CategoryEng V Bang 2016

Banglageddon

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yesterday’s batting collapse, like our performance in most of the second test, was utterly abysmal. Perhaps vomiting is the best response? The only highlight for England was Ben Duckett who played the ultimate ‘screw this I’m going to have a hit’ innings. What’s particularly galling is that the result wasn’t even a surprise. There’s been nothing between these sides throughout the series, and batting last was always going to be a tall order – especially when...

Tension – Day 2 in Dhaka

We’re only two tests into England’s winter odyssey and I’m already in danger of repeating myself too much. Our batsmen can’t play spin well enough and our bowlers can’t bowl it well enough either. It’s a bit of a problem considering that all we’re going to see in the next two months are dustbowls. Perhaps I’m being a little unkind. Our batting against spin does seem to have improved a little bit. There’s no way our numbers nine and ten...

Mo Succeeds, Top Order Fails – Day 1 at Dhaka

At 11am this morning I thought England were having a great day. Bangladesh had collapsed from 171-1 to a dismal 220 all out and we had all the momentum. I was an idiot to think the game was in the bag. I’ve watched England enough over the years to know that disaster is never far away – even when you’re playing the 9th ranked test team in the world. Even though the rational side of my brain said “this pitch seems to be moving off the seam and spinning quite...

Ansari In, The Best Spinner Out?

I guess incredulity is part and parcel of being an England fan. Just when you think our management might be sane and rational people after all they do something daft again. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or so the overused cliche goes. First of all, let me say that I’m all in favour of Zafar Ansari making his test debut. He might only be half the bowler Jack Leach is  – only England could exclude the best spinner in the country on the basis that he’s...

England Get Lucky – Days 4 & 5 in Chittagong

I have to confess that I didn’t think the hosts would get anywhere near 286 when the chase began. Fourth innings runs are hard. Really hard. So the fact they got within 22 runs was a fantastic effort. Well played Bangladesh. I also think the Bangladeshis can consider themselves a tad unlucky – at least when it came to that tense mini-session that decided the game on the fifth day. The Taijul Islam LBW looked close but my no means plumb in real time – the review seemed a little speculative and...

Stokes Seizes the Day – Day 3 at Chittagong

When a weaker test nation plays a stronger one, they’re often competitive for a couple of days. But when defensive push comes to leg side shovel, a bad session usually buries them. We saw it all the time with England in the nineties. The team does just enough to get our hopes up but then collapses in a heap. That’s exactly what’s happened to Bangladesh in Chittagong today. They simply couldn’t live with England forever. The tourists have too many stars, and it was a star performance from Ben...

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