Emma John's match report
And with that, my race is run. Thanks for sharing these moments with me. Bye!
You can find the latest table here:
Kane Williamson is a relieved man:
I thought the first innings was outstanding, the fielding from both teams was outstanding. We knew that 250 was potentially challenging. It wasn’t our most clinical effort with the bat. It was nice to hold on and get over the line. It was just one of those surfaces that tends to make for a good game of cricket.
A match that looked pretty humdrum for a long while, and turned into a tension-packed dramafest in the final hour. In the end, however, the team that always seemed likely to win, won. If Mishfiqur hadn’t messed up that run-out, though...
While you wait for a report on this game, here’s a report on today’s other one:
New Zealand become the only team (so far) to win their first two matches, and top the fledgling table.
Incredible atmosphere. Loud. Boisterous. But so so friendly. Just wonderful. This is why global cricket tournaments in the UK are so good. https://t.co/kW0uWhP86s
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) June 5, 2019
Ross Taylor is named player of the match.
We were very nervous at the end there. They put a lot of pressure on us and it could have gone either way. We thought maybe 270, 280 was a good total out there, but they kept putting pressure on us and kept taking wickets. It was good to get over the line at the end of the day.
This just about sums it up:
An hour ago, we were talking about Kane Williamson batting too slowly and sacrificing a Net Run Rate boost. Last five minutes were just shots of Trent Boult looking like he was about to burst into tears. What a passage of cricket. #CWC19
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) June 5, 2019
New Zealand beat Bangladesh by two wickets!
48.1 overs: New Zealand 248-8 (Santner 16, Ferguson 4) Santner hits the first ball of Mustafizur’s over through midwicket, and it’s all over!
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47th over: New Zealand 244-8 (Santner 13, Ferguson 4) Having taken a wicket with a full toss Shaifuddin tries it again first up to Lockie Ferguson, who is saved by an edge into his pads. The tension! Then he decides to end the over with a bouncer, which is too high and called wide! Bangladesh do not want to be handing out freebies! And then another wide down leg! And then Ferguson edges the third last ball of the over, which rolls away for four! The scores are level!
What. A. Match.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) June 5, 2019
WICKET! Henry b Shaifuddin 6 (New Zealand 238-8)
Henry plays across a slow full toss, and it floats right into middle stump!
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46th over: New Zealand 235-7 (Santner 10, Henry 6) Now Bangladesh turn to the Fizz, and Henry half-volleys to the long-off boundary! Then one goes just wide of the blue line, handing the Kiwis a bonus run. They’re just 10 away now!
45th over: New Zealand 227-7 (Santner 7, Henry 2) Saifuddin gets one to rap Santner’s pads, but the appeal lands on deaf ears. It flicks the front pad and thuds the back, and perhaps the two sounds save him ... nope, turns out it pitched fractionally outside leg, great decision from Paul Reiffel! The next ball is edged, and there’s no slip to stop it going for four! Just 18 needed, from 30 balls!
44th over: New Zealand 220-7 (Santner 1, Henry 1) On Sky the commentators are befuddled at the decision to bring back Mosaddek when Mustafizur has overs in the bank. Two runs and a wicket later, it seems a pretty wise move.
Neesham c Sarkar b Mosaddek 25 (New Zealand 218-7)
Incredible scenes! Neesham chips the ball straight to long off!
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43rd over: New Zealand 218-6 (Neesham 25, Santner 0) 27 runs needed. They couldn’t, could they?
WICKET! De Grandhomme c Mushfiqur b Shaifuddin 15 (New Zealand 218-6)
A slow-ball bouncer, and De Grandhomme makes a last-moment decision to push the ball over Mushfiqur as it passes his chin. Bad move, bud: the pace he thought he was using doesn’t actually exist, and he sends it looping into the keeper’s gloves!
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42nd over: New Zealand 212-5 (Neesham 24, De Grandhomme 10) The Fizz is back, and Neesham hits through cover for four. Then there’s a wide - the last three overs have featured two wides and a no-ball, which isn’t exactly ideal - and finally De Grandhomme miscues the ball in the air right over the head of the fielder at short midwicket!
41st over: New Zealand 205-5 (Neesham 19, De Grandhomme 9) There are actual fireworks happening but not at the Oval, but somewhere near the Palace of Westminster. Shakib completes his allocation, which has cost 47 runs and brought the wickets of both Kiwi openers.
40th over: New Zealand 200-5 (Neesham 18, De Grandhomme 6) Mortaza oversteps, and De Grandhomme cracks the free hit over extra cover for four! 200 up, 45 needed, 10 overs to go.
39th over: New Zealand 193-5 (Neesham 17, De Grandhomme 1) Nerves! Welcome back, we’ve been missing you! New Zealand need 52, with 11 overs remaining.
WICKET! Taylor c Mushfiqur b Mosaddek 82 (New Zealand 192-5)
They could, you know! Taylor gets a slight nick on a ball heading down leg, and Mushfiqur collects!
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38th over: New Zealand 191-4 (Taylor 82, Neesham 16) Four more for the Kiwis. Could Bangladesh possibly engineer another breakthrough?
