Bangladesh fight to delay the inevitable

Second Test: It is much too little, too late but at last the beleaguered tourists find some spirit and make England work

England have done virtually all that could be reasonably expected by anybody other than masochists. The sound of Australia quaking in their boots could not quite be picked up from the airliner bearing them to this country but they might just be tempted to twitch a little toe or two on their arrival today.

England have done virtually all that could be reasonably expected by anybody other than masochists. The sound of Australia quaking in their boots could not quite be picked up from the airliner bearing them to this country but they might just be tempted to twitch a little toe or two on their arrival today.

The first tourists of the summer, Bangladesh, have been swept aside with ruthless disdain, barely making a reasonable case for their continued existence as a Test nation. Their resistance in the Second npower Test was more pronounced yesterday - it could hardly have been less - although the summit of their ambition, eventually achieved, was to take the match into the third day.

At least they prolonged the game in a blaze of hitting, not all of it clean, and much of it done because there was nothing else to do. In all, the day, which was played at a breathtaking pace, yielded 475 runs. The home side scored 178 of them without loss in the morning at all but six runs an over, and the visitors then rushed their way to 297 for 8.

It was not proper Test cricket, but it was vastly entertaining. England, make no mistake, were miffed not to win inside two days, especially as they were going for four runs an over and took the extra half-hour allowed under regulations if a finish is in prospect.

Two wickets are still required this morning while Bangladesh need 46 runs to avoid the 24th innings defeat in their 38 Test matches.

England contented themselves with a first-innings lead of 343 yesterday after finding the 420 they accrued at Lord's to be superfluous.

This left Ian Bell on 162 not out and with a Test batting average after three matches of 297. There is a suspicion that this might diminish in the years ahead but there is also a certainty now that there will be years ahead.

Bell will ring alarms for better attacks than that fielded by Bangladesh, which varied between the adequate and the hapless. By the end, towards lunch, he was toying with them and enjoying it. His innings was scored at nearly a run a ball, Gilchrist-like in pace if not venom.

England's hard-nosed professionalism will be essential for there to be any prospect of the Ashes coming home, but it may also have gone too far yesterday as they sought to impress their superiority (and Australia) by winning quickly.

This uncomfortable and avoidable moment arrived immediately after Bangladesh's first-wicket pair had put on 50 in the second innings. Entertaining stuff it was, too, but of no account in the context of the match since they still needed nearly 300 to make England bat again.

At that point, Nafees Iqbal nicked Andrew Flintoff behind, low and slightly to Geraint Jones's right. The appeal for the catch was half-hearted and replays were about to show the reason why. Nafees, however, began the walk back to the pavilion. He had not reached halfway when the first television replays clearly showed that the ball had touched the ground before landing in Jones's gloves.

If Flintoff was sure then perhaps the inexperienced umpire Tony Hill was sure, and Jones, leaning forward, could have assumed that the ball flew into his gloves. The replay, however, was plain and it left a sour taste. Bangladesh, of all sides, need the breaks. Bangladesh, of all sides, should be given them.

At least they made a fist of their second innings, intent on avoiding the ignominy of defeat in six sessions. Three of their batsmen reached half-centuries, two of them at more than a run a ball and one of them, Aftab Ahmed, will resume today.

Javed Omar, their batsman of the series, who has reached the 20s in all four of his innings, scored 71, fairly racing along, punching drives with abandon.

It took a lifting ripsnorter from Stephen Harmison, which was threatening decapitation, to remove him.

Javed was afforded a rousing reception from the pavilion, partly because of his batting, largely because the innings had helped to prolong the affair.

There then arrived the tourists' captain, Habibul Bashar, widely recognised as their best batsman with three Test hundreds, 19 fifties and an average in the mid-30s. He had not batted to this level in the series so far and scores of 3, 15 and 6 had shown up his method and his approach.

In relegating himself down the order, he was at least conceding his poor form. However, he proceeded to flay England, playing a searing array of shots which thrilled the crowd of nearly 10,000 and must have irked the opposition sorely.

When Habibul was out, beaten by one coming into him from Flintoff, he had put on 94 with the admirable Khaled Mashud.

A spell of three wickets for nine runs by Matthew Hoggard then seemed set to give England victory within the day.

The second of these wickets persuaded the umpires that the extra half-hour made sense and the third indicated that it was all up for the tourists.

However, Aftab and Tapash Baisya stuck to the game plan: just knock the leather off the ball and hope it does not reach a fielder. They put on 45 off the day's final 44 balls.

Nothing much disturbs the England captain Michael Vaughan's equanimity but he could be seen taking his hat on and off and rubbing his nose, which is the equivalent of Nasser Hussain screaming at his bowlers while beating them over the head.

A maiden Test century is a significant landmark in any player's career, but Bell may be extremely grateful to acquire a more legitimate second. He could play only what was put in front of him, and what was put in front of him was woefully short of international class, with Mashrafe Mortaza the best and Aftab the worst.

It does not do to be unkind to Bangladesh. It is not their fault and they are doing their best. However, it is possible that Aftab is the worst seam bowler seen in an international arena. He bowled a further five overs yesterday, none of which seemed to have much concept of line, and regularly fed Bell's cuts.

