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England v Bangladesh, NatWest Series, Trent Bridge

Collingwood conquers Bangladesh

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller

June 21, 2005

England 391 for 4 (Strauss 152, Collingwood 112*, Trescothick 85) defeated Bangladesh 223 (Ashraful 94, Collingwood 6-31, Tremlett 4-32) by 166 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Chris Tremlett comes within a superglued bail of a debut hat-trick. But Mohammad Ashraful made the most of his reprieve © Getty Images

Paul Collingwood has been described as many things in his time as an international cricketer - the best drinks waiter in the country, the finest point fielder since Jonty Rhodes, England's best one-day finisher since Graham Thorpe. But comparisons with the great Viv Richards have been few and far between ... until today, that is. Because, by clubbing an unbeaten 112 from 86 balls and following up with 6 for 31 from 10 probing overs, Collingwood became the first one-day cricketer to do the double since Sir Viv himself, at Dunedin in 1986-87.

His efforts ensured that Bangladesh were brought back to earth with a mighty thud after their heady triumph against Australia on Saturday, although an extraordinary onslaught from Bangladesh's pocket battleship, Mohammad Ashraful, ensured that the margin of victory was less emphatic than it perhaps ought to have been.

It was Ashraful's century that sealed that famous victory at Cardiff. Today, however, he survived his first delivery in freakish circumstances, when a hat-trick delivery from England's debutant, Chris Tremlett, landed on the top of his stumps and bounced away to safety. Understandably convinced that his luck was in, Ashraful proceeded to smear all of England's seamers, not least a bewildered Steve Harmison, to all parts of the ground in a brilliant cameo of 94 from 52 balls.

For a while, Michael Vaughan wore the same furrowed brow that had been Ricky Ponting's preserve in the latter stages of Ashraful's last innings. But there was one subtle difference. England, through the efforts of Collingwood, Marcus Trescothick and, especially, Andrew Strauss, had rattled along to a massive total of 391 for 4 - the second-highest score in one-day history. Glorious though Ashraful's efforts were, they were every bit as futile as his brilliant Test hundreds against Sri Lanka in 2001 and India last winter.

It wasn't until Collingwood and his reduced pace entered the attack that England re-established their stranglehold. He bowled Ashraful with a slower ball in his third over and followed up with the wickets of Habibul Bashar and Aftab Ahmed from consecutive deliveries. Javed Omar chopped onto his stumps for a dogged 59 and Khaled Mashud was well caught down the leg-side by Geraint Jones, before Collingwood capped his day by bowling Mohammad Rafique with the final ball of his spell. That completed the best figures by an England bowler in one-day history, and the best allround performance by anyone, ever. Tremlett, who impressed throughout with his pace, bounce and accuracy, swept up the tail for the fine figures of 4 for 32.

Ashraful's intercession aside, it was another emphatic statement of intent from a ruthlessly focused England side. Vaughan produced his fifth correct call out of six to guard against an awkward run-chase in the twilight, but from the moment Trescothick strode out to resume his love-in with Bangladesh's seam attack, a second upset in four days was never remotely on the cards.

Andrew Strauss: a classy performance © Getty Images

Trescothick came into this match with the small matter of 445 runs to his name in three innings against Bangladesh; by the time he was dismissed, heaving Nazmul Hossain high into the covers, he had added a further 85 from 65 balls. He treated all bowlers with equal disdain, but it was the hapless Tapash Baisya who came in for the greatest abuse. His seven overs were smeared for a whopping 87 runs - the worst economy-rate for any spell of five or more overs in one-day history.

It was something of a surprise when Trescothick failed to reach his fourth hundred in as many innings, but once he fell with the score already on 141, there was no pussyfooting around from England. Vaughan fell for an eighth-ball duck and Andrew Flintoff holed out to long-off for 17, but Collingwood's arrival ensured that the early momentum was not lost.

Collingwood instantly set about reproducing the sort of scampering, chivvying innings that had rescued England in their Twenty20 victory over Australia last week. In all he clobbered five sixes and ten fours from 86 balls, and by the latter stages of the performance, the big question was whether England could become the first side to top 400. In the event they failed by nine runs, but no-one will be counting the small change after entertainment of this quality.

The biggest revelation of the innings, however, was Strauss, who raced along to his highest one-day score of 152 from 128 balls. While Trescothick was blazing away, he seemed utterly pedestrian by comparison but towards the end of the innings, he unveiled an audacious improvisatory streak with a series of superb inside-out clips that flew away for four through fine leg. He was eventually trapped lbw with one ball of the innings remaining, but by then England had laid down an emphatic gauntlet, both to Bangladesh, but more pertinently, to the chastened Australians, whom they now face in a tasty encounter at Durham on Thursday.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo