England bat again after hosts fightback
Mar 14 2010 - 08:30:45
England opted not to enforce the follow-on after taking three wickets in four deliveries to end a spirited Bangladesh fightback on day three of the first Test.
Mushfiqur Rahim hit a fine 79 as the hosts put the brakes on England's progress but after his eighth-wicket partner Naeem Islam was senselessly run-out, the next two wickets came inside seconds.
Graeme Swann benefited to complete a five-wicket haul, while Alastair Cook opted to bat again with a 303 lead already on the board.
The tourists started perfectly, with Tamim Iqbal adding just five to his overnight 81 before losing his off-stump to a beauty from Tim Bresnan. That was enough to give him the highest Bangladeshi score against England, beating Aftab Ahmed's mark of 82.
Mushfiqur wafted lazily at his first delivery but was soon looking assured at the crease and began to find the gaps in the England field.
Nightwatchman Shahadat Hossain was almost erroneously given out by umpire Rod Tucker before the decision was quickly overturned, though he did not take advantage. Instead he nicked to slip to give debutant Steven Finn a first Test wicket.
The 20-year-old, much improved from his tense opening spell on Saturday, probed away for a second and was twice unlucky to see full deliveries squeezed past leg-stump.
Naeem joined Mushfiqur in the middle and set about playing a more reserved foil to his buccaneering partner. By now Mushfiqur was using his feet well against Swann and driving confidently into the off-side from the seamers.
By the time he raised his bat for a well-earned fifth Test 50, 40 of his runs had come in boundaries.
The eighth-wicket pair re-established themselves after the lunch break and only looked troubled when Finn returned to the attack.