And that’s it from me, after another great win for England. Thanks for all the messages, apologies I didn’t have time to answer them all. Have a lovely afternoon!
Another ego-boost of a performance for England who beat West Indies with 70 balls up their sleeve and Bangladesh with 35. Their bowling has been very good, especially the relative new England T20 boys Tymal Mills, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, and although their batting hasn’t been fully tested yet, Roy was superb today.
Eoin Morgan. “Our bowlers have really started the tournament very well, backed up in the field with very good ground fielding and catching. I think it [the way new names have slotted in] is a huge compliment to how our white ball cricket has come along, the 2019 win has lent itself to T20 cricket as well. Jason Roy form is crucial, is was nice for him and Dawid to get some time in the middle, great to see him in good touch.”
Disappointment for Bangladesh, who need a win urgently.
Mahmadullah: “I think we were very disappointed in the way we were batting, it was a very good wicket to bat on. If we don’t get good starts it gets difficult later on. We are much more skill hitters than power hitters. We need to reassess a lot of things.”
The player of the match is Jason Roy, “Ive been working very hard, today was a very big Test for me against two left arm spinners, two left-arm seamers, an off spinner.”
I think he passed.
England win by eight wickets!
14.1 overs: England 126-2 ( Malan 28; Bairstow 8) Bairstow wins it with a pugnacious pull off Shoriful for four, with 35 balls remaining. Stamped in red: EMPHATIC.
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14th over: England 122-2 ( Malan 28; Bairstow 4) Malan picks ups where Roy left off, ping-ponging Mustafizur up and over the covers.
The boys are looking strong, @tjaldred . Who do you fancy for the tournament, if I may ask? Pakistan strong?
— William Hargreaves (@billhargreaves) October 27, 2021
I do fancy Pakistan actually! They’re on fire at the moment.
13th over: England 114-2 ( Malan 22; Bairstow 2) Three balls before his dismissal, Roy had scooped Shoriful for six with lip-curling distain. A nice ego-boost of an innings to take into the rest of the tournament. Can Malan now bring it home?
WICKET! Roy c Nasum b Shoriful 61 (England 112-2)
A peach of a catch as Roy dabs Shoriful down to deep third man where Nasum captures it with both hands in sprinting in from the boundary.
Fifty for Jason Roy!
12th over: England 104-1 (Roy 54; Malan 21) A huge flat six takes Roy to his fifty! What a destructive innings. He raises his bat in the modern style by lifting the blade rather than the handle.
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11th over: England 93-1 (Roy 46; Malan 18) Shoriful bangs it into the pitch and manages some control. Bowls three dots in a row to Malan, which will feed those who doubt his place in the side.
This is going very nicely Indeed @tjaldred, which of course makes me think we're about to lose 5 wickets for 20 runs. I blame the 90s. (We'll be fine, of course).
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) October 27, 2021
I completely understand, but this T20 side don’t seem to be into that kind of thing. No mental disintegration at all. Eoin Morgan is a complete wizard.
10th over: England 90-1 (Roy 44; Malan 17) Shakib fires up two wides in a row and Roy and Malan are content to keep the singles ticking over. At the half way stage, England’s march has the stamp of inevitability about it.
England need 35 to win.
@tjaldred I think the quality of a hobnob pitch would depend on which side we were looking at
— Bob O'Hara (@BobOHara) October 27, 2021
9th over: England 83-1 (Roy 41; Malan 15) Relative control from Mahedi, singles a go-go but no boundary. Even a full-toss evades Roy’s blade.
To be fair to Gary Naylor he sent me this when Bangladesh were batting, but I hadn’t spotted it. Discuss:
On the evidence so far, T20 appears to have just as big a deleterious effect on T20 batting as it does on Test batting @tjaldred.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) October 27, 2021
8th over: England 75-1 (Roy 36; Malan 13) Gorgeous from Malan, who kneels to (reverse) sweep for four, then drives Nasum through cover for four more. A flash of resignation passes over Nasum’s face.
