All-round England cruises to series win
Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes kept their calm to steer a tense chase as England completed a 2-1 series win over Bangladesh at the Zahir Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday (October 12).
Needing 51 from 57 balls in pursuit of 278, England lost the wicket of Jos Buttler for 25 and Moeen Ali soon after at a crucial juncture, but the seventh-wicket duo added 42 runs in 32 balls despite coming under pressure from Bangladesh’s bowlers on a slow wicket to guide the visiting side to a four-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.
Woakes, who sealed the game and the series with a six over long-off, finished with an unbeaten 27 from 18 balls, while Stokes’s cadence during the course of his 48-ball 47 was crucial to England’s third ODI series victory on the trot.
Bangladesh had put up a very competitive 277 for 6, with the opening duo of Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes getting the home side off to a great start, adding 80 runs. Tamim made 45 from 68 deliveries and in the process crossed the 5,000-run mark in his 159th ODI. Kayes contributed with a quick-fire 46.
Sabbir Rahman too came up with a crucial 49, but the wickets of Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain for single-digit scores allowed England to mount a comeback. Adil Rashid, the legspinner, was instrumental in England's revival, finishing with figures of 4 for 43 from 10 overs and bagging the Man of the Match award.
But just when it seemed that Bangladesh could collapse after a good start, Mushfiqur Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain put their hands up and made the seventh-wicket stand count. The duo added an unbeaten 85 runs from 71 balls to carry Bangladesh from 192 for 6 to 277 for 6, a total which seemed formidable on this pitch.
The crowd got behind its bowlers when England walked out to bat. James Vince kept his calm and made a brilliant 32, but it was Sam Billing’s 62 that fuelled the run-chase. Ben Duckett’s (63) second half-century in three games ensured the foundation the openers had set didn’t go to waste. But Shafiul Islam scalped the wickets of Duckett and Jonny Bairstow in quick succession to put the pressure on England.
Buttler, the skipper, resuscitated England with his calm approach but Mashrafe Mortaza accounted for him in the 41st over to spice the contest up afresh. Losing Moeen to the same bowler a couple of overs only made matters worse for England. However, in the calculated risk-taking and calm of Stokes and Woakes, England had the right men to finish off the job, as Bangladesh was denied a seventh home ODI series win in a row.