37th over: New Zealand 187-4 (Taylor 81, Neesham 13) Though recent events have added some welcome tension to proceedings New Zealand are only a few good, aggressive shots from taking this game away from Bangladesh for good, and Neesham seems ready to provide them, hitting successfully if not very handsomely through midwicket. Then Taylor edges, and Mustafizur chases it down, leans over and flicks the ball away from the rope just as his toe lands upon it. Another four!
36th over: New Zealand 177-4 (Taylor 76, Neesham 8) Runs! From nowhere, Neesham sends the ball steepling over midwicket, the ball landing on the rope for six!
35th over: New Zealand 169-4 (Taylor 75, Neesham 1) Two singles and a brace off the last, the second run not without risk - a more accurate throw and Taylor would have been in trouble.
34th over: New Zealand 165-4 (Taylor 72, Neesham 0) Five dots off Mehidy and then very nearly a suicidal single off the last, which is nudged to short leg, well fielded and the stumps hit, but Neesham is in by the riskiest, whiskiest whisker.
33rd over: New Zealand 164-4 (Taylor 71, Neesham 0) A single and a wide off Mosaddek Hossain’s over. In this innings New Zealand have either been focused on consolidation, in which case their progress has been slow but safe, or on self-destruction.
32nd over: New Zealand 162-4 (Taylor 70, Neesham 0) That was technically poor from Williamson, who takes his top hand off the handle and gets nothing like the power he needed on that kind of shot. Bangladesh bring a slip in for Latham, and the first ball he faces drifts and turns and slides past the edge! And then he scoops the last ball of the over straight to a fielder! Two wickets in the over, and that has changed everything (potentially)!
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WICKET! Latham c Saifuddin b Mehidy 0 (New Zealand 162-4)
What is going through Latham’s head here? He heaves the ball to deep square leg, where it’s well caught by Saifuddin, running forwards and diving to complete the catch.
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WICKET! Williamson c Mosaddek b Mehidy 40
New Zealand were strolling and now Kane Williamson is strolling back to the hutch, after hoisting the ball to deep midwicket where it’s easily caught!
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31st over: New Zealand 160-2 (Williamson 40, Taylor 69) You want fireworks? I’ll give you fireworks!
New Zealand, meanwhile, score two singles.
30th over: New Zealand 158-2 (Williamson 39, Taylor 68) Mehidy bowls, and Taylor drives deliciously through extra cover. 87 runs needed now, and 120 balls to play with.
29th over: New Zealand 153-2 (Williamson 39, Taylor 63) Shaifuddin bowls, and three more singles go on the board. This is turning into the most slow-paced and predictably-concluded cricketing stroll since Ian Botham set off from John o’Groats.
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28th over: New Zealand 150-2 (Williamson 38, Taylor 61) At this stage New Zealand are sauntering to their target. Shakib bowls and they take five, in more ways than one. Three singles and a brace is plenty enough. Will their focus turn at some stage towards their net run rate, or are they happy to bag some patient points?
27th over: New Zealand 145-2 (Williamson 37, Taylor 57) New Zealand need 100 runs now, and have plenty of time to get them.
26th over: New Zealand 138-2 (Williamson 35, Taylor 54) After half the over the win predictor gives New Zealand a 99% chance of success. If only Bangladesh had been given a chance to break this partnership before it really got going, eh?
25th over: New Zealand 138-2 (Williamson 35, Taylor 53) Taylor lifts the ball over point to complete a 39-ball 50. It’s his first ODI half-century. He has averaged an unlikely 80.71 over the last two years. “Addng to Abhijato Sensarma’s thoughts, Tilda Swinton was also the Angel Gabriel in Constantine. Bringer of big news, and all that,” writes Damian Clarke. “Makes you think, eh?”
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24th over: New Zealand 127-2 (Williamson 32, Taylor 46) Mosaddek bowls, and four more singles will do for the Black Caps, who need 4.5 an over from here on in.
23rd over: New Zealand 123-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 44) Taylor cuts the first ball of Mustafiz’s over for four, and cameras cut to a group of Guardian sports desk staff in the Oval crowd. Hi guys! Williamson then edges the last ball of the over, but the ball lands a foot short of the keeper. He’s got some full-on fairy godmother wicket-protecting magic happening today.
22nd over: New Zealand 116-2 (Williamson 29, Taylor 38) Four more runs in ones and twos, off Mosaddek Hossain.
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21st over: New Zealand 110-2 (Williamson 27, Taylor 34) Mustafizur fizzes in, and concedes a brace of singles. This is all a bit sober at the moment.
20th over: New Zealand 110-2 (Williamson 27, Taylor 34) Mosaddek Hossain now, and Taylor cuts his first ball past point for four. He’s later presented with an opportunity to repeat the shot, misses it completely and pounds his bat with his fist in frustration.
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19th over: New Zealand 105-2 (Williamson 27, Taylor 29) Four more singles. New Zealand have wisely scaled back the fireworks, and the idiotic running. “Keep in mind that Tilda Swindon can see the future in the MCU,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “If she somehow does the same here ... Does she know something about Bangladesh we don’t?”
