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| June 5, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1426 |
Bangladesh battling to avoid another defeat in last Test
CHESTER-LE-STREET (England), June 4: England’s Ian Bell scored an undefeated maiden Test century as Bangladesh were left battling to avoid a two-day innings defeat in the second Test on Saturday.
The touring side, needing 343 to make England bat again and completely outclassed throughout the two-Test series, reached tea on 108 for three with Javed Omar unbeaten on 60, Bangladesh’s only half-century of the series.
If England wrap up victory before the close it will be only the fifth time since the Second World War that a Test has ended in two days. They are seeking a 14th win in their last 18 Tests against one defeat, while Bangladesh have won just one of their 37 tests.
The right-handed Bell, playing his third Test, confirmed his growing reputation with 162 not out as England declared on 447 for three at lunch.
The 23-year-old, who made 70 and 65 not out in his only two previous Test innings, faced 168 balls, hitting a six and 25 fours.
He and Graham Thorpe, who made 66 not out in his 100th Test, put on 187 at almost a run a ball.
They batted correctly for most of the morning until a message from the captain reached them, along with a spare pair of gloves, half an hour before the break, leading to a flurry of attacking strokes and 63 runs in six overs.
England, who won the first Test by an innings and 261 runs, had resumed on 269 for three, 165 in credit. After the pyrotechnics of the previous evening, when the home side had carved 223 runs in 35 overs during the final session, Saturday began less spectacularly.
Trescothick’s 151-run brutality was replaced by the finesse of Bell, although he was soon scoring heavily as the Bangladeshi quicks dropped short. Tapash Baisya changed his length and Bell, who now has a Test average of 297, clipped him off his toes, checked his stroke to drive him square and then pulled him again for three fours in an over.
England must have felt they could have declared at almost any stage on Saturday and still have had a good chance of wrapping up an innings victory inside two days. Bangladesh have made 108, 159 and 104 in their three innings to date in the most one-sided series in England in living memory.
But their openers produced a robust reply, Javed Omar producing a fine straight drive off Steve Harmison and a searing cut off Simon Jones as he dominated the opening stand of 50, the team’s best partnership of the series.
When Nafees Iqbal did go, it was in bizarre circumstances. He gloved Andrew Flintoff behind and appeared to start walking after Geraint Jones dived forward to claim the catch.
When television replays suggested the ball had bounced, however, Iqbal, already on his way to the pavilion, turned back to remonstrate only to be sent on his way again by the umpires.
Off-spinner Gareth Batty got his first bowl of the series in the afternoon before Flintoff struck again, Rajin Saleh edging to Andrew Strauss at second slip to make it 75 for two.
Omar, hitting out wildly at Batty, survived until the break but Mohammad Ashraful holed out for 12 in the penultimate over before tea.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 104 (S.J. Harmison 5-38).
ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 269-3):
M.E. Trescothick c Ashraful b Aftab 151
A.J. Strauss lbw b Mashrafe 8
M.P. Vaughan c Khaled b Mashrafe 44
I.R. Bell not out 162
G.P. Thorpe not out 66
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-10, W-2, NB-3) 16
TOTAL (for three decl, 78 overs) 447
FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-105, 3-260.
DID NOT BAT: A. Flintoff, G.O. Jones, G.J. Batty, M.J. Hoggard, S.J. Harmison, S.P. Jones.
BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 22-4-91-2; Tapash Baisya 15-2-80-0 (2nb); Mohammad Rafique 18-0-107-0; Anwar Hossain 15-1-102-0 (1nb, 1w); Aftab Ahmed 8-0-56-1 (1w).
BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):
Javed Omar not out 60
Nafees Iqbal c G Jones b Flintoff 15
Rajin Saleh c Strauss b Flintoff 7
Mohammad Ashraful c Hoggard b Batty 12
Habibul Bashar not out 6
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1, NB-6) 8
TOTAL (for three wkts, 31 overs) 108
FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-75, 3-101.
BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 6-1-28-0 (3nb); Harmison 6-1-24-0 (1nb); S.P. Jones 4-1-14-0; Flintoff 7-1-24-2 (1w); Batty 8-2-17-1.—Agencies
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