Bangladesh won their first-ever T20 series against England, beating the visitors by five wickets in the second match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The hosts outplayed England in every department, clinching the series with a match to spare. Bangladesh’s batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto was named the player of the series for his consistent performance with the bat. Meanwhile, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was declared the player of the match for his outstanding spell of 4/12 in the second match.
In the first match, England posted 156 runs on the board after being put in to bat first, with Jos Buttler top-scoring for the visitors. However, the Bangladeshi bowlers did well to restrict England’s score to a chaseable target. Every bowler in the Bangladeshi side picked up a wicket each, with Hasan Mahmud being the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets. Bangladesh got off to a rocky start but managed to chase the target with four balls to spare thanks to contributions from Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy.
In the second match, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl. The hosts’ bowlers continued to dominate the English batting line-up, with every bowler being economical and picking up a wicket each. However, the star of the show was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who took four wickets for just 12 runs in his four overs. England raced to 50 for the loss of one wicket, but then lost their way. They lost their last six wickets for just 26 runs to end their innings at 117. In reply, Bangladesh had a shaky start but managed to chase down the target with five wickets in hand, thanks to an unbeaten partnership of 32 runs between Shanto and Mehidy.
Bangladesh has been dominant in the T20 format at home, with their last defeat coming in March 2020 against Zimbabwe. The victory against England was Bangladesh’s sixth consecutive T20 win at home. However, they still have some concerns to address, especially with their top-order batsmen struggling to score runs. Bangladesh’s skipper Mahmudullah Riyad has emphasized the importance of consistent performances from their top order, especially with the T20 World Cup coming up later this year.
England, on the other hand, has struggled to find their footing in the T20 format in recent times. They lost their last two T20 series, against India and South Africa, before coming to Bangladesh. While they were without some of their key players, including Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy, the visitors failed to put up a fight against the dominant Bangladeshi side. The English batters struggled to score runs against a disciplined Bangladeshi bowling attack, while their bowlers also failed to make an impact.
The two teams have faced each other in the T20 format only twice before, with England winning the previous encounter at the T20 World Cup last year. However, Bangladesh has now secured their first-ever T20 series win against the visitors, which is a significant achievement for the home side.
Looking ahead, both teams will be looking to make some changes and experiment with their line-ups in the third and final T20 match of the series. While the series is already decided, both teams will be looking to salvage some pride and end the series on a high. The third match of the series is scheduled to take place on March 15 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
Head to Head Record:
Bangladesh and England have faced each other twice in T20I cricket. England won their first meeting in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 by eight wickets. Bangladesh managed to score 124 runs, but England chased it down in just 14.1 overs.
Key Players:
Shakib-Al-Hasan is Bangladesh’s key player who has played a pivotal role in most of their victories. Shakib was the player of the series in the recently concluded ODI series, scoring 141 runs at an average of 47.00 across three games. In the first T20I, he scored 34 runs and also took wickets with the ball. He will be the foundation of the team and his knowledge and expertise will be crucial to lead Bangladesh to victory in the final match.
Jos Butler, England’s captain, is their key player who has established himself as a formidable opponent over the years. He scored 67 runs in the first T20I, including four boundaries and four sixes, but failed to make any impact in the second match. Butler will be looking to return to winning ways in the final match of the series.
Probable XIs:
England (probable): Jos Buttler (C), Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid.
Bangladesh (probable): Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
Match Time & Venue:
The match will take place on March 15, 2023, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The match is set to begin at 6:30 PM local time (7:00 PM IST).
In conclusion, the final T20I match between Bangladesh and England is a dead-rubber contest. Bangladesh has already won the series 2-0, but both teams will be looking to put up a strong performance in the final match. Shakib-Al-Hasan and Jos Butler will be the key players for Bangladesh and England, respectively.
