Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh rally to shock England defeated !

Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh rally to shock England

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Group B, Chittagong:
Bangladesh 227-8 (49 overs) beat England 225 (49.4 overs)
Match scorecard

By Oliver Brett

Bangladesh celebrate their crucial victory

Bangladesh weathered a batting collapse to pull off a shock World Cup win, inflicting a second defeat on England.

England hit a modest 225 in Chittagong but looked on course to defend it after taking five wickets for 14 runs between the 30th and 40th over.

But a heroic ninth-wicket stand between Shafiul Islam and Mahmudullah turned the tables on Andrew Strauss's men.

The pair put on 58 from 56 balls for a remarkable two-wicket win that was sealed with six deliveries remaining.

The result keeps Bangladesh alive in the tournament and means that - even if England beat West Indies in Chennai next Thursday - they will have to rely on other results going in their favour to progress into the quarter-finals.

For that game, England will surely play more than the one spinner they did in this match against Bangladesh. If so, James Tredwell could make his World Cup debut under huge pressure.

Bangladesh, their startling batting collapse notwithstanding, were good value for a victory that helps to ease their memories of being bowled out for only 58 by West Indies in their previous match in Mirpur.

Shakib Al Hasan's Bangladesh were good value in the field

The job for England's bowlers was made tougher by the dew which descended as soon as the floodlights came on at the start of the Bangladesh chase.

The first ball was replaced before the mandatory 34-over change and only when England were on to their third ball had they discovered a way to keep it dry enough to establish some control.

However one constant disappointment was James Anderson, whose nine wicketless overs cost 54 runs and he was the worst culprit as collectively England conceded a shocking 23 runs in wides.

At one point Graeme Swann, the only spinner selected by England, visibly lost his cool, pleading for some assistance from Darryl Harper when appeals and various pleas for replacement balls were rejected.

Unlike in their defeat by Ireland, England did not lose the match because one player on the opposition took a difficult chase by the scruff of the neck.

This time - save for the period in which they were rattling their way through the Bangladesh middle and lower order - they looked an unfocused rabble for the majority of the match.

Things started badly with the bat after they had been inserted by the Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Matt Prior's already chequered one-day international career hit a new low when, having been called on to open the batting, he was stumped in bizarre and avoidable circumstances by Mushfiqur Rahim.

As Prior absent-mindedly dragged his foot out of his crease, the Bangladesh wicketkeeper gleefully whipped off the bails, only for Prior to leave his crease once again - whereupon Rahim removed the stump and held a ball to it to make absolutely certain.

Matt Prior's dismissal was a low point for England

Prior's repeated failures make the selectors' removal of Steve Davies from the side after only one match of the series in Australia look ever more curious.

Strauss joined Prior back in the pavilion when cutting the off-spinner Naeem Islam to slip, and Ian Bell showed his shortcomings in such conditions on slow, low wickets. Having been rendered virtually runless, he tamely chipped a catch to midwicket.

With England a depressing 53-3 in the 17th over, it was left to Eoin Morgan (63 from 72 balls) to make his team competitive.

Morgan had barely had time to acclimatise to conditions, having been flown in from London to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen.

But he had enjoyed himself in the 2010 series in Bangladesh, hitting a century in Mirpur, and again showed himself adept at getting to the pitch against the spinners and hitting drives into space for the boundaries, which were badly needed.

With Jonathan Trott, who scored four more runs than his partner but faced an extra 27 balls, dinking the ball about for singles and adding the occasional reverse-sweep, the two batsmen took England to the 39th over without further loss.

Crucially for Bangladesh, however, when they did strike again it was Morgan who was dismissed, thanks to a wonderful effort from Kayes, who charged in from deep square-leg and dived forward to claim the catch.

That left Trott and Ravi Bopara to negotiate the five-over batting powerplay, and by the end of it both had departed to poorly executed attacking shots and England had only added 33 runs.

Swann supplied two desperately needed boundaries, but England reached only a bare minimum score when Paul Collingwood, recalled to the side but batting way down at eight, and Anderson ran some quick ones and twos in the final couple of overs.