7th over: England 63-1 (Roy 34; Malan 3) Roy doesn’t quite give the full welly but still dispatches Mahedi over long-on boundary for six, the fielder finger-tipping the ball in a valiant attempt to hold on. The next is cut away with surprising delicacy: four more. This is flying out of Bangladesh’s grasp now.
6th over: England 50-1 (Roy 23; Malan 1) Mustafizur bowls the last over of the power play, as Roy tucks into one drifting wide, and another goes for four legbyes. There may have been more action but I was distracted by the rap of our neighbour delivering bread.
5th over: England 40-1 (Roy 15; Malan 0) Nasum’s slow left armers make the breakthrough, Buttler couldn’t get the traction he wanted and goes after a fluent 18. There are some umbrellas up, but they’re definitely not for precipitation. I fear for the back of Eoin Morgan’s neck.
WICKET! Buttler c Naim b Nasum 18 (England 39-1)
Butler tries to force Nasum off the back foot, and a smashing catch by Naim running in at long-on , florescent green boots flying across the grass.
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4th over: England 35-0 (Roy 15; Buttler 16) Another boundary as Buttler oils the wrists and to send Shoriful off and away to deep mid-wicket.
3rd over: England 28-0 (Roy 15; Buttler 10) Buttler and Roy fancy that ice bath. Shakib disappears back over his own head as Buttler goes full throttle.
2nd over: England 18-0 (Roy 14; Buttler 1) Pace from the other end. Mustafizur has a huge appeal for an lbw first ball, it hits Roy about knee high , but seems to pitch outside leg and Bangladesh don’t review. Roy then pings Mustafizur for two fours, one down the ground, and an inside edge which skirts the stumps and the fielders.
Oh dear, it seems I’ve got my colleagues in a mix. The James Walsh who wrote in about watching Bangladesh at the start of the match is NOT the James who wrote the Spin. That was James Wallace, who writes:
“Do we think that the reaction to the run out earlier is the most emotion Chris Silverwood has ever shown as England coach? He was absolutely guffawing. Reckon he would be a big fan of ‘You’ve been Framed’, creasing up at people falling off trampolines and at dogs bounding into french windows etc.
Imagine his reaction to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JqkLc1Xf8Q
“Loved the rich tea pitch description, I’m now craving them though and the only thing I can find is a Hobnob, which would definitely be a spinners wicket if it was a pitch. Best batting track biscuit - KitKat? NICE? Too many divots in a custard creme I reckon. Uneven bounce.”
Perhaps a club?
1st over: England 7-0 (Roy 6; Buttler 1) Shakib fires in from around the wicket; Roy cuts the very first ball down to the boundary for four.
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Out come England, where’s Brendan Large with his prediction of when this game will be over?
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Time for a quick cup of tea, back shortly...
England will need 125 to win
20th over: Bangladesh 124-9 (Nasum 19) Brilliant from Tymal Mills at the death! Mixing up slower balls and fizzing 90mphers with divine results. This isn’t a score that should trouble England but they didn’t go about their chase against West Indies flawlessly. Bangladesh scuppered by a poor start and then that hapless run-out.
WICKET! Mustafizur b Mills 0 (Bangladesh 124-9)
A slower ball, Mustafizur moves away to make room, as he must, and off fly the bails.
WICKET! Nurul c Buttler b Mills 16 (Bangladesh 124-8)
To the surprise of absolutely everyone on the field, the cameras show Nurul getting a tissue of a glove on a ball from Mills. I don’t know who called for that review - Morgan or Mills or Buttler - but they’re a genius
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19th over: Bangladesh 119-7 (Nasum 19; Nurul 13) Two sixes! Nasum eyes up the short boundary and pings Rashid for six, then another, then cuts four more! The Bangladesh supporters who are at the ground (it’s only sprinkled with fans) are delirious.
