Emphatic:

After suffering a crushing defeat by Sussex in their last match on the second leg of their mini tour of England Bangladesh bounced back in style. The youngest Test playing nation inflicted a crushing defeat on Middlesex, who succumbed to a 141 run defeat. So was it is the biggest win against an English county? Not according to Jahirul Islam. “We have had bigger wins,” said Jahirul. “We are a good team.”

Although Middlesex gave youth a chance the margin victory is humiliating. There were more than ten overs remaining when Bangladesh to polished off Middlesex’s innings. New captain Masrafe Mortaza started the rot early with a wicket maiden as wicket-keeper John Simpson was clean bowled for 0 from the last ball of the over – a wicket maiden.

“We played very badly against Sussex,” Jahirul told us exclusively. “We will take confidence from this into the series against England.” Middlesex’s response to Bangladesh’s total of 301 for 7 started badly and got worse. Dawid Malan’s 32 and Owais Shah’s 51 were the only bright spots in an abject display of poor batting. “They batted well after that [Masrafe’s opening over],” said Jahirul charitably.

But there were no real positives for Middlesex as they gave some of their youngsters an opportunity. The Bangladeshis showed them that the Lord’s pitch was not difficult to bat on. Jahirul top-scored with a magnificent 88, but the young batsman wanted more from himself. “I made a mistake,” he said. “I should have scored some singles.” He felt that he had thrown away a century at Lord’s. His 143 run partnership with Imrul Kayes gave his team the platform to reach a big total and give the bowlers the chance to shine even if Middlesex’s woeful batting helped.

Exhibitions:

Bangladesh needed a morale boost after a savage defeat against Sussex. A magnificent partnership between Imrul, 77, and Jahirul, that lasted exactly half their innings gave them the platform to achieve that. The pair put on 143 for the third wicket after an exciting cameo by the prodigiously talented Tamim Iqbal and a failure by Junaid Siddique.

The pair were brought together at the fall of Junaid’s wicket – the second to fall to a careless shot. They play shots, but it is the bane of Bangladeshi batting. It cost them dear in the Test series, but their young team likes to play shots. Some of them need to learn discretion and follow the example of Imrul and Jahirul.

They came together moments after the team’s fifty came up. Jahirul was the first to reach his half century – it required just 42 balls and included six fours. It brought up the hundred partnership too. Imrul took longer to reach the same mark, 67 balls, but got there in style with his second six. He already had four other boundaries to his name. Although he was allegedly playing the anchor role Imrul demonstrated that he could – to use a baseball term – hit for power too.

He was eventually dismissed for 77 by Toby Roland-Jones, caught at backward point off a far from elegant swish by Tom Smith. His 92-ball innings included four fours and three sixes and set his team up nicely for a big score. That brought former skipper and the first Bangladeshi to be signed by an English county, Shakib al Hasan to the crease.

Jahirul was finally out for 88, caught by Roland-Jones to give Smith a wicket, having lasted one ball more than Imrul. He had struck nine fours in an excellent innings, but like Imrul threw away a century at Lord’s. Both deserved to reach the mark and will have few better opportunities than against such an experimental Middlesex attack.

Wasted Opportunities:

The sparse crowd at Lord’s had come to see exciting opening Bangladeshi opening batsman Tamim Iqbal thrill again. He disappointed, only showing the briefest glimpse of a fine talent. His 28 contained six fours before an agricultural swing outside the line cost him his wicket – bowled by Robbie Williams.

Junaid departed for just 10, caught by Toby Roland-Jones. He was the first of Daniel Evans’ three wickets – yet another poor shot. Imrul and Jahirul also departed to unnecessary shots. “I tried to clear long-off and just hit it to mid-off,” said Jahirul. “I should have just taken singles, got my hundred and made a big score.”

At least they had contributed first and Jahirul – a young batsman who only played his first one-day international recently has already learned from the experience. The Worcestershire-bound Shakib made a quick 38 from just 32 balls before finding Owais Shah.

His disappointment was clear as yet another wayward shot cost his team. He gave catching practice to Owais Shah. Four boundaries was scant compensation and Musfiqur Rahim added to the list of carelessness by finding Josh Davey. 25 with two fours was not good enough once he had got a start. Evans was the beneficiary on both occasions.

Faisal Hossain never got going. He was caught by Shah for 4. Williams got his second wicket – all seven had been given away. Middlesex captain Neil Dexter used eight bowlers to get through their 50 overs. Bangladesh finished on 301 for 7, thanks to final thrash by new captain and opening bowler Masrafe Mortaza. He made an unbeaten 16 from eight balls with two sixes and he also gave his team an excellent start to Middlesex’s response.

A Pitiful Procession:

Having steered his team to the 300 mark, Masrafe took the new ball himself and finished with a wicket maiden as John Simpson was late to the final ball of the over and was bowled. Both openers were quickly back in the pavilion as Jackson Thompson bagged two boundaries before giving Tamim an easy catch. Shaful Islam could not believe his luck.

The only threat that Middlesex posed to the imposing target was through Shah and his new partner, Dawid Malan, but while Shah’s batting skills are undoubted his running between the wickets keeps opponents interested. One shy of the team’s century Malan glared back at Shah as he had to trudge off for 32 run out by a direct hit by Mahmudullah.

Shah was on 47 at the time and soon completed his fifty, but Middlesex surrendered eight wickets for just 61 runs and did so meekly. Shah completed his half century in 62 balls, having hit six fours. At 114 Shah was trapped leg before wicket by Shakib for 61. That brought the last established and recognised batsman, Neil Dexter to the crease.

Australian Tom Scollay made 3 before he too was dismissed lbw to Faisal. 116 for 5 soon got worse as Dexter presented his wicket to Abdur Razzaq for 8 with a terrible shot. He was easily caught by Junaid. 134 for 6 soon became 146 for 7 as Josh Davey fell lbw to Shaful for 11. The end was in sight now. Roland-Jones was bowled for 4 by Masrafe, playing an awful shot, but by then it was too late. 156 for 8 became 158 for 9 as Tom Smith was caught by Masrafe for 2, bowled by Shaful.

An abject batting display was completed when Evans was run out for 0 by another direct hit by Mahmudullah. Bangladesh will go into the one-day international series against England later this week with a little confidence restored. Middlesex can take comfort from the fact that they are unlikely to play so badly again.