England are BEATEN by 50 runs in the third ODI against Bangladesh in Chittagong… with Jos Buttler’s experimental side coming up short against the hosts, who saw Shakib Al Hasan take his 300th ODI wicket
History was made when Rehan Ahmed became England’s youngest one-day international cricketer on Monday, but unlike his Test debut, it was not for a winning cause.
Back in Karachi in December, the 18-year-old celebrated taking similar junior status as a Test player with a haul of five wickets in seven in the match against Pakistan.
Here, replacing the injured Will Jacks, he had to settle for one – off his last pitch – and a loss after England blew a chance to seal a first Asian shutout series in 13 years against Bangladesh.
The previous one was by virtue of a 3-0 scoreline here against the same opponents in 2010, but after going 2-0 in this series, they ended up winning 2-1.
Ahmed was the penultimate sacking, and Shakib Al Hasan’s 300th ODI casualty, as England imploded from a lossless stand of 54.
History was made when Rehan Ahmed became England’s youngest one-day international cricketer on Monday, but it came in a 50-run defeat against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
The 18-year-old leg-spinner was congratulated by his teammates after taking his first ODI wicket.
England were beaten in the third and final ODI but ended up winning the bilateral series 2-1
The courts at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium tend to yield higher totals than their counterparts in Dhaka, as emphasized by the most recent one-day international here, another deadlock, when India scored 409 of eight.
But this one took the life out of the sun, his late evening slowness highlighted by the fact that only a cap was hit in 19 overs mid-innings.
After England eliminated Bangladesh for the third time in a week, there seemed little danger in the opening chase, but a reckless three-wicket-for-a-run spell on eight balls completely altered the face of the contest.
Phil Salt had provided the bulk of an opening slot but sadly covered it to start the rot.
There is an all or nothing aspect to Malan’s international one day race. Twice this year, even in the first game here, his runs have defined the game, but there’s also a tendency to go cheap.
An error in the middle on Monday brought his duck ratio to a hundred to 5-4 in 18 innings.
Having seen two crosses that killed two colleagues, Jason Roy inexplicably played and was brought down by a Shakib Al Hasan skater.
It was a challenging situation for Sam Curran, having been promoted to number five in the order as part of a preconceived plan to provide batting experience to those guaranteed to be at this autumn’s World Cup in neighboring India.
Home team Bangladesh restricted England well with consistent wickets after scoring 246
Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (centre) scored 75 for 71 before taking 4-35 in his 10 overs
That meant his natural counter-attacking instincts were sidelined until, after dribbling to four of 21 balls, he elevated Mehidy Hasan Miraz for six.
Compensating for a torrid time in the field earlier, fellow fourth-wicketer James Vince was the aggressor in his 49-run position, but his conclusion, Curran touching straight from long range, signaled another quick three-wicket spell.
Vince was sent back by a Shakib pearler who leaned to one side, turned to the other and took the outside edge while Moeen Ali was dropped by retired closer Ebadot Hossain.
The game was effectively settled when Buttler failed to duck low enough on a reverse sweep attempt, to be the leg before slowing down left-arm Taijul Islam.
In the next over, the pace of asking in a ball run and in conditions that must have felt like batting against a cannonball in quicksand, that was too much to ask of the tail.