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18th over: Bangladesh 102-7 (Nasum 3 ; Nurul 12) Mills is denied a second as Woakes springs in a third man to try and snaffle a hit-and-hope swing from Nasum, spreadeagels but can’t quite get there. A perplexed Nasum can’t read Mills at all.
WICKET! Mahedi c Woakes b Mills 11 (Bangladesh 98-7)
Another catch for Woakes as a desperate Mahedi poke gives Mills his first wicket, deceptively slow, out of the back of the hand.
17th over: Bangladesh 98-6 (Mahedi 11 ; Nurul 11) Eight off Rashid, including an energetic smear over cover for four from Mahedi.
16th over: Bangladesh 90-6 (Mahedi 5 ; Nurul 9) Mills is back and Bangladesh are finding him tricky to get away. At last, a frustrated Mahedi picks up four from a thick edge past third man.
“Why are we hung up with these traditional old tunes?” asks Steve Cox. “I say we have a competition to find a new one, televise it and we can all vote. Goodness knows, it works for our Eurovision entry.”
Er.
Have you seen Eurovision Song Contest: the Story of Fire Saga? We watched it during lockdown, genuinely hilarious.
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15th over: Bangladesh 83-6 (Mahedi 0 ; Nurul 7) Livingstone has the considerable advantage of looking like the type of bowler desperate batters should dispatch. And Mahmudullah duly obliges. So 2-15 off Livingstone’s three overs; and just seven boundaries so far from Bangladesh.
WICKET! Mahmudullah c Woakes b Livingstone 19 (Bangladesh 83-6)
Nice n easy for Woakes at backward point as Mahmudllah goes on a desperate charge to catalyse Bangladesh.
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14th over: Bangladesh 80-5 (Mahmudullah 17; Nurul 3) A few palm trees stand tall through the heat haze as Jordan keeps it tight and Bangladesh can only squeeze four.
“Martin Wright reckons for Jerusalem, “Try the second, full of Chariots of Fire and all that, and not a smidgeon of religion. I take it Martin’s not heard of the prophet Elijah, who is clearly the reference Blake was making, as he ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire according to the Bible.
Dan Caton, you have educated me too.
13th over: Bangladesh 76-5 (Mahmudullah 17; Nurul 3) An interesting approach from Bangladesh who after losing Asif to a run out, almost repeat the calamity in the next two balls. Nice work from Mills who fluffed the original bit of fielding before firing the ball into Buttler to kipper Afif.
WICKET! Afif run-out 5 (Bangladesh 73-5)
Chris Silverwood roars with laughter on the sidelines as Afif turns for a second off a misfield and starts to run before his captain sends him back to a hapless fate.
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12th over: Bangladesh 66-4 (Mahmudullah 15; Asif 1) Timely tightness from Chris Woakes, whose four overs have gone for 12 and whose Ashes winter might be looking a bit different with the return of Ben Stokes.
“Morning Tanya.” Morning Martin Wright!
“I agree with John Starbuck that ‘Jerusalem’ carries problematic godly references – but only in the first verse. Try the second, full of Chariots of Fire and all that, and not a smidgeon of religion.
“Anything’s better than God Save Our Ghastly Dirge…”
11th over: Bangladesh 63-4 (Mahmudullah 13; Asif 0) Livingstone’s leg-breaks get rid of the dangerous Mushfiqur in his first over. He doesn’t hang back on his appeals either! No lack of confidence in persuading Morgan to review.
“Tanya, I’m sorry (not sorry) for being THAT pedant.”
Go on then, Sam from Sheffield.
“But Irish whisky (6th Over)is actually and Irish ‘Whiskey’.
Only Scottish distilled whisky comes without the ‘e’.”
Apologies. As I think I’ve admitted on here before, I’m a complete heathen, only stomaching whisk(e)y with either ginger or coffee and cream.
