Moeen Ali activates the facility as England overwhelm Bangladesh

England 197 for six in 24.1 overs (Moeen 56, Mustafizur 2-23) beat Bangladesh 188 for 9 in 37 overs (Mehidy 74, Tanzid 45, Topley 3-23) by 4 wickets (DLS)

Bangladesh had their moments, notably whereas Tanzid Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman have been exhibiting their capacity with bat and ball within the powerplay, however finally they have been overwhelmed by England’s unrelenting aggression. The tone of England’s attacking show was set by a bristling Jonny Bairstow who stretched his legs for 34 from 21 balls, within the method that had been denied him throughout the “utter chaos” of England’s 38-hour trek to India’s jap extremities.

Jos Buttler stored up the belligerent tempo to make 30 from 15 in his brief and on-point go to to the crease, and although Liam Livingstone got here and went tamely, by the point Moeen holed out with 4 runs to win, he’d launched six sixes into the Assam evening to substantiate his facet might be striding confidently into this week’s event opener in opposition to New Zealand.

Of way more relevance than the consequence was the time within the center for a number of cooped-up gamers, most notably the 2019 veterans, Mark Wood and Adil Rashid, who’ve each been wrapped in cotton wool for the previous few weeks, and Joe Root, who stays in need of kind and confidence, however who survived a painful blow to the groin, in addition to a grim error from Taskin Ahmed at deep backward sq., to anchor the chase with an unbeaten 26 from 40 balls.

The contest duly completed some eight-and-a-half hours after the primary ball had been bowled, however for a time, it had appeared that England’s preparations – throughout each this sport and Saturday’s wash-out in opposition to India – could be restricted to a 30-over work-out within the afternoon’s truncated motion.

At least in that point, England have been capable of give a clear invoice of well being to 9 members of their bowling assault, together with all six of their frontline quick bowlers … though they’re now about to be folded again up and stowed away as soon as extra in economic system class for Tuesday’s flight to Ahmedabad.

Most essential amongst these was Wood, England’s quickest and most ferocious level of distinction, who had not been unleashed in a aggressive surroundings for the reason that finish of July, ostensibly attributable to a bruised heel sustained throughout the Ashes. Not for the primary time, he confirmed his explosive tempo from the outset of his three-over burst, and may have claimed the wicket of each of Bangladesh’s best batters.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz anchored Bangladesh’s innings with a hard-earned 74 from 89 balls, however he ought to have fallen for 7, to the sixth ball of Wood’s return, when, after a tentative begin to his knock, he fenced a lifter exterior off however neither Buttler nor Root at first slip reacted in time to cling onto the sting.

However, Wood acquired his reward two overs later as an alternative. Tanzid’s 45 from 44 balls on the high of the order had gone some approach to confirming his readiness to fill the sizeable boots of Tamim Iqbal, however having picked off seven fours and a flamboyant six over deep midwicket off Reece Topley, he was caught in two minds as Wood fired a lifter throughout his bows, and inside-edged a tentative push onto his personal stumps.

The first 20 overs of Bangladesh’s innings was an unique weight-reduction plan of seam, as England’s quicks every lined up for a brief gallop, and confirmed their readiness for the principle occasion by means of a mixture of economic system and incision, with solely Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson going un-rewarded of their five-over contributions.

However, the opposite main plus for England was the return of Rashid, who missed the majority of their current sequence in opposition to New Zealand with a calf niggle. He confirmed no ill-effects after coming into the assault within the twenty first over of Bangladesh’s innings and struck twice in 5 overs to take away the veteran pairing of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – the latter to a full-toss however the former to a brilliantly disguised googly that skidded into his stumps underneath an tried reduce.

When the rain arrived, it appeared that Bangladesh’s 153 for five in 30 overs could be the tip of that. Instead, they returned – after one aborted restart – for seven additional overs, wherein the quicks acquired again into the motion. Sam Curran struck with the primary ball of his second spell, earlier than each Topley and David Willey discovered themselves on hat-tricks, the previous some 5 hours after luring Bangladesh’s stand-in captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, right into a sketchy slice to deep third.

Topley’s show epitomised the mixture of rustiness and uncooked menace that England are carrying into this event. His considerably ropey first over went for 13, together with a large and two no-balls, however he swiftly hit again with the primary ball of his second as Litton Das gloved a lifter down the leg-side to depart for five (though there have been some doubts as as to whether his hand was off the bat on the level of contact).

England’s reply was raucous from the outset. Dawid Malan, their in-form opener, caressed a poetic reduce for a first-ball 4, solely to scuff his second from Mustafizur straight to slide. But Bairstow smashed 4 fours and a six in seven balls to turbo-charge the powerplay, with England’s 50 arising inside 4 overs earlier than Mustafizur powered a yorker previous his toes to finish the enjoyable.

It took a good higher ball from Hasan Mahmud to dislodge an ominously free-flowing Harry Brook. His 4 fours in a 15-ball 17 had all been stamps of uncooked class till he was bowled by means of the gate by a savage nipbacker on a good off-stump line. Buttler then edged his second ball off Shoriful Islam low previous the keeper earlier than smoking his third excessive over additional cowl for six – and as if to show he was in no temper to face on ceremony, he then top-edged his fifth over the pinnacle of Taskin, who may have had a simple catch had he been sitting again on the rope.

England’s solely actual concern stays the type of Root, who no less than endured to the tip of the chase, however hardly ever appeared able to elevating his tempo within the method that was coming so effortlessly on the different finish. He ought to have holed out to Tanzim Hasan Sakib for 7 from 19, however that man Taskin as soon as once more over-ran his tried catch at wonderful leg, then let the ball dribble over the rope too. Tellingly, that will be Root’s solely boundary of his innings. Fortunately for England, Moeen and Co. had no such energy failures to report.