Tamim Iqbal began the Bangladesh chase well with a controlled, though positive, 38 from 26 balls.

England's bowlers briefly found their range after Iqbal had been bowled by Bresnan, with two more wickets falling cheaply. However an 82-run stand from 104 balls between Kayes and Shakib put Bangladesh in an excellent position.

Frustrated Strauss still hopeful of qualification

Then Kayes was needlessly run out as he was beaten by a fine throw from Ajmal Shahzad and Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was bowled as a bottom-edge off an attempted sweep against Swann crashed into his stumps.

Shahzad, by some distance England's most impressive bowler, moved two balls nicely off the seam to dismiss Mushfiqur and Naeem as England moved in for the kill.

Some Bangladesh fans, so buoyant for much of the contest, were already heading for the exits when Swann then supplied the eighth wicket as Abdur Razzak swung across the line and was caught by a diving Tim Bresnan at long-on.

But out of nowhere, Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam took 16 runs from Swann's final over, and the ninth-wicket pair coolly took the requirement down to 33 from the last five overs.

Anderson had been the weak link throughout and he was unable to control his inswinger, presenting the batsmen with three more wides, one costing an extra four runs as it eluded Prior's gloves en route to the boundary.

Shafiul, the number 10, skewed a boundary off Bresnan from a thick outside edge in the next over and then drove the wilting Anderson past mid-off for four more.

The winning runs came when Mahmudullah hit Bresnan through the covers and the home fans celebrated wildly.

While England are no longer in complete control of their own destiny, the co-hosts know that wins against Netherlands and South Africa in their final group matches will seal a last-eight berth.

Sanath Jayasuriya BACK..in Englan....5 sixes and 10 fours

ඵoගලන්තය දෙවනත් කරමින් සනත් අළු ගසා දමයි.6 පහර 5ක් හා 4පහර 10ක් සමගින් පන්දු 45කට වේගවත් ලකුණු 87ක්.
Sri Lankan Super Batsman Sanath Jayasuriya Scored 87(45) with 5 sixes & 10 fours for the sake of Worcestershire aginst Northamptonshire.Northamptonshire 140-5(20)Worcestershire 142-1(14.2)Worcestershire beat Northamptons...hire by 9 wickets
mekata daapu comment ekakk thama me..

උඹ කලුයි එ නිසාම තමා උඹ හෙලයේ සිංහල ලකුන වෙන්නේ...
උඹට දෙයි හාමුදුරුවන්ගේම පිහිටයි.
BBC reports...
Sanath Jayasuriya smashes 87 to help Worcs find touch

FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, New Road:
Worcestershire 142-1 beat Northants 140-5 by nine wickets
Match Scorecard


Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 87 as North Group bottom club Worcestershire beat Northants at New Road to earn only their second FP t20 win of the season.

The ageless Sri Lankan legend, who had hit only 21 runs in his previous three T20 innings for the county, plundered a stunning half century off 45 balls.

Phil Jaques hit 43 as Worcestershire reached 142-1 to win by nine wickets.

Earlier, Elton Chigumbura belted 39 off 20 balls as Northants were limited to 140-5, Moeen Ali taking 3-25.

Although they stay rooted to the bottom, Worcestershire forced Northants to only their second defeat in six.

After winning the toss, the visitors lost their first wicket when Worcestershire old boy Chaminda Vaas was smartly run out by a diving underarm throw from James Cameron.

It was an important wicket for the hosts, particularly as Vaas top-scored with 54 when his side beat Worcestershire at Wantage Road on 11 June.

Despite a partnership of 49 between Niall O'Brien and Alex Wakely, Moeen then ripped through the middle order before Zimbabwean Test all-rounder Chigumbura's late flourish.

But it never looked likely to be enough, as Jayasuriya and Jaques soon proved when they took charge, putting on 138 in 14.1 overs.

Jayasuriya went just before the end to a tumultuous reception after being caught at deep backward square by David Willey off Nicky Boje - but he had done enough.

Northants have less than 24 hours to recover before they face Durham at home on Saturday (1440 BST).

