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Sports, Cricket

Too late to shine for Tigers’ bowlers


Published : 10 Oct 2023 09:07 PM

Bangladesh bowlers failed to spark at early stage, as Shakib Al Hassan’s decision to field first after winning toss backfired and England scored a mammoth total when both the sides played their second match on Tuesday.   

Though the bowlers took last seven wickets for 66 runs it was too late When England scored 296 runs for three wickets. 

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hassan decided to field first and sent England to bat, but bowlers demonstrated a poor show as their opener and the second wickets stand paved the way to set a huge total of 364 runs to chase for Bangladesh. 

Tigers’ bowlers failed to justify the captain’s decision against the world class batting line up with Bairstow, Dawid Mallan, Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Harry Brook on the batting paradise pitch. 

It was not a day for the bowlers with the game largely favoured the batters, the openers proved it from early innings of the match. 

Three Tigers’ bowlers went at over more than seven an over – two six and one at nine or more - but a side that had major question marked over their ability to score quick runs could not give a good account of themselves in what was going to be an unlikely chase.

Though it was a day that belonged to the English batters, namely Dawid Mallan and Joe Root, whose 107-ball 140 and 68 balls 82 were as aggression innings and control with domination with strike rates 130 and 120 respectively when Jonny Bairstwo’s 52 off 59 balls was also very attacking with 88 strike rate. 

It was arguable that Bangladesh’s only moment of relief in the innings came after Bairstow and Mallan’s storm as one down batter Jos Buttler (20 off 10 balls) and Harry Brook’s getting out in quick successions and could restrict England (for 364) before to reach 400.  

In the opening 10 overs England scored 61 runs, and kept the proceedings scoring 100 100 runs in 15.3 overs (93 balls) when 99 runs came from bats and only one run from Extras. 

But even as Tigers’ bowlers sought to keep their lines and lengths tight at the early hour before the opening pair accumulating a big score (115).

During their 115 off 107-ball stand, it looked boundaries were never too difficult to find with loose deliveries dealt with efficiently and even the good balls more often than not turned away for singles. 

After the opening stand departed, the second wicket stand appeared with more hostile to score 151 runs from 123 deliveries.  

The opening pair Bairstwo and Dawid Mallan hinted very early stage of their innings that saw England were taking commanding marker on Bangladesh who kicked off their World Cup campaign with an authoritative six wickets win over Afghanistan at the same venue.  

But Bangladesh batters could not capitalize the advantage of flat wickets, as from early of their they lost wickets in a regular interval and could not reach even to closer or reduce the margin of defeat, though bowlers bowled out England by 49.4 overs.