Friday, March 11, 2011

Bangladesh beat England in thriller

Bangladesh players go into Friday's World Cup group match against England trying to ignore the pressure created by the millions of fans they have so far disappointed.
Bangladesh's status as co-host created high hopes of success in the impoverished country but angry fans turned on the players after a crushing nine-wicket loss to the West Indies derailed the attempt to reach the quarterfinals.
Batsman Junaid Siddique says the team can do much better and that "in three years of my cricket career, it was the worst match."
"It is very important for us," Siddique said. "We know it was a very bad match. In three years of my cricket career, it was the worst match. We know that."
Bangladesh scored just 58 against the West Indies for the fourth-lowest total in World Cup history. Fans subsequently pelted the winners' team bus with stones and attacked captain Shakib Al Hasan's house.
Bangladesh must now beat England in Chittagong to have any real hope of advancing from Group B.
But if Siddique needs any inspiration, he need only look to the first test against England in Chittagong last year.
The batsman, who has made good starts to innings against India and the West Indies but has just 65 runs from three World Cup knocks, hit a career-best 106 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
"Test matches and one-day are different scenarios," Siddique said. "It depends upon the match. If I am thinking too much, I know I had a couple of matches where I am not getting big scores. I have it in my mind."
After their shock loss to Ireland, England beat South Africa by six runs last time out to put themselves in a strong position. Victory on Friday would assure them of progress with three wins and a tie after five of six matches, but they are without the injured Stuart Broad and Kevin Pietersen.
The pair were ruled out of the rest of the tournament this week because of a side strain and hernia problem respectively. The former Ireland international Eoin Morgan has replaced batting star Pietersen and looks set to play just three days after arriving.
But Morgan said England can look to their last two victorious Ashes series for evidence that they know how to win without key players. Pietersen missed the last three Ashes Tests in 2009 and Broad sat out the last three with a different side strain in the most recent series that concluded in January.
"To lose two world-class players in Kevin and Stuart is going to be a big loss," Morgan said. "But in the past, as we have seen maybe in the Ashes series in recent times, guys have come in and filled other guys' places, done very well and we have gone on to do exceptionally well.
"So the guys who do come in will be able to fill their boots."
Morgan is likely to bat at No. 5, which could see Ravi Bopara — man of the match against South Africa — promoted to opener in place of Pietersen. Ajmal Shahzad or Chris Tremlett, Broad's replacement, could take the vacant pace spot.
Broad's injury came at an unfortunate time for England since the bowling attack had just clicked for the first time in the tournament, successfully defending 171 against South Africa on a crumbling Chennai wicket.
But Morgan's arrival could bolster an already in-form batting lineup that racked up 967 runs in its first three games.
"I have been very successful at number five in the past and it is my favorite position to bat," Morgan said. "I find coming in the middle overs — and being a left hander — and playing spin OK is one of the better parts of my game."
Siddique said Bangladesh need to rediscover their own batting spark to have any chance of progress. The team opened with 283-9 in losing to India but then made 205 to beat Ireland and just 58 against the West Indies.
"A top order bat always needs big scores and that's why I'm working so hard in the nets," Siddique said. "I can talk too much and not do it out there. I need to prove it there what I have got."

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