Worcestershire's next game is against Derbyshire at New Road on Sunday (1430 BST).

BBC Radio Northampton's Geoff Doyle:

We wondered whether the wicket was a bit sticky and doing a bit whilst Northants were batting as they didn't quite fire.

But Jayasuriya showed off his supreme class to prove that the wicket was just fine.

A masterclass from the veteran and Northants couldn't handle him. It was a pleasure to witness it.

Northants head coach David Capel told BBC Radio Northampton:

"We posted 140 and that was an inadequate total. Sanath Jayasuriya made it look inadequate. It was an exceptional display.

"There were quite a few dot balls in our first six overs, and we didn't score enough runs.

"Although Elton Chigumbura did well, it took us until the 17th over to get past 100. That's not our target. We want to get there after 12 overs."

Sri Lanka v England 3rd Test

Sri Lanka v England 3rd Test

Vaughan and Pietersen look on as England fight to save the final Test

Captain Michael Vaughan said Sri Lanka fully deserved their 1-0 Test series win over his England side.

Despite salvaging a draw in the rain-hit final Test, England drop from second to fifth in the world rankings, while Sri Lanka move to third spot.

"Throughout the whole series we have been beaten by a better team. Sri Lanka have been better in all the skills.

"The heavens have helped us get a draw but to be brutally honest it has saved us from a 2-0 defeat," said Vaughan.

Asked about the drop in the rankings, Vaughan said: "Those stats don't lie. We got to number two in the world because we beat most teams in the world.

"We're number five in the world because we lost to Australia and we've only got 20 wickets once in our last 14 Tests away from home."

Vaughan said his side would need to improve on their three-Test tour of New Zealand in March. The Kiwis are currently ranked seventh in the world.

"I can't fault the effort of the team but there are a few areas of expertise where we have to improve," Vaughan continued.

"We have to regroup and go to New Zealand and start winning some Test matches again. We have enough talent and I am sure we can put it right in 2008."

The skipper said he and coach Peter Moores had learnt a lot during their first away Test series together.

"It has been a real learning curve for me and Peter to assess where the team is at," he added.

"It has been hard to really balance the team when you are short of a good all-rounder or someone to be the fifth bowler.

"We were up for the challenge, we just could not get our game in order.

"We started well in Kandy in the first Test but I felt that's where the series was lost because we couldn't make the good start work for us.

We've seen how tough Test matches can be, especially when you play away from home in other people's backyards Peter Moores

"We had a good opportunity here when we won the toss here but we didn't get the ball in the right areas."

Moores felt his side's fielding had let them down.

"We dropped catches. It's hard work to get a wicket so you can't afford to miss chances," he said.

"We've lost some key fielders in key positions. We have to work hard to get new players in those positions."

But he also insisted the tourists learnt a huge amount from the tour.

"I think we've got masses out of it. If they use it wisely, they'll be better players for it," he added.

"We've seen how tough Test matches can be, especially when you play away from home in other people's backyards. It will toughen some of our players up a bit."

Final-day centurion Alastair Cook said England had to turn potential into results.

Cook, who has now made seven Test tons, said: "We can't say we are happy with what happened but we have to start winning rather than saying we are developing.

"As a Test side you can't lose three series in a row because you go down the rankings."

Jayasuriya clinches Bears switch

Jayasuriya clinches Bears switch

Jayasuriya won the World Cup with Sri Lanka in 1995

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya has joined Warwickshire for next year's Twenty20 Cup competition.

The 38-year-old retired from Test cricket after the first match of the current series against England, but he will continue to play one-day matches.

A veteran of 110 Tests, Jayasuriya has amassed 12,207 runs and taken 307 wickets in limited overs cricket.

"His knowledge of the game will be crucial in the Twenty20 format," said Bears cricket director Ashley Giles.

"Sanath has vast experience in all forms of cricket but especially the one-day format.

"He will be a great man for the younger members of our squad to learn from, I am looking forward to working with him next summer."

Jayasuriya made his one-day debut for Sri Lanka in 1989 against Australia, with his Test bow coming in 1991 against New Zealand.

