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Dawid Malan hits unbeaten century to steer England to a nervy three-wicket win over Bangladesh in their first one-day international… less than 36 hours after the Test team were beaten by just one run in thriller against New Zealand
- England bowled Bangladesh out for 209, with only Shanto passing fifty
- England lost regular wickets in the chase but Dawid Malan kept them on track
- The match came less than 36 hours after England lost by a run to New Zealand
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A little over 24 hours after another England team went down by a single run in a Test in New Zealand, their one-day counterparts got over the line in another nail-biter courtesy of Dawid Malan’s second hundred in as many innings.
In conditions similar to those that will confront them at the World Cup in India later in the year, and against arguably the most formidable side in the international game in their own backyard, England would have been consigned to an eighth defeat in 10 in one-day internationals but for Malan’s stoicism in a low-scoring affair in Mirpur.
A month to the day after rescuing England from the perils of 14 for three with a brilliant 118 against South Africa in Kimberley, the 35-year-old put further weight to his claim that 50-over cricket is his best format by showing his range of gears can be applied equally successfully across contrasting scenarios and against both pace and spin.
Arriving at the crease in the first over – he has been asked to drop down a slot to three here, after opening in South Africa – the Yorkshire left-hander absorbed the pressure others could not.
His first half-century spanned 92 deliveries, and it was only after the second drinks break, as the floodlights fully took hold and the outfield was ‘roped’ to counter the dew, that he altered tempo, lofting only his second four over extra cover off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and following up with a straight six down the ground next ball.
Dawid Malan held England’s innings together to help his side to victory in the first ODI
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England had earlier bolwed Bangladesh out for 209, with Moeen Ali (left) and Adil Rashid (right) picking up two wickets apiece
Najmul Shanto (pictured) was the only Bangladesh batter to pass 50, but his contribution wasn’t enough to seal victory for his side
By that stage, England still required 90 with only half their wickets intact as a batting order missing World Cup certainties Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Harry Brook displayed its frailty against a high-class home attack.
Bangladesh has been a visitors’ graveyard in recent years. Indeed, they have won all the bilateral home series they have played since England’s triumph here in the autumn of 2016.
And their bowlers’ ability to extract capricious behaviour out of the pitch left England struggling at 65-4 when captain Jos Buttler guided a Taskin Ahmed delivery to slip.
Will Jacks chipped in with a debut 26 to realign things, using experience from participation in the Bangladesh Premier League to good effect, but regular wickets kept the game in the balance until Adil Rashid arrived to share an unbeaten 51-run stand for the eighth wicket.
But it was Malan who provided the beef of the total, taking just 42 balls over his second 50, and finishing things with his 12th boundary, to leave eight balls unused.