18th over: New Zealand 101-2 (Williamson 25, Taylor 27) Shakib continues, and Taylor thumps the ball through the covers for four. Add a three, a couple of twos and a single and you get a profitable over and New Zealand into triple figures.
17th over: New Zealand 90-2 (Williamson 23, Taylor 18) A lovely shot from Williamson, pure economy of effort as he sends the ball past point, just too far from any fielder for it to be worth them trying to stop it.
16th over: New Zealand 85-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 18) The actor Tilda Swinton is in the audience, and unexpectedly wearing a Bangladesh shirt. A quick internet search suggests she has visited the country at least twice, but I can’t find any evidence that she has ever said anything enthusiastic about cricket.
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15th over: New Zealand 82-2 (Williamson 16, Taylor 17) Shaifuddin now. Williamson edges, and the ball passes through a vacant cordon and down to third man. Four singles, and then Taylor pulls the final ball of the over for four.
14th over: New Zealand 74-2 (Williamson 14, Taylor 11) New Zealand go for another crazy single, and Taylor slides home by an inch. Given the state of the game, there is some very strange decision-making going on. “The Kiwis want to choke desperately, but Bangladesh want to choke even more,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “Incredible nerves!”
13th over: New Zealand 70-2 (Williamson 11, Taylor 10) Though what Ross Taylor was doing calling that completely idiotic run is beyond me. All in all, that was totally amateurish cricket from both teams. The ground has gone quiet, and Williamson has a go at waking them up again by steering the ball straight to point, but it lands just short of the fielder.
Oh, no! Mushfiqur Rahim has just dropped the World Cup!#CWC19 #CWC2019 #BANvNZ #NZvBAN
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) June 5, 2019
12th over: New Zealand 67-2 (Williamson 9, Taylor 9) The really galling thing about that missed run-out chance is that if Mushfiqur had just left he ball alone, if he had walked the other way and not got involved, the ball would have hit middle stump. That was a howling cock-up of the most egregious kind.
Incredible let-off for Williamson!
New Zealand go for a suicide run and Williamson is run out by three yards! But Mushfiqur gets excited about whats about to happen, throws his hands through the stumps, dislodges both bails before the ball gets to him and the batsman is thus saved!
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11th over: New Zealand 60-2 (Williamson 7, Taylor 4) Mortaza bowls too wide at Taylor, who sends it bouncing past point for four. The game is nicely poised right now but New Zealand could whip it away in short order unless more wickets fall.
10th over: New Zealand 55-2 (Williamson 6, Taylor 0) I can only think of one genuinely attacking shot played by New Zealand since Guptill got out, and Munro basically paid the price for holding back, prodding at a ball he could have thwacked.
WICKET! Munro c Mehidy b Shakib 24 (New Zealand 55-2)
Another one! Munro clips the ball to midwicket, where Mehidy dives forward to catch the ball just before it lands!
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8th over: New Zealand 53-1 (Munro 23, Williamson 5) A couple more singles off Mehedi. Still no hurry. Meanwhile it’s all over in Southampton, where India have inflicted another defeat on South Africa, winning by six wickets.
8th over: New Zealand 51-1 (Munro 22, Williamson 4) Just the single run off Shakib. No hurry.
7th over: New Zealand 50-1 (Munro 22, Williamson 3) Munro sweeps the final ball of Mehedi’s over to deep square leg, where it bounces once before clearing the rope. New Zealand are going to canter to this total unless a few more wickets fall fairly sharpish.
6th over: New Zealand 43-1 (Munro 17, Williamson 1) Well that was all action. Shakib comes on, takes a wicket with his first ball, and his second is thumped down the ground for six by Munro. Then Bangladesh reckon they’ve got Williamson first ball, but it turns out they don’t.
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Not out!
The ball was clearing leg stump by a few inches, and Bangladesh surrender their review in an act of pure optimism.
REVIEW! Is Kane Williamson out LBW here?
Didn’t look like it to me, but Bangladesh think it’s worth a spin!
WICKET! Guptill c Tamim b Shakib 25 (New Zealand 35-1)
Guptill tries to punish the first ball of another owner, but sends it down the throat of Tamim at long off!
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5th over: New Zealand 35-0 (Guptill 25, Munro 10) Mustafizur Rahman now, and Munro produces his best shot so far, driving through cover for four. The Fizz responds with the best delivery so far, an excellent yorker.
4th over: New Zealand 30-0 (Guptill 24, Munro 6) Now Guptill sweeps, and that’ll be another four. When Guptill has faced the first ball of an over, it’s gone for four, six and four. The batsmen have faced precisely 12 balls each, and are scoring at precisely two and 0.5 a ball respectively.
3rd over: New Zealand 25-0 (Guptill 19, Munro 6) Guptill pulls the ball through midwicket, and that is gorgeous! The next, another shortish delivery and another pull, comes off the splice but lands safe. Then Munro gets in on the boundary act, diverting the ball past point for four.