He was a member of Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning team in 1996, and is the only player in the world to score over 12,000 runs and take over 300 wickets in the 50-over format.

Jayasuriya played in the Twenty20 Cup for Lancashire last season.

Hoggard fitness boost for England

Hoggard fitness boost for England

Hoggard has been dogged by injury this year

Sri Lanka v England
Dates: 18-22 December
Starts: 0430 GMT
Venue: Galle

Swing bowler Matthew Hoggard could be in line for a return to the England team in time for the third Test against Sri Lanka which starts on 18 December.

The 30-year-old missed the second Test draw in Colombo after being plagued by a back injury in the opening match.

"The medical team tell me he is progressing nicely," said England skipper Michael Vaughan.

"Hopefully come Sunday and Monday he is available for selection. Having Hoggard fit will be a real bonus."

Hoggard suffered the injury while bowling on the fourth day of the 88-run first Test defeat and had to ask for a runner when batting on the final day.

The Yorkshire bowler, who claimed six wickets in Kandy, has been dogged by injuries all year.

He missed the last Ashes Test in Sydney, broke down in the first Test of four against the West Indies, and made just one further start for England last summer.

And England coach Peter Moores says Hoggard will not be forced into action in Galle if there is any risk of the injury recurring.

"Matthew has bowled two spells pretty well flat out so we will see the reaction he gets to it," Moores told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He got a little bit of pain on a couple of balls which shows that it is not quite there but we are still four days off a Test match. He will bowl a couple of spells on Saturday and Sunday and then we will see how it goes.

"We can only play him if there is no risk that anything will happen because the conditions out here mean that if you did lose a bowler, then it would become very difficult to get 20 wickets."

Moores believes his side go into the third Test full of confidence as they try and square the series.

He says he is particularly pleased with England's batsmen, particularly with the way the dealt with leading Test wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan in the second Test.

Muralitharan took only one wicket from 27 overs in the second innings in Colombo and Moores added: "We are gaining momentum.

I think it is going to be more of a celebration at Galle rather than anything else Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene

"I don't know if Sri Lanka are losing momentum but we are gaining it because we are playing Murali better all the time.

"We also played their seamers well so our batsmen are getting settled and are ready to produce that score we will need to win the Test match.

"We have got another three or four days to get our plans together and I think we will go there quite confident, if we play good cricket we can win the game."

The third Test in Galle will be the first since the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami devastated the southern Sri Lankan coast.

And Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene says walking out at the re-built international stadium will be "an emotional thing".

"A lot of our guys come from down south and they have lost quite a few relatives in the tsunami," he said.

"But we have moved forward as a nation and a team, we just need to concentrate on the cricket in hand.

"I think it is going to be more of a celebration at Galle rather than anything else. We will remember the people but it is a fresh new start for us in that province."

Gooch mulling over selector job

Gooch mulling over selector job

Gooch is England's all-time leading Test match run scorer

Former England captain Graham Gooch is considering applying for the position of English cricket's national selector.

David Graveney is currently chairman of selectors but the role is set to be rebranded as national selector and will become a full-time post.

Graveney has said he will apply for the job, while 54-year-old Gooch told BBC Sport the role was "attractive" but he needed clarification on certain issues.

"I am considering the position," said Gooch, a former England selector.

"The job is an attractive one in as much as if you're keen on helping English cricket and have been involved in the game, as I have down the last three decades, it's the sort of job that would interest you.

"But there are a number of unknowns that I would need to get clarified before I, maybe, would put my hat in the ring."

Gooch had a prestigious playing career with Essex and England and became Essex coach in 2001 before stepping down in 2005.

He is now the squad's batting coach and also works as BBC Five Live's expert summariser on England matches.

606: DEBATE Is Gooch the right man for the job of national selector?

The national selector position was created on the advice of the Schofield report, which looked into the state of English cricket following last year's Ashes whitewash and the subsequent failure in the World Cup.

It is proposed the national selector would travel with the England team, therefore ending the policy of captain and coach selecting the final XI on tour.

