Is there a separate thread for the IPL? If not, it'll be [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/twenty20/ipl/7362259/Cricket-back-on-free-to-air-as-ITV-win-rights-to-Indian-Premier-League.htmlscreened by ITV4[/url.

Sidebottom out of the test squad, replaced by Bresnan.

Broad out of the 3rd ODI, Steven Finn called up as cover to the test squad just in case.

Looking at Bresnan today i'm glad he's got his chance in the test squad. I was suprised he was left out of both the South African tour party aswell as this one so he gets a chance he deserves imo.

We really need to find an out and out pace bowler though. We've got so many guys that can bat, field and bowl at 85mph but we're desperate for a 90mph+ man and if we can find one from somewhere we'll have a very handy team in all forms.

Good first day today especially for Cook. Not quite sure what their captain was thinking of putting us in though.

Only dissapointment of the day was Pietersen not getting his 100. To get 99 though was a good effort and he played superbly well for it. He played nice and straight all innings until he got to 99 and for some reason went back to how he's played in the one day series and tried a daft flick.

He looked totally gutted.

He absolutely was. The gloves and the helmet went flying before he reached the dressing room and by all accounts the bat wasn't looking too healthy when he got there! Good knock though and exactly what he needed - some time at the crease.

Top knock from captain Cook and Chittagong has to be seen to be believed!!!!!

what time does it start in the morning?

4 minutes ago. I'm late!!!!

Good knocks from Cook, KP, Colly and Bell.

Swann strikes in his frist over

51-3 I can see them having to follow on here

154-5 at stumps and England are in a great position to win the game very comfortably.

I suppose it's only to be expected that we should go there and win at a canter but it's nice to look like there'll be no slip ups.

Could be on my way to Dhaka on Monday afternoon

Skittled them out and obviously spending abit more time in the middle

England need 5 wickets to win in a full day tomorrow on what has turned into a complete featherbed of a pitch.
Shakib has been proved correct that the pitch would flatten out into a belter holding very few terrors in it but whether they have the determination/skill/luck to bat out another full day is another matter.
Good to see the Bangladeshi's putting up a bit of a fight today though.
They really do need a decent fast/seam bowler though dont they?

Or to start producing pitches that scuff up a bit more and give their four spinners a better chance earlier in games. Hopefully the match referees report on this particular surface won't be glowing just because there's been a stack of runs scored at a good rate, it's simply not been a balanced fight between bat and ball.

England had to battle pretty hard to get that win in the end and i've been a little suprised by come of the criticisim they've recieved about making hard work of it and about Cook not enforcing the follow on. The pitch was as flat as they come and we're missing a couple of our front line bowlers. Also this Bagladesh team aren't the mugs they were a few years ago anymore.

The big mistake England made was pre match in playing 6 batters. If we can't back a 5 man batting line up plus Prior in this series then we probably never will and we're not going to win the Ashes at the end of the year with only 4 bowlers imo.

Time for them to show some guts and leave out a batter in favour of Tredwell for the next test. I'd probably leave out Carberry but Trott must also be under some pressure.

Swann now ranked 2nd in the world. Imagine anyone predicting that 18 months ago?

Unbelievable and with one more test to go over there and the Bangladesh team coming over to play in England followed by Pakistan he'll have every chance of getting to number 1 i'd imagine.

I just can't help wondering have we picked him 4 or 5 years too late? Maybe he wasn't mature enough back though going off a few of the things i've read.

As you say, the mistake was in the balance of the team. One spinner and only one experienced seam bowler in a four man attack, and no "batting all-rounder" of note. Broad, Bresnan, Swann & Tredwell are all good enough to bat at least 8 in county cricket; occupying positions 7, 8, 9, 10 against Bangladesh in a Test they would have given us enough insurance against a middle order collapse. Playing the same opposition at Durham in May, last week's team selection would have been fine but a fifth bowler (especially with Tredwell having showed up so well in the warm up game) would have been of more use than a specialist batsman at 6 in these conditions. Bowling them out twice in tropical heat on a slow pitch was always going to be more challenging than making more runs than them.

Which they did. I don't expect England to tinker with a winning team at all.

Why did Cook not use Collingwood at all to give his front line attack a breather?.....

And Colly bowled pretty well in the one day games aswell.

I've read he may be carrying an injury thats preventing him from bowling.

Now I've absolutely nothing against James Tredwell and as the only other spinner in the current squad it's right that he's playing in this test...however, what does he offer at 28 and a containing off-spinner that Adil Rashid at 22 and an attacking leg-spinner doesnt???

Neither did I, so we were both taken by surprise.

We ought to outscore Bangladesh under any circumstances; the point I was trying to make is that a more bowler-centric selection would in theory make for a lower scoring match and reduce any danger of Bangladesh batting for long enough to escape with a draw.


It's been a weakness of England Test cricket for many years now that other countries seem to have top order batsmen who can do a servicable job as fourth seamer or second spinner, whereas the likes of Collingwood and Pietersen are given a couple of overs here and there but don't seem to be trusted to do more than just give the main bowlers a breather. Our captains just don't seem to regard them as a genuine bowling option, which Collingwood given his experience and variations of pace certainly ought to be in subcontinental conditions. (Or in English conditions for that matter.) Today Collingwood bowled one over for eight runs. I'm not sure at which juncture he bowled his over, but why wasn't he trusted to have a spell of half a dozen? It seems that our part-time bowlers are expected to have an instant impact and if they don't they're not worth perservering with.

Pray thanks for the return of old school test cricket



Some may say negative batting, i would say far more negative bowling. Besides, England don't have to make the running.

Even god got bored with Trott and decided to intervene

Nice knock by Bresnan, showed he's not just a big lad who can come in down the order and lump it around in ODIs.

Potentially gives the selectors an interesting dilemma come the summer - presumably Tredwell makes way for Anderson, but do England stick with five specialist batters and in which case who makes way to accomodate the return of Strauss?