Formidable England easily outclass Bangladesh

From the pinnacle of revelry to rock bottom as England dealt Bangladesh a 168-run thrashing in the fourth match of the NatWest One-Day Series at Nottingham this morning.

After their stunning win against Australia on the weekend, Bangladeshi cricket was brought back to earth again – never in the hunt against a formidable English unit, who amassed their highest One-Day total ever of 4-391.

Andrew Strauss (152 from 118) and Paul Collingwood (112 no from 85) smashed the brittle Bangladeshi attack to all parts of the ground, scoring centuries at faster than a run-a-ball. Not only that, but Collingwood backed up with the ball, taking amazing figures of 6-31 from 10 overs.

With England winning the toss and amassing a total nine-shy of 400 batting first, the visitors were never up for the challenge – skittled in the 46th over for 223, with Chris Tremlett (4-32) and Collingwood sharing the 10 scalps between them.

Debutant to debutant when Shahriar Nafees was bowled by Tremlett for 10, followed next ball when Tushar Imran was caught behind and Bangladesh reeling at 2-30.

Tremlett was unlucky not to claim a hat-trick on debut when on the prized ball, Mohammad Ashraful played the ball into the ground, bouncing up and flicking the top of the stumps, but failing to dislodge a bail.

After that early spice passed, Ashraful (94 from 52) and Javed Omar (59 from 107) strung together a gallant 124-run stand, with Ashraful’s cameo innings seeing him bring up his 50 in only 21 balls – the fastest by a Bangladeshi and the equal eighth fastest all-time. Omar was then bowled at 3-154 by Collingwood – his first of six victims.

Collingwood was then on a hat-trick when he claimed the wickets of Habibul Bashar (16) and Aftab Ahmed (0) in consecutive balls to leave the visitors idling at 6-195, however, wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud successfully avoided the hat-trick ball.

Though, his stay lasted briefly, with Collingwood eventually getting his man, caught behind for eight at 7-201, as the tail eventually crumbled to see the visitors all-out 169 runs shy of their target.

Earlier, England had won the toss and were in cruise control from ball one. Openers Marcus Trescothick and Strauss painlessly guided England past 100 at over eight runs per over.

Trescothick blazed his way to 85 from 65 balls before Nazmul Hossain claimed the first of his three scalps. At 1-141 in the 17th over, that wicket was shortly followed by the dismissal of Michael Vaughan for a duck at 2-148.

Andrew Flintoff (17 from 21) hit his customary six before departing at 3-179 in the 25th over, but it was party time with what followed.

Strauss nonchalantly guided his way to 100 in even time, as Collingwood blasted his way to a century in only 77 balls – his second 50 taking only 24 deliveries.

The pair passed the 200-run partnership mark, before Strauss was heartbreakingly dismissed on the penultimate ball of the innings, shortly after passing 150 for the first time in his One-Day career.

Nazmul Hossain claimed 3-83, but inevitability, it was a bowling card for Bangladesh that was simply grim. Apart from Mohammad Rafique (0-54 from 10), every bowler conceded in excess of six-an-over.

The NatWest Series continues this Thursday with Australia searching for their first win in the series, up against the undefeated England at Durham.

Full scorecard available here.

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