England team managing director Hugh Morris revealed the closing date for applications was 17 December and a shortlist of candidates would be interviewed early in the New Year.

Morris explained that candidates would have to have played first-class cricket but that Test match experience was "desirable rather than essential".

The national selector would not be expected to travel with the England team for an entire tour, but Morris believes it is important that the selector be with the team during warm-up matches and for the first Test.

Asked why Graveney had not been given the job, Morris, the former Glamorgan batsman, said: "The rationale for that is that the role is slightly different.

"It has gone from part-time to full-time and there are some additional responsibilities and, as happens a lot in business, when a role does change it is open to recruitment.

"We are looking for the best person - it is as simple as that. It is a highly important job and we want the very best person. We are eagerly anticipating a very strong list of people applying."

Strauss hopes for England return

Strauss hopes for England return

Strauss hopes to rediscover his form in New Zealand

Andrew Strauss has targeted a return to Test cricket after signing a short-term deal with New Zealand club side Northern Knights.

Strauss, 30, has suffered a dip in form over the past year and was dropped for England's current tour of Sri Lanka.

But Strauss hopes the move will help him regain his Test place for England's tour of New Zealand in February.

"I am very focused on getting selected for this tour and winning my place back," said Strauss.

"I am really excited about the possibility of playing cricket in New Zealand ahead of England's tour there in the new year."

The Middlesex left-hander is to feature in the Northern Knights' State Shield and Twenty20 competitions in January and February.

Northern Knights confirmed the deal on Friday, with coach Andy Moles saying: "As well as his outstanding playing record, Andrew will bring his experience of Test match cricket which will be a great opportunity for our younger crop of players coming through."

Strauss is positive the move will help him win back his Test place.

"I have been really impressed by the professionalism and ambition of Northern Districts and I feel that this is a golden opportunity for me to score some runs ahead of England's tour," he added.

Strauss made a flying start to his Test career with five centuries in his first 11 games but he had a torrid time during the Ashes series in Australia and his plight continued at the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year.

But despite having averaged only 27 in Test cricket in the last year, without making a century, Strauss was handed a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board in September.

And with New Zealand's grassier pitches and seam-oriented bowling expected to better suit Strauss than the slow surfaces in Sri Lanka, the Middlesex opener is expected to return to the England set-up.

England play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international in February and March.

Harmison in fight for Test place in Sri Lanka

Harmison in fight for Test place

Harmison had an unhappy return to England action in Colombo

Steve Harmison faces a battle to make the England starting XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

The Durham paceman bowled six overs for 48 runs with no wickets in the opening warm-up match in Colombo.

He had rejoined the squad for their match against the Board President's XI after a spell playing in South Africa, which followed hernia surgery.

"I think he'd say there's a bit of fine-tuning to go," England coach Peter Moores told BBC Radio 4.

"He knows he's fighting hard like everybody else to get into that team. Over the last few months we've seen other bowlers come in and do very well.

"Jimmy Anderson has come in and done well, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad in the one-dayers - it's very exciting. And obviously getting Matthew Hoggard back is a real bonus as well.

"It makes for a very competitive squad, a very competitive bowling unit.

I worked through a few things in the indoor school, so in that respect, I'm happy my bag didn't come till two o'clock Steve Harmison

"We know out here that although a lot relies on spin, it's also very important that your seamers fire early on with a new ball in hand and set things up for the spinners when they come on."

After a mix-up over his boots, Harmison finally bowled on Wednesday afternoon and managed four overs before tea and two overs after the interval.

He was hit for 48, and sent down six no-balls and a wide.

"Physically he's in good shape, he's worked very hard in the two or three weeks in South Africa and bowled quite a lot of overs and he feels good about that," Moores told BBC Radio 4.

"It's a shame that through no fault of his own they lost his bag in Dubai so he only got six overs in the game, we'd like to have put a bit more into him.

"I thought he came through OK, he looks nicely lined up."

Harmison told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I feel I've started strongly here, even though I didn't take any wickets and I've gone for a few runs.

"I enjoyed the experience in South Africa - and I got 13 wickets in two games, you can't argue with that.

