Published on 04:42 PM, March 09, 2023

Tigers recover well to restrict England to 156 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Bangladesh would be pleased to have contained England to 156 for six in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today.

Sent in to bat, England captain and opener Jos Buttler led from the front to register 67 off 42 balls, striking four boundaries and as many maximums, but Bangladesh got back in the game in the final quarter of the innings.

Earlier, the Tigers had a glorious chance at removing Buttler in the sixth over when the hard-hitting right-hander skied Nasum Ahmed's delivery in the sixth over, only for Shakib to miss the catch at mid on region.

The platform had already been laid for the visitors, at 80 for naught in the 10th over, before England's first wicket fell as Nasum finally got his victim.

Shakib soon returned to redeem himself, this time off his own bowling, and thanks to a well-judged catch by Najmul Hossain Shanto at long on, in-form Dawid Malan went out for cheap.

Buttler and Ben Duckett then combined for a quick-fire 47-run stand before Mustafizur Rahman bowled the latter. The tail-up Tigers seized the momentum by removing Buttler in the next delivery, bowled by Hasan Mahmud. Shanto was again in the act and proved to be a pair of safe hands.

Boosted by consecutive dismissals, the Tigers were managed to contain the possible late onslaught as England could only tally 21 runs in the last four overs, two of which was bowled by Hasan Mahmud and right-arm quick only conceded five runs in the spell and picked two wicket, including Sam Curran's, while all other bowlers – Taskin Ahmed, Nasum, Shakib, Mustafizur – scalped one apiece.