England vs Bangladesh

[Etienne]

Any hope for the 'Desh, or will England win both test in seven sessions?* I've just got my first mention on the Guardian OBO coverage, getting a slightly more friendly response than Inca did from Rob Smyth this week.

*The latter, despite Cook falling early.

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Nice interview by David Hopps with Ajmal Shahzad hidden away inside the Guardian's County Cricket live blog:

Ajmal Shahzad had never set foot in London before this week, writes David Hopps at Lord's. On his first day he went to a reception at 10 Downing Street as part of England's victorious Twenty20 squad. Since then he has been walking around Lord's, wide-eyed, a young cricketer relishing an awfully big adventure.

Most people expect him to be left out of England's 12, even though that would entail England playing six specialist batsmen against Bangladesh. He is a hyperactive soul, who would struggle to carry the drinks out all summer, and would rather be bowling for Yorkshire, but for the moment he is having fun, staring wide-eyed at everything he meets. "It's all downhill from here," he laughed.

Shahzad is an ingenuous soul. His first experience of London will strike a chord with many who first regarded the capital with an air of trepidation. He is being true to his Yorkshire roots. It is surprising, nonetheless, to hear such innocence from an international sportsman.

"It's the first time I've been to London. I thought 'I am coming off at junction 1; this is real'. I was driving with the oldest sat-nav system in the world. It told me that I was 10 minutes from the hotel but it must have taken an hour. I was lost on the Edgware Road, doing u-turns and getting nowhere. I had heard about congestion zones and things like that. I didn't know where they were, but I knew I didn't want to be paying money in them.

"This sounds really sad but I used to play Monopoly when I was younger. I met Ravi Bopara and he drove me down Pall Mall and I thought, 'I remember this place. I used to put a hotel on here'. I saw Harrods, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace. It was amazing. I could get used to this.

He has an interesting take on 10 Downing Street." I don't know if you have seen the door. It's the cleanest door I have ever seen in my life. But I thought it would be an old cobbled street. It was a surprise to see that it was gated."

Downing Street security, naturally, has nothing on Lord's. Shahzad might have been on England's tour of Bangladesh, but his face is not yet familiar. He was happy just to get into the ground.

"I drove into Lord's and the steward said he had never seen before. I said, 'Mate, I'm part of the squad, trust me.' Then the man at the pavilion looked at me as if he thought 'I'm not too sure about you.' I said "Trust me sir, I'm part of the squad'

"I came in this morning and the guy called me Shahad. I thought it was a step in the right direction. I was happy with that."

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Pietersen falls to a slow-left armer again.

[ursus arctos]

England vs Bangladesh

I was just going to ask if you were still confident about the seven sessions prediction.

Bell being Bell, as well.

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Well, it'd depend on whether England enforce the follow on. If the ball is moving around, I still don't think Bangladesh will make more than 200, especially with Tamim not fully fit.

No, this was very much not Bell being Bell. That was exactly the situation he'd normally get a century in. The selectors may find themselves in a bit of a corner as regards him if Morgan does well. Collingwood still has to come back, and Trott has surely earned himself a couple more chances at no.3.

Still don't see Bresnan as a better test bowler than Sidebottom.

[ursus arctos]

England vs Bangladesh

Yeah, I meant getting out easily, instead of scoring only when someone else has already done so.

I don't know if TMS are doing podcasts for this series, but I could write Boycott's copy from here.

[Gangster Octopus]

England vs Bangladesh

Dunno if you'll be up in time, but TMS were asking for experiences of following cricket in the States for use this lunchtime.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal has apparently had a swipe or two, but is still there.

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Hilariously, India have just failed to defend 285 against Zimbabwe. They rested a few stars - Dhoni, Gambhir, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Nehra - but still isn't going to do much for the current public attitude towards the team.

[ursus arctos]

England vs Bangladesh

Dunno if you'll be up in time, but TMS were asking for experiences of following cricket in the States for use this lunchtime.

Ah, bugger.

[ursus arctos]

England vs Bangladesh

Does Shahadat Hossain become the most anonymous bowler to have his name on the Lord's honours board?

Your prediction isn't looking too good, Etienne.

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

It seems like Bad Jimmy has turned up to thwart it.

[The Bean Counter]

England vs Bangladesh

I dunno, Bangladesh might collapse after Tamim Iqbal gets out. If they're actually in with a chance of getting even a draw, that would put a pressure on them they are not at all used to.

Oh, and India... hate these three letters, but still: lol

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Shahadat bowled pretty well by all accounts.

Ed Giddins, Nick Cook, Chetan Sharma and Mudasser Nazar (as a bowler) are all on the honours board. It's not all Lindwall and Verity.

[Kusal Flyer]

England vs Bangladesh

Excellent effort by Shahadat this morning. England lost the plot a bit, I thought.

Unfortunately weather forecast for tomorrow not brilliant. Anyone else going?

[Guest]

England vs Bangladesh

Etienne wrote:

Shahadat bowled pretty well by all accounts.

Ed Giddins, Nick Cook, Chetan Sharma and Mudasser Nazar (as a bowler) are all on the honours board. It's not all Lindwall and Verity.

Ha, the 'Golden Arm'. He makes Paul Collingwood look like Patrick Patterson.

I am thoroughly underwhelmed by this test match so far.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

It's been great stuff today. Tamim is nearing a hundred and is still flashing hard, but is now cursing himself when he flashes and misses.

Nick Cook was very good early on his test career. He then got hammered by the West Indies in 1984, Emburey came back and he was forgotten about.

Shahadat in 2005 was the worst test opening bowler I've ever seen. He was worse than Heath Davis.

[Kusal Flyer]

England vs Bangladesh

Afternoon Tubby, afternoon everyone. Good fightback by the 'Desh.

I was refused entry at the Grace Gates yesterday, for wearing fancy dress. Still, nice picnic even if we only saw 30 overs.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

Evening.

Was Shahadat the worst ever nightwatchman? Unless the idea was to crash a cheeky 30 in the last over. He duly missed a straightish one from Bresnan.

[Etienne]

England vs Bangladesh

Pretty good game now, glad to be proved wrong.

[Duncan Gardner]

England vs Bangladesh

To be fair the Shah didn't actually slog any of the four he faced (the other three were well outside off-stump, I think). Might have been better to send in one of the other bowlers, and leave his whacking until tomorrow if they needed 20-30 more for a defensible total.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

Exactly. The last two both stuck around for authentic scores of 9 in the first innings and might have done the job here. Shahadat's first innings dart was fun, and he could have been a real nuisance today with more of the same.

Shakib just out crashing a wide one to point.

Prior's keeping has improved so much.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

Bresnan just dropped a slip catch, very quick edge but it won't help his case for playing in the next match.

Rubel playing quite well, showing he should have come in last night as nightwatchman.

[Tubby Isaacs]

England vs Bangladesh

Substitute fielder is Ian Cockbain, a name to gladden the old cricketheads on here.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

England vs Bangladesh

There's a few showers forecast for later on, so I hope England don't piss about getting the 180 or so runs they'll need. This is one of those situations where (purists cover your ears and begin whistling the Test Match Special theme) the lessons learned from 20-20 should come into play in the test game, and we should send out the openers with a remit not to get their name onto the Lord's board after a 5-hour grind, but to slog as many fours as quickly as they possibly can.