fifth English opener to score a World Cup century.
Roy then launched Mehidy for three straight sixes to complete his 150 before the bowler had the last laugh as he went for fourth straight six, only to find Mashrafe at extra cover.
Buttler and captain Eoin Morgan (35) kept up the tempo, having sent the Bangladeshi bowlers receiving end further.
But Bangladesh managed to stall the progress, taking out three wickets for 11 runs in two overs, including the set duo and Ben Stokes.
With their dismissal, the fear of 400 was diminished but Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett came up with lusty blow to help England set still an improbable target for Bangladesh.
BSS/SMP/MMA/2330hrs