2nd over: New Zealand 15-0 (Guptill 14, Munro 1) Mehedy Hasan brings some early spin, and his first delivery disappears into the stands. Guptill is in the mood for dancing. Munro has faced two balls more than he has, and scored one. “For Bangladesh to defend this successfully they will need to bowl and field like tigers,” notes Brian Withington. “And possibly post a machine gun nest at extra cover to keep the NZ batsmen pinned down?”
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1st over: New Zealand 7-0 (Guptill 7, Munro 0) Guptill mistimes his pull from the first ball, but the ball limps to the rope anyway, with midwicket practically deserted. The next ball heads in a similar direction, but even more slowly. All the runs come from the first half of the over.
63 - Martin Guptill averages 63 from 18 previous ICC Cricket World Cup innings, of the 85 players to score 500+ runs in the tournament’s history only four have a better average (A Symonds, AB de Villiers, M Clarke, V Richards). Reliable. #cwc19 #BANvNZ pic.twitter.com/PIS0x9o5q5
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) June 5, 2019
Mashrafe Mortaza has the ball and is standing, hands on hips, waiting to be waved into action by the nearest umpire.
Out come the batsmen. The players are just lurking on the boundary, waiting for their moment to take centre stage.
I’m not sure the other match is much of a thriller, with India basically needing a run a ball off the last 60 with plenty of wickets in hand, but it has certainly had its moments. We’ll see if this one earns that status, but fingers crossed.
@Simon_Burnton Two low-scoring thrillers in one day! Why didn't I just take the month off work eh. Black Caps were tight azz (tight as India as it happens) and we'll see if Bangladesh can bowl up to that standard...
— Alistair Connor (@ConnorAlistair) June 5, 2019
Hello world! It’s 13 years since a team successfully defended a score below 300 at the Oval, and 244 is quite a long way below 300. Add No2, No9 and No13 in the ODI batting rankings, and it is clear which team will be the most chuffed at this point. A neutral, I think, always quite likes a first-innings total which can only win the game if the team commits fully to attacking when it’s their turn to bowl. The signposts are clear, and all directions lead to fun.
That’s all from me. It’s over to Simon Burnton to guide you gently through the New Zealand innings. Direct your emails to him here, or tweet @Simon_Burnton.
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This is about The Other Sport, but Ben Fisher has written about the Bangladesh football team, and the Englishman in charge of them.
New Zealand require 245 to win
Ah, the old cardinal sin of not batting out the overs. Might be slightly harsh to blame Bangladesh too much for all of that, because New Zealand were absolutely terrific with the ball, particularly Santner, Ferguson in spells and Boult. You’d expect them to knock these off, but it will be interesting to see how they cope with the extra spin options from Bangladesh.
WICKET! Shaifuddin b Henry 29 - Bangladesh 244 all out
Shaifuddin, knowing he has five balls to swing from his toes and get this total up, does indeed swing from those toes but alas misses the ball entirely, and he’s knocked over.
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WICKET! Mortaza c Boult b Henry 1 - Bangladesh 244-9
Boult had spent the time between over frantically waving at his captain and bowler asking where he needed to be, but found exactly the right spot eventually, pouching down at third man after Mortaza gets a big, thick outside edge up in the air.
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49th over: Bangladesh 244-8 (Shaifuddin 29, Mortaza 1) Boult tries another slowie but gets it wrong, and it flicks off Shaifuddin’s knees and down for four leg-byes. He then tries a yorker, gets it absolutely right but Shaifuddin digs it out and it deflects down for another boundary to the same spot.
WICKET! Mehidy c Latham b Boult 7 - Bangladesh 235-8
Mehidy tries to come down the track, Boult drops one short and at his body, he swings himself off his toes trying for a big hook, but gets a faint nick through to the keeper.
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48th over: Bangladesh 235-7 (Shaifuddin 25, Mehidy 7) Henry is on to bowl. The batsmen scamper through for a couple of twos, Mehidy tries to get funky by stepping about three feet outside off stump and clipping one to short fine-leg, Shaifuddin slaps one to point but they can’t get the boundaries they badly need at this stage.
47th over: Bangladesh 228-7 (Shaifuddin 24, Mehidy 2) A series of leg-glanced singles completes the over from Boult. Five runs from it in total, which isn’t enough, you’d imagine.
WICKET! Mosaddek c Guptill b Boult 11 - Bangladesh 224-7
Here’s Trent Boult, who has two overs left in the bank. Mosaddek tries to hit him over the Thames, but sends it vertical and Guptill settles ‘neath it and takes the catch in the calm manner of someone you’d trust to catch your baby if you had to throw it from a burning building.
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46th over: Bangladesh 223-6 (Mosaddek 11, Shaifuddin 21) Ferguson mixes up his pace, some quick ones and a slower ball bouncer, but Shaifuddin takes one of them downtown, a big slap over cow corner for four. They’re starting to get a wriggle on now, but you suspect it’s too little, too late.
45th over: Bangladesh 215-6 (Mosaddek 9, Shaifuddin 16) Having survived the review, Shaifuddin celebrates by sticking the last ball of Santner’s spell way over cow corner for six gratefully received runs.
