Carberry hopes dealt a blow
Mar 09 2010 - 07:58:58
Michael Carberry's Test hopes took a blow on the final afternoon of the warm-up match against Bangladesh A as he fell for 35.
With Jonathan Trott already a centurion in the match, Carberry needed a big score following his first-innings five and although he started positively, he may have needed more to book his Test debut on Friday.
England needed 284 if they were to win and Carberry was quickly into his stride with six fours as he dominated the first-wicket stand before departing to make it 57 for one.
Cook (15 not out) and Carberry had earlier been involved in a much less impressive passage of play, offering up free runs to force the declaration - with the captain giving away a scarcely believable 111 in five overs.
Having resumed on 131 for three, Steven Finn and Ajmal Shahzad removed overnight batsmen Roqibul Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful before Cook and Carberry sent down an unbroken series of full tosses and slow long-hops.
That eased Bangladesh A to 362 for five declared at lunch, having been 167 before Cook's intervention - 283 ahead.
Bangladesh A were given few scoring opportunities by a tight opening spell from Tim Bresnan and Finn.
Finn held his length well and was rewarded with the wicket of Roqibul, who added just one run to his overnight 50 before losing his off stump to one which beat him for pace.
With Roqibul having made 107 not out in the first innings - perhaps enough to earn him a Test nod on Friday, his was a key wicket.
Middlesex seamer Finn, meanwhile, was midway through a fine spell of pace bowling that earned him five maidens in his first six overs. Shahzad was added to the attack and quickly removed Ashraful, who again failed to make the big score the BCB selectors were looking for.