Tigers take 95 runs overall lead
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
It has been a grinding effort from England but, led by Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad with two wickets apiece, they gained momentum as the fourth day, making regular inroads into Bangladesh's batting order to set up the prospect of 2-0 series win. The home side limped to 172 for 6 - a lead of 95 - as their resistance began to falter after Tamim Iqbal was dismissed for a belligerent 52. Shakib Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 25 and it will be down to him to try and give his side something to defend on the final day, reports cricinfo online.
After battling hard during the first three days Bangladesh's resistance is finally starting to crack with England able to apply pressure. However, once again it wasn't a faultless performance from the visitors who batted ponderously during the morning and then spurned a number of chances, some easier than others, in the field.
With the ball beginning to turn appreciably, Tamim was given three lives off James Tredwell in his short, but enterprising innings when Bangladesh came out to bat for the second time with a deficit 77. The first came in Tredwell's opening over as he immediately found some purchase off the wicket to graze the edge of Tamim's bat, but the deflection bounced out of Matt Prior's gloves and a tumbling Paul Collingwood on slip could not hold on either.
Unperturbed by Imrul Kayes's unlucky dismissal - bowled after the ball ricocheted off his thigh pad - Tamim continued in a positive vein but almost paid the price when, on 26, he charged down the track to Tredwell and slammed the ball very hard at a catchable height back to the bowler. However, the ball slipped through his fingers, and with Junaid Siddique trundling along steadily at the other end, Bangladesh had reduced their deficit to four when Tamim was dropped the third time - and this one was by far the easiest of the lot. He swished wildly and the ball looped gently towards Jonathan Trott at point but he somehow managed to let the ball slip through his fingers.
Tamim's luck finally ran out shortly after he had brought up his second half century of the match as he slashed at Swann and Broad held on to a regulation chance at point. Jahurul Islam strode out to the middle on a pair in his first Test, with Bangladesh at 86 for 2, and got off the mark in emphatic style by lofting his sixth ball over long on. His next scoring shot was another six as he mowed Tredwell back over his head.
In the second unlucky dismissal of the day, Junaid - who had settled in nicely - went back to Tredwell and forced the ball firmly off the back foot and straight onto Cook's foot at silly mid off. The ball popped gently back to Tredwell and Junaid fell to a singularly peculiar caught and bowled. Mahmudullah, who scored a defiant 59 in the first innings, was soon undone by an impressive piece of bowling by Bresnan, who had been moving the ball both ways and shaped one away to take a thin outside edge as Bangladesh slipped to 130 for 4.
scoreboard
Bangladesh 2nd innings:
Tamim Iqbal c Broad b Swann 52
Imrul Kayes b Broad 4
Junaid Siddique c & b Tredwell 34
Jahurul Islam b Swann 43
Mahmudullah c †Prior b Bresnan 6
Shakib Al Hasan* not out 25
Mushfiqur Rahim b Broad 3
Shafiul Islam not out 0
Extras (w 5) 5
Total (6 wickets; 68 overs) 172
To bat: Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain.
Bowling: Broad11-2-37-2, Bresnan 9-2-21-1, Tredwell 23-7-59-1, Finn-7-2-17-0, Swann 18-6-38-2.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-86, 3-110, 4-130, 5-156 and 6-169.
After battling hard during the first three days Bangladesh's resistance is finally starting to crack with England able to apply pressure. However, once again it wasn't a faultless performance from the visitors who batted ponderously during the morning and then spurned a number of chances, some easier than others, in the field.
With the ball beginning to turn appreciably, Tamim was given three lives off James Tredwell in his short, but enterprising innings when Bangladesh came out to bat for the second time with a deficit 77. The first came in Tredwell's opening over as he immediately found some purchase off the wicket to graze the edge of Tamim's bat, but the deflection bounced out of Matt Prior's gloves and a tumbling Paul Collingwood on slip could not hold on either.
Unperturbed by Imrul Kayes's unlucky dismissal - bowled after the ball ricocheted off his thigh pad - Tamim continued in a positive vein but almost paid the price when, on 26, he charged down the track to Tredwell and slammed the ball very hard at a catchable height back to the bowler. However, the ball slipped through his fingers, and with Junaid Siddique trundling along steadily at the other end, Bangladesh had reduced their deficit to four when Tamim was dropped the third time - and this one was by far the easiest of the lot. He swished wildly and the ball looped gently towards Jonathan Trott at point but he somehow managed to let the ball slip through his fingers.
Tamim's luck finally ran out shortly after he had brought up his second half century of the match as he slashed at Swann and Broad held on to a regulation chance at point. Jahurul Islam strode out to the middle on a pair in his first Test, with Bangladesh at 86 for 2, and got off the mark in emphatic style by lofting his sixth ball over long on. His next scoring shot was another six as he mowed Tredwell back over his head.
In the second unlucky dismissal of the day, Junaid - who had settled in nicely - went back to Tredwell and forced the ball firmly off the back foot and straight onto Cook's foot at silly mid off. The ball popped gently back to Tredwell and Junaid fell to a singularly peculiar caught and bowled. Mahmudullah, who scored a defiant 59 in the first innings, was soon undone by an impressive piece of bowling by Bresnan, who had been moving the ball both ways and shaped one away to take a thin outside edge as Bangladesh slipped to 130 for 4.
scoreboard
Bangladesh 2nd innings:
Tamim Iqbal c Broad b Swann 52
Imrul Kayes b Broad 4
Junaid Siddique c & b Tredwell 34
Jahurul Islam b Swann 43
Mahmudullah c †Prior b Bresnan 6
Shakib Al Hasan* not out 25
Mushfiqur Rahim b Broad 3
Shafiul Islam not out 0
Extras (w 5) 5
Total (6 wickets; 68 overs) 172
To bat: Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain.
Bowling: Broad11-2-37-2, Bresnan 9-2-21-1, Tredwell 23-7-59-1, Finn-7-2-17-0, Swann 18-6-38-2.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-86, 3-110, 4-130, 5-156 and 6-169.