606: DEBATE Harmison's rubbish, it's time we moved on and focused on the other bowlers Utah 2

"There's still enough time in the nets to prove yourself - whether you're Stuart Broad, who hasn't played a Test, or if you're Stephen Harmison, and you've played 55 Tests with 200 wickets behind you."

Harmison's form has been under the spotlight ever since the first ball of the Ashes series almost exactly a year ago - a wide to second slip - preceded a disappointing series with the new ball.

Despite career figures of 205 Test wickets at an average of 30.82, in nine Tests over the last 12 months, he has taken 26 wickets at 44.69 and has failed to take five wickets in an innings.

Having now retired from one-day international cricket, Harmison last played for England against the West Indies in June, before having the hernia operation which ruled him out of the entire series against India.

He made an abortive comeback for Durham in August before suffering a side injury which ruled him out of the rest of the domestic season, including their Friends Provident Trophy final triumph at Lord's.

Left out of the initial squad for the Sri Lanka Tests until he had proved his fitness, he travelled to South Africa to play for Highveld Lions where he was closely monitored by England bowling coach and Durham team-mate Ottis Gibson.

Harmison had sat out the first day's play against the President's XI, having arrived from South Africa just before play began.

But the kit bag containing his favoured bowling boots - and more importantly, the insoles he uses inside the boots to provide support - was still in transit via Dubai.

Tour manager Phil Neale travelled to Colombo Airport to retrieve the missing bag - and Harmison finally got in on the action.

"I worked through a few things in the indoor school, so in that respect, I'm happy my bag didn't come till two o'clock," he added.

"It's not easy without the right boots - my action doesn't come straight out of the ECB manual."

The first Test begins in Kandy on 1 December.

Stars in tame England draw !

Cook stars in tame England draw - BBC

Tour match, Colombo, day three (close):
Board President's XI 500-5 dec drew with England 315-6

Match scorecard

Cook hit a half-century, adding 77 with captain Michael Vaughan

Alastair Cook (63) was one of four England batsmen to retire as the first tour match, against the Sri Lanka Board President's XI, ended drawn.

The tourists had spent two full days in the field as the President's XI reached 500-5 declared on a docile pitch.

Captain Michael Vaughan hit 38 in a first-wicket stand of 77 with Cook.

Then, Ian Bell (49), Paul Collingwood (52), Owais Shah (38) and Ravi Bopara (40 not out) all had some batting practice as England finished on 315-6.

Kevin Pietersen was the only front-line batsman to fall cheaply, making just four before he edged a quicker ball by seamer Nuwan Kulasekara to Chamara Kapugedera at gully.

Restored to the opener's role, Vaughan reserved particular punishment for seamer Dammika Prasad, who he cut and drove for three of his seven fours, but was eventually trapped lbw by leg-spinner Malinga Bandara.

They were the only two batsmen actually dismissed by the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Several of Vaughan's shots were reminiscent of his 2002-03 heyday, which also coincided with his extended run as opener.

One pirouette of a pull off leg-spinner Bandara also suggested the right knee which sidelined him for a year no longer impairs some strokes.

As Cook reached his fifty, most of his England team-mates were investigating another reported sighting of a snake behind the advertising boards - and he eventually retired, having hit seven fours.

The match was clearly over as a contest but Bell served early notice of his intentions by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a huge straight six, and eventually retired at a drinks break.

Collingwood became the third England batsman to retire after making a rapid half-century, which included two sixes and five fours.

Shah, by contrast, took 75 balls to reach his total, but he shared a sixth-wicket stand of 53 with Bopara, one of his rivals for a Test place.

Wicket-keeper Matt Prior was the eighth player to bat, hitting an unbeaten 18, although fellow keeper Phil Mustard and the seven bowlers did not reach the middle in this 16-a-side game.

England captain Michael Vaughan was pleased with the workout, saying: "The real key was everyone getting an hour and a half at the crease.

"Only Kevin Pietersen didn't really get that, but he is in decent touch anyway.

"Everyone else getting an hour and a half out there in these conditions, against spinners and a little bit of reverse swing was perfect for us."