Bangladesh Make History!

After last week’s gloriously close contest, I really wasn’t expecting another. Let alone Bangladesh actually winning it!

So many, many congratulations to Mushfiqur Rahim’s men for breaking their hoodoo and for the first time beating not only England but any top six Test-playing nation since their debut in 2000. I’m being kind to England; the margin was 108 runs, so ultimately not particularly close at all!

It was quite a weird match of ebb and flow, the tidal range of cricketing fortunes abnormally large. Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque pushed the home team’s first innings score to a very respectable 171-1 before Moeen Ali sparked a 9-41 collapse before day one was complete. In reply, England never really got going. Not even 50-merchant Jonny Bairstow or Ben Stokes could work some magic. Indeed, the best partnership by far was the 99 produced for the ninth, featuring Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes.

Facing a modest deficit, Tamim Iqbal set off at his usual rapid rate before falling first with the score on 65. Fortunately most of the top five also contributed to the cause, advancing the score to 200-3. Meanwhile, the catches were going down with alarming regularity. Could they ride their luck and set a target of 300+? Er, no. Stokes and Rashid got stuck in on the third morning and it was game on.

With spin again looking to be the most lethal weapon, the target of 273 would undoubtedly be challenging. In came Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett. With half the allotted five days still to come, it would be about patience, skill and application, not the usual England strategy of bash-it-and-hope.

In the event, new-boy Duckett played his usual attacking game while his captain was more averse to finding the boundary. It seemed to be working as the first century came up without loss in the 24th over. Finally, the teenage twirler Mehedi Hasan broke through, and the English resistance crumbled into dust. Hallowe’en humiliation for the tourists but hyperbolic hysteria for Bangladesh.

Cook blamed the inexperience of England’s spinners. Erm, and just how much experience does he think 18 year-old Hasan possesses? In fact, it was the seam of Woakes and Stokes which shone on the first day, while the decision to recall Steven Finn looked rather odd. He bowled 11 overs in the match, conceding 48 runs and taking no wickets. I understand why Zafar Ansari was granted his debut, but not why he was picked for the tour in the first place. Why don’t the selectors take the players in form, not those who play for the London counties and did quite well a few years ago?!

Moeen Ali is a useful spinner but we must remember he is basically a stylish batsmen who was forced to develop his bowling skills as a means of filling a gaping hole in England’s armoury. I’m sure work is being done to coach young spinners into potential Test stars of the future. The value of slow bowling to Twenty20 has probably attracted boys and girls to try their hands at off-breaks and googlies. Unfortunately, the skills required to keep sloggers down to eight runs an over aren’t necessarily the same as those needed to strangle Test batsmen and take ten wickets. It’s the same gulf as that which exits between batting in Tests and one-dayers.

The reality is that England are not going to produce a world-class spinner in the next year. So what they need to do against the likes of Bangladesh and India is to coach batsmen into playing the likes of Mehedi Hasan and Ravi Ashwin. Cook and Root can’t do it all themselves. Number one test nation India might just be licking their lips….

As for Bangladesh, they deserve their celebrations after beating England fair and square over two matches. I wouldn’t be surprised if, given a deciding fixture, the home nation would have wrapped up a series victory. I just hope they are allowed to play more Test matches against the top sides and show this wasn’t a fluke. Of course, that is precisely why England, Australia and India will NOT give them such an opportunity. That is a shame. I’d welcome many more chances to see Shakib and Mehedi in action against the world’s greatest batsmen.

Coetzer and Bangladesh join the World Cup record breakers

The 2015 World Cup has served up so many batting records I'm losing count. With Gayle's 200, AB De Villiers' fastest 150, all the 400+ totals and record partnerships, the statistics are mounting up to suggest in some people's minds that this competition is the best ever. No, it's just the tournament with the worst balance of bat and ball.

All the records seem to be made by batsmen. I'm not denying that crowds enjoy watching the likes of world superstars Brendan McCullum, David Warner and Kumar Sangakkara strike fours and sixes around the park but it seems like innings of 300 of becoming the norm and 400 is no longer the rarity it was even four years ago. Personally I'd rather see a 250-250 thriller than one side set a target of 400 which even the top teams would struggle to approach. That means bowlers taking wickets and it's not only Broad and Anderson failing to do so with disappointing regularity.

Economy rates are also affected by the constant tinkering of rules, bat and ball technology and the apparent shrinking of playing areas towards the square itself. Watching highlights of previous World Cups reminded me that the boundary used to be the advertising boards immediately in front of Row A. Now the 'rope' is routinely placed about 5 metres beyond spectators and don't tell me it's for the fielders' safety.

So far there have been only seven five-fors, which makes Tim Southee's 7-33 against England and Mitch Starc's 6-28 against the Black Caps even more outstanding. Even Steve Finn's five wickets against the Aussies came at the expense of 71 runs, hardly something to celebrate.

Anyway, some batting performances are to be applauded. Yesterday's magnificent 156 was not only a personal List A career best for Kyle Coetzer but also out-did any previous innings by an Associate nation player. Such a shame that Scotland could not capitalise on their best total and register that elusive first World Cup victory. That they failed was on account of a wonderful run chase by Bangladesh.

I was surprised that Tamim Iqbal's 95 was Bangladesh's highest in a World Cup but further swift fifties by Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib al Hasan took them across the 319 target line with eleven balls to spare at Nelson. Suddenly it's not impossible that Bangladesh could reach the quarter-finals. If they do, it will almost certainly be at the expense of England, who must beat them on Monday to remain in the hunt.

And then there's Australia. The hosts and pre-tournament favourites will want to beat Sri Lanka because if Bangladesh triumph at Adelaide next week they will have to beat the Scots to progress. Defeat is unthinkable but the ultimate shock would thrill millions. Ireland were brought down to earth this week and if they lose to Zimbabwe at the weekend, the prospects of another Associate side reaching the knock-outs will recede further. They will need to overcome Pakistan to give themselves a chance, unless the West Indies fail to beat UAE. Even if they win, it could be down to net run rate.

The Windies' plunge down the rankings saddens me but for the good of global cricket I'd love it if one of the non-Test nations makes the last eight. In reality that means Ireland. Ah, a man can dream...!