England XI warmed-up them well with a 4-wicket victory over BCB XI in the only one-day warm-up match ahead of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh national side, starting on Friday.
The England XI chased down the winning target scoring 313 for 6 in 46.1 overs, replying to BCB XI’s 309/9 in 50 overs at Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, reports UNB news agency.
Skipper Jos Buttler who hammered fired 80 off 64 balls, including three boundaries and four sixes for the side, fired a boundary in the last ball off Al-Amin to draw the winning line.
Besides, Buttler stayed with Moeen Ali in the 6th wicket stand of 139 in 16.5 overs for the win that denied Imrul Kayes’ century of 121 for BCB XI.
Buttler and Moeen started from 170/5 in 28.3 overs and managed to level the opponent’s score of 309, losing six wickets, before the latter fell to Sunzamul Islam for 70 off 51 balls featuring eight boundaries and two sixes.
The encounter in Fatullah turned into a cracker, following young Bangladeshi pace merchant Ebadat Hossain’s impressive spell that interrupted the English team’s flowing start to their chase.
Set 310 to win off 50 overs, the Englishmen started fluently, with openers Jason Roy and James Vince bringing up their 50 partnership in just the 7th over. They looked set to continue their good work but in his very first over, Ebadat, struck by removing Roy leaving the tourists 72/1 in the 8.4 overs.
Vince continued to make hay with the sun shining over Fatullah, but in the 12.2 overs, Ebadat, one of two young pacemen fast-tracked into contention for a place in the Bangladesh set-up, struck again, getting the English opener caught behind just two short of his half-century, when his team total was one short of 100.
That managed to put the brakes on the English chase, as the two relatively new batsmen at the crease, Bairstow and Duckett, took it upon themselves to steady the ship.
But the BCB boys struck again in the 19.3 overs, with medium pacer Kamrul Islam Rabbi getting Bairstow, batting on 11, to edge behind. The Englishmen were 127/3 at that point and something sure was happening in Fatullah.
Shuvagata Hom, bowling his off-spin, then got in the act to remove one-down Ben Duckett, clean bowled for 29 when scoreboard showing 143 for 4. Ben Stokes scored 28 runs off 40 balls with three fours and a six before he was bowled by Al Amin in 28.3 overs leaving team total 170 for 5.
Opener Imrul Kayes century of 121 propelled BCB XI, elect to bat first after winning the toss, score a formidable 309/9 against England XI in the one-day warm-up match.
BCB XI played 50 overs, in the only warm-up ahead of a three-match ODI series, ahead of the three-match ODI series against the visitors, to post the mammoth target spurred by the contribution of 69, 71 and 85 runs in the 4th, 3rd and 2nd wickets.
On the way to his century, Kayes featured six sixes and 11 boundaries off 91 balls and was bowled out by pacer David Jonathan Willey at team’s 191/3 in 28.5 overs.
Tigers’ Test side skipper Mushfiqur Rahim got back his form scoring 51 off 57 balls with five boundaries. Mushfiqur was caught by skipper Joseph Charles Buttler off Benjamin Andrew Stokes bowling at 260/4 in 40.1 overs.
Skipper Nasir Hossain added another notable figure of 46 off 45 balls, involving four boundaries and one six, before being caught by Willey off Stokes bowling at 283/6 in 44.3 overs.
In the 2nd wicket, Kayes stayed with Nazmul Hossain Shanto to carry the team total to 120/2 in 20.5 overs from 35/1 in 5 overs. Shanto was stumped out by Buttler off Adil Rashid bowling.
After the dismissal of Shanto, Kayes-Mushfiqur paired in the 3rd wicket and sailed the team total to a decent 191/3 in 28.5 overs, before Kayes was departed.
Despite scored a tiny figure of 11 runs, Shuvagata Hom gave a patient company to Mushfiqur for a span of 11.2 overs, in the 4th wicket that carried the team total to 260/4 in 40.1 overs from 191/3 in 28.5 overs.
Christopher Roger Woakes bagged three wickets for 52 runs in nine overs while Benjamin Andrew Stokes and David Jonathan Willey took two wickets each for 36 and 63 runs respectively.
However, in the ICC World Cup 2011, Kayes scored team highest 60 which secured a two-wicket victory against England at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong.
The English team will play the first ODI against the hosts Bangladesh in their three-match series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) on Friday.
The 2nd ODI is scheduled to be held at SBNCS on 9 October while the 3rd at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on 12 October.
Source: Prothom Alo