Not out!
There was the featheriest of feather edges on the ball before it reached the pad, and in any case it was probably missing off stump.
Review!
Santner’s in for his last over, and Shaifuddin takes a big hoik across the line, then goes down on one knee to try a fine sweep but misses. It hits the pad, the umpire says no lbw but the take it upstairs...
44th over: Bangladesh 205-6 (Mosaddek 8, Shaifuddin 7) Ferguson takes the pace off one to Mosaddek, who jabs an edge just, just, just short of Latham behind the stumps. Another tight over though, three from it and Bangladesh’s expectations are dropping by the minute.
43rd over: Bangladesh 202-6 (Mosaddek 7, Shaifuddin 5) Four runs for Shaifuddin and it’s thanks to a rare bit of iffy fielding, as he back cuts, Henry chases, reaches the ball but can only scoop it onto the boundary marker.
WICKET! Mahmudullah c Williamson b Santner 20 - Bangladesh 197-6
Lovely bowling from Santner, who has got most of his success by angling things in on a tight line, but switches things up with a slower, looping, wide ball that Mahmudullah has to reach for, but can only toe-end the thing to Williamson in the covers.
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42nd over: Bangladesh 195-5 (Mahmadullah 19, Mosaddek 6) Mahmadullah backs away and exposes his stumps to Ferguson, which is a bold strategy, and only gets a single from it, carved through the covers. Mosaddek tries the same and doesn’t even get one thanks to some spiffing fielding by Santner.
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41st over: Bangladesh 192-5 (Mahmadullah 17, Mosaddek 5) Santner’s back, from the Vauxhall end this time when his previous seven overs had all been from the Pavilion. He gets a bit of turn and induces an edge, but an edge through a vacant slip region and Mosaddek picks up two.
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40th over: Bangladesh 188-5 (Mahmadullah 14, Mosaddek 4) Bowling change, as Ferguson gets another blast. His first spell was terrific, his second ropey: which will we get here? The answer is lots of stuff outside off, and most of the shots are directed towards Guptill at point, which he broadly deals with, one smacking him rather painfully on the forearm. Just two runs from the over, though.
39th over: Bangladesh 186-5 (Mahmadullah 13, Mosaddek 3) They need to push things somehow here, and one option is to go for rapid singles. They do just that twice, possibly saved by a couple of just askew throws by Guptill. Just.
38th over: Bangladesh 182-5 (Mahmadullah 11, Mosaddek 1) Bit of a pickle for Bangladesh. They’ll be doing well to get 250 from here.
WICKET! Mithun c de Grandhomme b Henry 26 - Bangladesh 179-5
Ooof: ugly. Mithun takes a step or two down the track, Henry sees him coming and bowls short, Mithun tries the hook anyway but sends it high, high into the south London air and de Grandhomme casually pouches the steepler.
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37th over: Bangladesh 179-4 (Mithun 26, Mahmadullah 10) Boult keeps things relatively tight for three balls, then concedes a leg-bye, a wide, then Mithun plays the most delicate dab through what would have been about third slip for a boundary, then a less delicate hook that might have got more than a single had it been a yard or two wide of the fielder. A good over for Bangladesh, in the scheme of things.
36th over: Bangladesh 172-4 (Mithun 21, Mahmadullah 10) Double pacers now, as Matt Henry returns to the attack. Williamson wants a wicket to really apply boot to throat. But hello! Mithun drops to one knee and ramps him for a one-bounce four, perhaps not quite directed as he’d like but they’ll 100% take it. He tries a lofted one over mid-on, but doesn’t get all of it, the ball plugs over the fielder’s shoulder and they settle for two.
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35th over: Bangladesh 166-4 (Mithun 15, Mahmadullah 10) Oh look, it’s Trent Boult back into the attack, for the first time since the 10th over. Two runs from the over, exactly the same as the number of eyebrow-shaving bouncers that Boult sent down at serious pace.
34th over: Bangladesh 164-4 (Mithun 14, Mahmadullah 9) Tricky situation for Bangladesh here. They can’t really afford to take too many more risks, but equally they need to get the run rate above five, and it’s currently below. Three runs from that over, delivered by Santner.
33rd over: Bangladesh 161-4 (Mithun 13, Mahmadullah 7) If de Grandhomme was a club cricketer he’d probably be nicknamed ‘toothache’. His deliveries aren’t much more than dobbers, but they’re accurate dobbers and Bangladesh struggle to get them away, three runs this time, all to Mahmadullah.
32nd over: Bangladesh 158-4 (Mithun 13, Mahmadullah 4) Mahmadullah goes this close to chopping onto his stumps off Santner, but it misses. Another terrific over from the left-armer, who Bangladesh are finding very difficult to pick up.
31st over: Bangladesh 155-4 (Mithun 12, Mahmadullah 2) De Grandhomme looks a bit like a Hollywood leading man from the 50s, all broad shoulders and strong jaw and swept, black hair. Would Cary Grant be able to take a crucial wicket and concede a relatively economical four runs from an over at a crucial stage of the game? Not likely.
