Bangladesh Get the Sport Relief Spirit

A game that Bangladesh might have won, should have drawn but ultimately lost ended all hopes of their supporters getting anything out of a tour in which they have been at times very good and often competitive. In the end Bangladesh simply couldn't help but generously donate this Test to England and, with it, the momentum (remember that?) for the series to come in England.

Perhaps weighed down by their perpetual status as International new boys and underdogs in the end their belief leeched away. For three of the last four wickets to perish trying to take on Tredwell, on a flat deck, when not so much runs but time was the critical factor, was unforgivable. Shakib will be kicking himself for doing a Bresnan and getting stumped on 96 and will have to ask himself why his batting partners were trying to hit a spinner out of the park when occupation and partnering with him could have taken the game to safety.

In the end England simply had too too long to make the 209 they needed - so many overs that there was almost no pressure on them to take risks to achieve it. Bangladesh seemed to know the game was up and - by bowling Razzak for long periods (why?) took any pressure they had built off the batsmen.

England have looked efficient and have done all that has been asked of them on really poor decks whatever your view of the declarations and some of the tempo they have played their cricket at. There has been no pace to play with, little bounce and England have extracted all the turn in this tour. Given home advantage, Bangladesh have clearly decided to nullify any advantage that they think England might have had by giving them pitches that have done nothing. But it has spectacularly misfired. Cook, Morgan, Pietersen, Keiswetter, Prior, Bell and Colly have all got runs on the tour and even Tim Bresnan has shown that with sound technique you can stay in on these tracks and make runs. Ironically the Bangladeshis ahve shown less temperament and have not been able to equal England's batting peformances. The dropping of Ashraful and the retirement of Raqibul have compromised their ability in this and both moves look like poor management in the cold light of a comprehensive tour loss.

Will anything change in England when they tour? It's unlikely as, as much as the poor conditions here showed how ruthless professionalism can with a tour, the conditions in England in May will be feisty. Well, feistier than this. Wickman does worry that the ECB will be interested in the Tests lasting five days as it will be surprising if the first three days of any of the Tests sell out. Certainly Wickman will not be in too much of a hurry to buy tickets...