Aaargh! We missed out on a historic win over England by 1 wicket!
On day one we won the toss and batted...rather slowly. Iqbal and Islam made their first 100 run opening partnership as they both passed 50. Saleh got a golden duck then the captain Sonet and Aftab Ahmed also put on 100 runs. A few more wickets fell cheaply and we looked wobbly 8-244. M Islam, Bangladesh's man of the moment, made 77 of 60 while Syed Rasel supported him with 28.
Strauss (50) and Vaughan (47) looked to punish our bowlers with a 100 run stand before they were both out, and Pietersen (6) followed soon after. A couple more starts for England who threw away their wicket brought Thorpe and Butcher to the crease. Their 150 odd run partnership put some dignity into the innings and a couple of tail end contributions got them to all out 353.
Our second innings wasn't spectacular but we batted quickly although bowled out within a day. Rahman was the only one to pass 50 as Bangladesh were all out 248.
With just under 250 needed on the final day, England could've got the win. Except our bowlers started with tight overs and rewarded with some wickets early on, England 1-12 then 2-16 and 3-32. Then Strauss and Flintoff combined taking them to 94 but they weren't going to be the ones to save the innings. Thorpe and Jones blocked nicely but they too didn't make it, England 8-177. Davies out next, 9-178! With 30 minutes to bowl out Harmison and Hoggard, we couldn't make them budge! Not an LBW appeal or a catch or run out came our way. They batted out the overs, England finished 9-196.
The lineups:
Bangladesh XI
1. Nafees Iqbal
2. Ashraful Islam (WK)
3. Rajin Saleh
4. Ishraq Sonet (c)
5. Aftab Ahmed
6. Naeem Islam
7. Atiqur Rahman
8. Manjural Islam
9. Arafat Sunny
10. Syed Rasel
11. Anwar Hossain
England XI
1. A Strauss
2. M Vaughan (c)
3. K Pietersen
4. J Troughton
5. A Flintoff
6. G Thorpe
7. M Butcher
8. G Jones (wk)
9. M Davies
10. M Hoggard
11. S Harmison
Bangladesh all out 350.
M Islam 77 N.O.
A Islam 58
N Iqbal 50
I Sonet 50
S Harmison 6-84
M Hoggard 3-64
England all out 353.
M Butcher 99
G Thorpe 65
A Strauss 50
A Sunny 4-98
M Islam 3-80
Bangladesh all out 248
Rahman 66
Iqbal 40
M Davies 3-40
S Harmison 3-56
England 9 for 196.
A Flintoff 50
A Strauss 41
M Islam 4-50
A Hossain 2-41
Match Drawn.
Man of the match: S Harmison.
Next: 3 match One Day International series.