WICKET! Shakib c Latham b de Grandhomme 64 - Bangladesh 151-4
Huge. De Grandhomme might have been lucky to stay on after his last over, but stay on he does and Shakib rocks back, tries to cut and feathers one through to Latham. He looks thoroughly vexed as he stalks off the field.
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30th over: Bangladesh 151-3 (Shakib 64, Mithun 11) Santner back to the economical stuff as the batsmen nudge him around for three singles. This really is a terrific match: really good bowling and some excellent counter-attacking batting.
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29th over: Bangladesh 148-3 (Shakib 62, Mithun 10) Ferguson is given the hook, de Grandhomme in his place, but he drops down a lovely gentle long hop that Shakib gives the treatment, out to deep mid-wicket. Another is slashed just - just - over short third man and Shakib is on a one-man mission to get this total up. He’s on 62 from 62 balls now, and the run rate is up above five.
28th over: Bangladesh 137-3 (Shakib 51, Mithun 10) Shakib does the seemingly implausible and gets Santner off the square, going to his half century with a cut that Ferguson dashes around to third man and keeps them to three. Seven runs from that Santner over, nearly double what they got from his previous three.
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27th over: Bangladesh 130-3 (Shakib 46, Mithun 8) Ferguson hasn’t looked quite as spicy since returning: Shakib deals with him reasonably well, taking three simple runs before he sends three down Mithun’s leg side for wides, the last being a touch harsh given how far he’d stepped across his stumps. Mithun then gets every little bit of a pull and sends it flying to the square leg fence for a boundary.
26th over: Bangladesh 120-3 (Shakib 43, Mithun 4) More watertight bowling from Santner, the only runs being a dabbed/edged two by Mithun from his first ball. He’s conceded four runs from three overs.
25th over: Bangladesh 118-3 (Shakib 43, Mithun 2) With a new man in Williamson goes for the throat: probably quite literally, given the pace and lengths Ferguson has been bowling. BUT WAIT: Bangladesh actually deal with it pretty well, pushing some singles (which the batsmen almost run into each other completing) and then Shakib tickles a four off his hip, down to fine leg.
@NickMiller79 how rapidly is Ferguson chucking it down? Hard to judge in the flesh with the back of a length pitchjng he is using. Which looks very effective.
— Jim Frayling (@JimFrayling) June 5, 2019
His fastest has been 148.3 kph apparently, with an average of 143.6 - that’s about 92/88 mph. Rapid.
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24th over: Bangladesh 110-3 (Shakib 37, Mithun 0) Another terrific over from Santner, just two runs coming from it and the pressure from his bowling probably contributing to the ludicrous run-out.
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WICKET! Mushfiqur run out (Guptill) 19 - 110-3
Oh boy. Mushfiqur pushes one between extra cover and point for what looks for a sharp but relatively straightforward single, but Shakib rather bafflingly decides against it, sends him back but far too late, and he’s not even in the frame as Latham completes the formalities from Guptill’s throw.
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23rd over: Bangladesh 108-2 (Shakib 36, Mushfiqur 18) Neesham comes back for a second over, and it might well just be one more as Bangladesh - and in fairness have no choice here - target him. Shakib takes his first three balls for four, the first a pull in front of square and the other two slashes between deep point and third man. A wide, two singles and a two caps a Bangladesh’s best over of the match, 17 runs coming from it.
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22nd over: Bangladesh 91-2 (Shakib 21, Mushfiqur 17) The Neesham Experiment lasted one over, and it’s a complete change of pace with Mitchell Santner’s left arm spin into the attack. There’s not much actual spin, but Santner’s angle from round the wicket and bounce from his height proves tricky to shift off the square. Shakib sets off for a single but is immediately sent from whence he came, and requires a little treatment after taking some skin off his elbow with the dive that got him home safely. A maiden over is completed, a rare, rare thing these days, smart captaincy from KW.
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21st over: Bangladesh 91-2 (Shakib 21, Mushfiqur 17) Now then. After a barren run Mushfiqur is getting the taste for it, wandering outside off stump to ramp de Grandhomme over the keeper’s head for four. Some singles, and a clip off Shakib’s pads for a couple means it’s nine from that over, meaning they have now scored more in the last two overs than they did in the previous five.
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20th over: Bangladesh 82-2 (Shakib 18, Mushfiqur 11) Huh. A bowling change, which I wasn’t exactly expecting, as Jimmy Neesham replaces Ferguson. Maybe Williamson is keeping him fresh with short spells and bring him back for some wickets later, but there is a danger of relieving the pressure they’ve built up over the last few overs. And sure enough, Shakib spins on a long hop and sends it to the deep backward square boundary, topping up the three relatively straightforward singles they’d picked up earlier in the over.
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19th over: Bangladesh 75-2 (Shakib 13, Mushfiqur 9) De Grandhomme obviously doesn’t have Ferguson’s pace, but he’s just as economical, only the one run coming from his latest over, meaning Bangladesh’s run rate has dropped below four an over.
