March 17th, 2010
As a man who once feared his international career would be limited to five wicketless overs in a forgotten ODI in Bloemfontein, Graeme Swann is in a hurry to make up for lost time. So much so, that even when the conditions have seemingly been designed to slow him down, he still continues to take strides into the history books. On Tuesday in Chittagong, he completed the first ten-wicket haul of his career (having earlier in the game bagged a wicket in the first over of a spell for the 18th occasion in 17 Tests) to emulate the late, great Jim Laker, the last England offspinner to achieve such a feat, in 1956.
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March 16th, 2010
Graeme Swann bagged his first 10-wicket match haul as England finally broke through Bangladesh’s resistance to secure a 181-run victory at Chittagong, but not before Junaid Siddique and Mushfiqur Rahim had made them toil through another wicketless session. Siddique scored his first Test century as the sixth-wicket pair survived the morning, taking their stand to 167, before Swann ended the resistance.
The victory margin was convincing from England – and Alastair Cook will be satisfied with his first Test in charge – but Bangladesh’s fight during the second half of the game made them dig deeper than they would have imagined. The efforts of Siddique and Rahim should give the home side great heart and England were getting increasingly flustered before Siddique’s marathon 292-ball effort was ended in the second over after lunch.
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March 12th, 2010
Match facts
Friday March 12, 2010
Start time 9.30am (03.30GMT)
Big Picture
It’s been so far, so good for England in Bangladesh, albeit with the occasional fright along the way in the one-day series and a troublesome list of injuries to their quick bowlers. Even though their strike power has been reduced they should still have too much class for the home side over this short series, but it’s unlikely that success will come in the form of three-day thrashings.
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March 5th, 2010
Craig Kieswetter’s maiden hundred set up a comfortable 45-run victory in the third ODI at Chittagong as England sealed a 3-0 series whitewash over Bangladesh. Kieswetter’s 107 formed the backbone of England’s 284 for 5 after they were sent in to bat and the top order struggled for fluency on a sluggish pitch. His innings laid the foundation for Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright to play aggressive cameos, which boosted England’s total beyond the reach of Bangladesh’s abilities and the home side limped to 239 for 9.
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March 5th, 2010
Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, believes his team is gelling well in the build-up to the 2011 World Cup in exactly 12 months’ time, and regards the final ODI against England in Chittagong as an opportunity to lay down a significant marker at a venue where the two teams are set to meet again in the group stages of the tournament.
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March 5th, 2010
Ryan Sidebottom is set to fly home from the England tour of Bangladesh, after failing to recover from a thigh injury, and he could yet be joined on the plane by Stuart Broad and Graham Onions, both of whom are being sent for MRI scans on their lower back, as the England camp was hit by a wave of injuries ahead of the third ODI in Chittagong.
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March 3rd, 2010
Eoin Morgan hit his first hundred for England as they overcame a major challenge from Bangladesh to secure a nerve-jangling two-wicket victory with seven balls to spare and seal the series in Mirpur. For Bangladesh it means their wait for success over England continues and their inability to close out matches came back to haunt them as Morgan’s ultra-cool approach proved too much.
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March 2nd, 2010
Match facts
Tuesday March 2, 2010
Start time 14.00 (08.00GMT)
Big Picture
Given their flashes of success against every other Test-playing nation, it’s certain that Bangladesh will eventually beat England. But after eight straight defeats, it’s the most recent, on Sunday that will really grate. Tamim Iqbal’s dazzling hundred was a glimpse of the talent that lies latent in the country, but the soft dismissals and clumsy fielding from his team-mates showed just how far they have to go before they can regularly challenge the best sides.
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March 2nd, 2010
Alastair Cook, England’s Test and ODI captain, has been omitted from England’s 30-man provisional squad for the World Twenty20 that starts in April in the Caribbean. Cook’s new ODI opening partner, Craig Kieswetter, has been included, alongside Peter Trego and Michael Lumb, after their success on the England Lions tour to UAE.
Cook’s omission came as something of a snub after he was named in the recent Twenty20 party that played two matches against Pakistan in Dubai, and although his accumulatory style is not best suited to the cut and thrust of the 20-over format, he showed impressive form for Essex in last season’s Twenty20 Cup, and was England’s most fluent batsman with a brisk 64 in their 50-over victory against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday.
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February 28th, 2010
Tamim Iqbal’s glittering 125 was not enough for Bangladesh to break their duck against England as the visitors completed a professional six-wicket victory to open the one-day series at Mirpur. Tamim’s third ODI hundred came from 94 balls, but he couldn’t find any support from his team-mates, leaving England’s new captain Alastair Cook with 64 and Paul Collingwood, who continued his fine form with an unbeaten 75, to ensure no slip-ups chasing a modest 228.
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