WICKET! Mushfiqur lbw Livingstone 29 (Bangladesh 63-4)
Pitched in line, goes straight, would have hit all three but instead hits Mushfiqur’s pad as he gambles on a reverse-sweep. Big blow for Bangladesh
ENGLAND REVIEW! An lbw shout against Mushfiqur... given not out...
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10th over: Bangladesh 60-3 (Mahmudullah 12; Mushfiqur 27) Time for Mills, who was so impressive on his return to the side against West Indies. But Bangladesh sense they’re behind the rate and milk him here and there. Shot of the day when Mushfiqur spots a short one, takes off on his toes, angles his bat and ramps the ball over Buttler and down to the rope. Eleven from the over - remember this ground has been low-scoring. They pause for drinks at the half way stage.
9th over: Bangladesh 49-3 (Mahmudullah 8; Mushfiqur 20) Gorgeous work by Mahmudullah who dispatches Rashid to long-off for four with a twinkle.
The camera pans over to the remainder of the England squad where Mark Wood, who still isn’t fit for selection, shares a joke with David Willey. England hope he might be fit for their next game against Australia on Saturday.
8th over: Bangladesh 42-3 (Mahmadullah 2; Mushfiqur 19) I think Mushfiqur has an eye on Chris Jordan. He whistles two off his first ball, then edges him through third man for four. A couple of wides, a leg bye, Jordan a bit skewwhiff here, and suddenly the over has gone for 12.
“Even the preferred ‘English’ anthem, ‘And did those feet in ancient times’ involves religion which, as you say, is beginning to fall out of favour,” says John Starbuck. “I liked Billy Connolly’s idea for the theme tune of The Archers instead, with no words, just dum-de-diddely dum-de-dum etc. It doesn’t rock, exactly, but anyone can join in.”
7th over: Bangladesh 30-3 (Mahmadullah 1; Mushfiqur 11) What did I say? Off Rashid’s third ball, Mills puts down Mushfiqur (who replaces Moeen) - but it is an exceptionally hard chance, as he launches into space at point but can’t hold on.
6th over: Bangladesh 27-3 (Mahmadullah 0; Mushfiqur 9) England on top at the end of the power play - intelligent bowling with their fielding as perfect as an Irish whisky on a long winter evening. It has been exceptional in this competition so far (as was Pakistan’s against India)
WICKET! Shakib c Rashid b Woakes 4 (Bangladesh 26-3)
Shakib tries to pull Woakes but it gets on him too quickly, and he can just top-edge. Rashid darts backwards at short fine leg, leaps and grasps with both hands, a post-performance roll-over to add to the effect. Fantastic catch!
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5th over: Bangladesh 24-2 (Shakib 2; Mushfiqur 8) Three bounces and over the rope, Mushfiqur lofts Moeen’s last ball for a just-timed-enough four. Moeen, bushy of beard, and shaven of head, is frustrated, flicking his hand to deliver the ball he might have bowled.
4th over: Bangladesh 18-2 (Shakib 1; Mushfiqur 3) Morgan gives Woakes another bite of the cherry too. It’s not quite as eventful as Moeen’s second, but Mushfiqur gets hit on the bottom hand by a beauty, a ball that zips up off the pitch like a suddenly released bramble.
“Talking of Rich Tea (inferior but safer dunking biscuits are available),” writes Brian Withington, “our three retired/failed guide dogs love a crescent of said biscuit in the morning. At the first hint of my tea mug arriving they each take up station in anticipation, and wait to be served their respective crescents to much ceremony. They are duly gobbled up gratefully (much like the Bangladesh openers to Mo).”
3rd over: Bangladesh 15-2 ( Shakib 0; Mushfiqur 1) The rise and rise of Moeen Ali continues! A superb come-back after Bangladesh tucked into his first over.
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WICKET! Naim c Woakes b Moeen 5 (Bangladesh 14-2)
Dances prettily down the track, but it is a reckless shot which lopes straight to Woakes at mid-on. Moeen is on a hat-trick!