18th over: Bangladesh 74-2 (Shakib 13, Mushfiqur 8) Ferguson tries around the wicket to the right-handed Mushfiqur with slips leg and conventional, which is interesting. And it almost pays off: one jumps at Mushfiqur, loops up off the shoulder of his bat and just goes over Martin Guptill. One almost gets trapped between Shakib’s legs and nearly goes back onto his stumps, but there’s so much spin the ball stops dead beneath him. Really, really good over, two runs from it.
Vibe here at the Oval slightly reminiscent of watching tennis at Wimbledon at London 2012: the seats usually occupied by stuffed suits full of raucous fans in colours. More of this please #BANvNZ
— Tom Davies (@tomdaviesE17) June 5, 2019
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I would consider it a personal insult if you chose to follow India chasing 228 to beat South Africa with Tim de Lisle, but I also must present you with the options.
17th over: Bangladesh 72-2 (Shakib 13, Mushfiqur 7) Latham stands up to Shakib in order to keep him from stepping down the track, but not for Mushfiqur who uses the opportunity to advance and launch one high towards deep mid-wicket. He doesn’t quite nail it, and Boult sprints around, dives, but just can’t get to the catch and it bounces once before reaching the fence. Now, drinks.
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16th over: Bangladesh 66-2 (Shakib 12, Mushfiqur 2) Ferguson sends down a snorter that jumps up at Mushfiqur and in the end he does well to drop his hands far enough not to take the edge. Otherwise, more tight stuff from Ferguson who now has figures of 3-0-5-1. Not bad.
A little reading to accompany this game: England Women’s big summer starts against West Indies on Thursday, so here’s Raf Nicholson to set the scene.
15th over: Bangladesh 64-2 (Shakib 11, Mushfiqur 1) Tom Latham is standing up to de Grandhomme when Shakib is facing, gentle pace in comparison to the lightning Ferguson. Mushfiqur plays no shot to one that ducks in and smacks into his front knee, but it wasn’t ducking far enough and they sensible decide not to review the not out call.
14th over: Bangladesh 62-2 (Shakib 10, Mushfiqur 0) Obviously this is not news, but there’s some serious wheels on Ferguson. The only other runs from the over come via Mushfiqur’s thigh pad, down to fine leg for a couple.
WICKET! Tamim Iqball c Boult b Ferguson 60-2
Ferguson has three goes at a short ball: the first a wide, the second good but goes through, the third Tamim tries to hook but cloths it, and the ball loops gently to mid-wicket where Boult strolls in and takes the catch.
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13th over: Bangladesh 59-1 (Tamim 24, Shakib 10) Another bowling change, with Colin de Grandhomme on, and another tight over. Really good contest this, a terrific quick bowling attack against some of the most exciting bats in the world, a contest that New Zealand are currently just on top of.
12th over: Bangladesh 56-1 (Tamim 22, Shakib 9) Bowling change, and here’s slippery ol’ Lockie Ferguson. Shakib nudges one out to square leg and Tamim wants a dicey second, but is sent back and just makes it but probably would have been on his way with a better throw from Boult. That and another single are the only two runs from a tight over from Ferguson, finished off with a typically vicious bumper.
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11th over: Bangladesh 54-1 (Tamim 21, Shakib 8) Here’s OB Jato: “Bangladesh are sensibly laying a platform in the initial overs, respecting the good balls which have been bowled. This is the mature cricket we need to see from them. Tamim and Shakib now need to play ‘anchoring blinders’, laying the platform for an end-overs assault from the likes of Mahmadullah, Mushfiqur and Mosaddek. Reaching 350+ is a must if they want to win. Let’s see!”
That’s reflected in this over, Shakib and Tamim not doing anything too flamboyant, nudging Henry all around the outfield to the tune of five runs from the over.
10th over: Bangladesh 49-1 (Tamim 20, Shakib 4) Couple of really good overs for New Zealand. Shakib struggles to get Boult through the infield and can only get three from it, although he connected pretty nicely with a pull to mid-wicket that arrowed in on a fielder.
9th over: Bangladesh 46-1 (Tamim 20, Shakib 1) “Armchair Verdict,” writes Abhijato Sensarma from his La-Z-Boy, “I am calling this the Clash Of The Dark Horses. This will swing the momentum of both teams’ campaigns. Against stronger teams like India, England and Australia, winning will be very tough. That leaves six matches for each side, out of which one has been played and won respectively. Hence, whoever takes the two points today has a much greater chance of winning the rest of the four required matches to make the semi-finals.”
WICKET! Soumya b Henry 25 - Bangladesh 45-1
Ah, the over-by-overer’s curse. Henry pitches one up, Soumya plays a bit of a hacky shot across the line and loses his middle stump. Shame really.
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8th over: Bangladesh 44-0 (Tamim 19, Soumya 25) Soumya thinks he has a boundary, admiring a fine flick that scoots towards the ropes, but de Grandhomme Klinsmanns across the turf to save two runs. Tamim then jumps onto a short ball and thrashes a shot to the mid-wicket fence with almost super-human speed: these two are getting going now, which should be terrific fun.