Yet Aftab will be able to reflect that his first Test wicket was that of Marcus Trescothick, gifted to him on Friday night.

England have lost six wickets in the series and none yesterday before declaring. For what it is worth, Australia lost a total of 11 wickets in winning both their matches against Bangladesh by an innings two years ago.

In the context of what is to come, it is worth nothing at all. The real Tests, in every sense, are on their way.

npower Test scoreboard

England won toss

Bangladesh - First Innings 104

(S J Harmison 5-38)

England - First Innings

Overnight 269-3 (M E Trescothick 151)

I R Bell not out 162

(232 min, 168 balls, 25 fours, 1 six)

G P Thorpe not out 66

(128 min, 85 balls, 7 fours)

Extras (b1 lb10 w2 nb3) 16

Total (for 3 dec, 323 min, 78 overs) 447

Fall: 1-18 (Strauss), 2-105 (Vaughan), 3-260 (Trescothick).

Did not bat: A Flintoff, ÝG O Jones, G J Batty, S P Jones, M J Hoggard, S J Harmison.

Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 22-4-91-2 (6-1-19-1 7-1-39-1 8-2-26-0 1-0-7-0), Tapash Baisya 15-2-80-0 (nb2) (6-1-20-0 1-0-11-0 4-1-24-0 4-0-25-0), Mohammad Rafique 18-0-107-0 (1-0-7-0 9-0-52-0 2-0-7-0 6-0-41-0), Anwar Hossain 15-1-102-0 (nb1, w1) (5-0-33-0 4-1-34-0 6-0-35-0), Aftab Ahmed 8-0-56-1 (w1) (3-0-21-1 5-0-35-0).

Progress: 300: 228 min, 55.2 overs. 350: 275 min, 66 overs. 400: 304 min, 73.1 overs. Lunch: 447-3 (Bell 162, Thorpe 66) 78 overs. England declared during the lunch interval.

Bell 50: 102 min, 60 balls, 8 fours. 100: 184 min, 132 balls, 17 fours. 150: 228 min, 163 balls, 25 fours. Thorpe 50: 106 min, 69 balls, 6 fours.

Bangladesh - Second Innings

Javed Omar c G O Jones b Harmison 71

(Fended lifting delivery outside off stump; 131 min, 108 balls, 11 fours)

Nafees Iqbal c G O Jones b Flintoff 15

(Given out to grassed catch behind fending outside off stump; 47 min, 29 balls, 2 fours)

Rajin Saleh c Strauss b Flintoff 7

(Caught waist high at second slip fishing outside off; 33 min, 30 balls, 1 four)

Mohammad Ashraful c Hoggard b Batty 12

(Mistimed heave to long-on advancing down wicket; 32 min, 31 balls, 1 four)

*Habibul Bashar lbw b Flintoff 63

(Pinned high in front playing down wrong line; 75 min, 52 balls, 11 fours)

ÝKhaled Mashud lbw b Hoggard 25

(Plumb in front to ball that nipped back; 99 min, 79 balls, 3 fours)

Aftab Ahmed not out 67

(86 min, 61 balls, 11 fours, 1 six)

Mohammad Rafique b Hoggard 2

(Comprehensively beaten by nip-backer; 6 min, 3 balls)

Anwar Hossain Monir c Thorpe b Hoggard 0

(Well caught at short leg; 9 min, 5 balls)

Tapash Baisya not out 18

(28 min, 24 balls, 2 fours)

Extras (lb6 w1 nb10) 17

Total (for 8, 277 min, 69 overs) 297

Fall: 1-50 (Nafees Iqbal), 2-75 (Rajin Saleh), 3-101 (Mohammad Ashraful), 4-125 (Javed Omar), 5-195 (Habibul Bashar), 6-235 (Khaled Mashud), 7-245 (Mohammad Rafique), 8-251 (Anwar Hossain Monir).

To bat: Mashrafe Mortaza.

Bowling: Hoggard 14-3-63-3 (nb5) (3-1-13-0 3-0-15-0 8-2-35-3), Harmison 15-1-77-1 (nb3) (3-1-12-0 8-0-42-1 4-0-23-0), S Jones 10-1-49-0 (4-1-14-0 6-0-35-0), Flintoff 15-2-58-3 (w1) (4-1-12-1 3-0-12-1 5-1-8-1 3-0-26-0), Batty 15-2-44-1 (14-2-39-1 1-0-5-0).

Progress: 50: 46 min, 11.2 overs. 100: 111 min, 29 overs. Tea: 108-3 (Javed Omar 60, Habibul Bashar 6) 31 overs. 150: 152 min, 39.4 overs. 200: 201 min, 51.1 overs. 250: 245 min, 61.3 overs.

Javed Omar 50: 90 min, 74 balls, 8 fours. Habibul Bashar 50: 48 min, 37 balls, 10 fours. Aftab Ahmed 50: 71 min, 49 balls, 8 fours, 1 six.

Umpires: D J Harper (Aus) and A J Hill (NZ).

TV replay umpire: N J Llong. Match referee: A G Hurst.

First Test: England won by an innings and 261 runs (Lord's).