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WICKET! Liton c Livingstone b Moeen 9 (Bangladesh 14-1)
A straight one deceives Liton who has a slug and top-edges!
2nd over: Bangladesh 13-0 (Naim 4; Liton 9) Woakes is instantly more parsimonious, just three off his first. Naim rides his luck and lofts Woakes just over Dawid Malan’s grasp at mid-wicket.
“Morning Tanya.” Morning Brian Withington.
“Splendid rendering of Bangladeshi national anthem. Reminded me a little of Within You, Without You off the Sergeant Pepper album. Less said about our pompous dirge the better. Game on.
The problem with ours, apart from the tune, is its appeal both monarch and god is not a universal winner these days.
1st over: Bangladesh 10-0 (Naim 1; Liton 9) There’s a bit of spin straight away for Moeen, and Liton and Naim both pick up singles into the onside before Liton gallops down the pitch and dispatches a straight six. The next ball is a dab wide and is punched through the covers for 4. Dainty feet. The pitch really does look ping-pong table dry and Rich Tea coloured.
It looks as if Moeen Ali will take the new ball, but first both teams and support staff take the knee.
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It’s time for the anthems. Bangladesh sing merrily along to rather an epic. England, who look suddenly gigantic, sing mostly out of the sides of their mouths.
James Walsh, who wrote this excellent spin on Bangladesh...
...pings over an email.
“Morning Tanya!
“I was in Cardiff for the Bangladesh / England match in the 2019 World Cup - remember that? The Bangladesh fans were magnificent, and the whole day had a magical and surreal air, a match in this huge global tournament taking place in a city that barely knew it was happening, due to the ECB hiding it away on Sky.
It were a bit chilly up in the stands, which I suspect isn’t going to be an issue today…”
Yes, mid 30s and rising...
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The boundaries are big in Abu Dhabi, especially on one side of the ground - which should work in the spinners’ favour.
Here is some stattage for you, about the likelihood of Moeen Ali taking the new ball again.:
The match against WI was the first time Moeen Ali had ever bowled 4 of the first 7 overs in a T20 innings. England may try something similar today, given neither Mohammad Naim or Liton Das have a good record v off spin, striking at 100 and 126 respectively. #T20WorldCup #ENGvBAN
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 27, 2021
Teams
England: (unchanged) Roy, Buttler (wk), Malan, Morgan (c), Bairstow, Livingstone, Moeen, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid, Mills.
Bangladesh: Litton Kumer Das, Naim Sheikh, Shakib Al Hasan, Md Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Nurul Hasan Sohan (wk), Shak Mahedi Hasan, MD Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, MD Mustafizur Rahman
Bangladesh win the toss and will bat!
Slow pitch, big ground, very hot, lots of spinners. “Looks like a very good wicket to bat on,” says Mahmudullah.
Eoin Morgan says he’s not that bothered, new ground, need to adapt.
Preamble
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, so England are taking on Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. Unbelievably, this is the first IT20 between the two sides, in a format where money-making means match-ups are ten-a-penny. The Bangladesh board aren’t rich enough, you say? Don’t be ridiculous!
England, who thrashed West Indies, are huge favourites against a Bangladesh side who lost against Scotland in the qualifying round-robin, and then lost against Sri Lanka in their first Super 12 match.
As an afternoon game, there will be no problems for either side with the dew that so troubled India in the field against walking-on-air Pakistan.
My colleague Simon Burnton is already at the ground and reports things are somewhat subdued.
To give you a sense of the level of World Cup fever in the UAE, here's some footage from the fanzone in Abu Dhabi before today's game. Absolutely wild #ENGvBAN pic.twitter.com/nYF9Ir7N7Q
— Simon Burnton (@Simon_Burnton) October 27, 2021
Both teams will be taking the knee, happily avoiding yesterday’s controversy when Quinton de Kock refused and missed South Africa’s game against West Indies. Much more to come out there, I’m sure.
Play starts at 11am BST.
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