7th over: Bangladesh 36-0 (Tamim 14, Soumya 22) Henry nearly gets through Tamim with an in-dipper, but follows it up with one too wide and Soumya flays him through the covers, and after a couple of singles waits for a slower ball and batters it behind point. Two boundaries and some smart running, and Bangladesh take 12 from the over.
6th over: Bangladesh 24-0 (Tamim 12, Soumya 12) Terrific over from Boult: lots of tight lines, a nasty old short ball thrown in, just a couple of singles from it. They’ll be delighted at restricting these two to four an over, you’d imagine.
5th over: Bangladesh 22-0 (Tamim 11, Soumya 11) Soumya is batting like a man who skulled a pint of Red Bull with a pint of Monster as a chaser before the start of play. He jabs at a drive which flies off the inside edge, just missing the stumps for a couple, then hits a technically perfect, arrow-straight shot over the keeper’s head for a one-bounce four. After Soumya nails a couple of shots perfectly but straight at fielders, Henry takes a bit off one that is edged to third man for a single. This is good cricket from both sides: settle in for a belter, I reckon.
4th over: Bangladesh 15-0 (Tamim 11, Soumya 4) Tamim nails a cut which extra cover half stops, enough to allow them through for a couple. Boult tickles his nose with a rapid short one, then follows it up with a classic one-two and a fuller one on the stumps, but Tamim flicks it off his pads and to the mid-wicket fence. Lovely stuff all round.
3rd over: Bangladesh 9-0 (Tamim 5, Soumya 4) Soumya picks up a couple with a nice shove through the covers but follows it up with a hideous hoik that he misses entirely. A bit like serving a urinal cake as pudding to a rib eye steak. Another tight over, that brace being the only two runs from the over, and you suspect that with these Bangladeshi batsmen fond of a hit, they’ll be getting twitchy already.
2nd over: Bangladesh 7-0 (Tamim 5, Soumya 2) Trent Boult is on from the Vauxhall End, giving Soumya the perfect wide sighter, but he jerkily jabs at it, which might have been a little dangerous, but he gets himself a single to fine leg. A couple more singles from a neat over, and it’s a pretty quiet start from Bangladesh.
1st over: Bangladesh 4-0 (Tamim 4, Soumya 0) Tamim peers at the first couple of balls from Henry, playing them with due caution, them jumps all over a straight one, flicking it off his pads to a very fine leg. Henry comes back nicely though, as you might expect, and that’s the only scoring shot from the over.
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We’re on. Matt Henry has the ball, Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal are ready to face up.
The players are out, standing for the anthems, accompanied by a bunch of kids/mascots, some of whom are nearly taller than the more diminutive members of the Bangladesh side.
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Do New Zealand have the best set of fast bowlers in the tournament? Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins might have a word, Bhuvi Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have a case, Jofra Archer has burst onto the international scene but it’s tricky to beat Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. Tim Southee still isn’t quite fit but he’s barely missed with those three blasting away at the top.
Team news
Bangladesh
Tamim, Soumya, Shakib, Mushfiqur (wk), Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek, Shaifuddin, Mehidy, Mortaza (c), Mustafizur.
New Zealand
Guptill, Munro, Williamson (c), Taylor, Latham (wk), Neesham, de Grandhomme, Santner, Henry, Ferguson, Boult
New Zealand win the toss...
...and will bowl.
New Zealand have won the last three ODIs between these two, but they were all games in New Zealand in February. Arguably a more relevant encounter was on these shores in 2017, during the Champions Trophy, when Bangladesh chased down 266 with relative comfort, despite being pegged back to 33-4 in the 12th over. Centuries from Shaqib-al-Hasan and Mahmudullah did the trick, putting on a record 224 for the fifth wicket at better than a run a ball.
Preamble
We’re into the guts of the World Cup now. After a few initial games that were troublingly one-sided, we’ve now enjoyed some proper contests, and this one is likely to be no different, a couple of sides who sashayed to victories over fading giants in their first games but who now face more equal opponents.
It’s slightly difficult to get out of the mindset that Bangladesh are underdogs whoever they play, particularly against a team like South Africa, but their convincing victory at the Oval on Saturday wasn’t really a particular shock. They are, man for man, just a better team than the Proteas, who as we speak are being ground into a fine dust by the well-rested Indians. Can you say the same about New Zealand, though?
Again, they are a side routinely underestimated, pegged as dark horses in basically every tournament they enter, despite being runners-up last time and getting to the semi-final in six previous editions of the tournament. Their batting might not be enormously star-studded this time but their bowling attack is deadly, as the hapless Sri Lankans discovered in Cardiff.
Might this be Bangladesh’s last chance of doing something serious at a World Cup for a while, though? The players that have been the core of their team for a decade and more are all now in their 30s - Tamim Iqbal is 30, Mushfiqur Rahim is 31, Shakib-al-Hasan is 32, Mahmudullah is 33, Mashrafe Mortaza is 35. Beating New Zealand today could set them on the way to doing that something serious.
So a game between underdogs who aren’t really underdogs and dark horses who aren’t really dark horses. Should be good. Stick around.
Start: 13.30 BST
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