Iain Fletcher | Cricket: A real Test of patience

Published on Saturday 20 March 2010 20:11

TEST cricket has to offer more for the player, spectator and TV executive than a completely unequal contest between bat and ball on a pitch resembling a blancmange.

That was what we got yesterday in Mirpur as Bangladesh plundered the England bowling on their way to 330 for eight on the opening day of the second Test.

Kevin Pietersen calls them "chief executive" pitches as they are designed to ensure five days' play and therefore no loss in revenue but many more like this one or last week's in Chittagong and we may as well read Test cricket the last rites.

Having won the toss, Bangladesh batted and made a seemingly decent go of it, at least by the scorecard, as they rattled along at more than three an over. But statistics do not tell the whole story, not even half of it. When batsman know the ball is not going to bounce above waist height it removes any element of fear from the game. Poor old Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad charged to the wicket with a hard new ball in their hands. These chaps need bounce and pace to have any effect but instead, as Bangladesh try and prove they deserve to play Test cricket, they found a deliberately tailored pitch and the ball barely carrying to the wicketkeeper. Lesser batsman can thrive in such torpid conditions.

The exception to that rule was Tamim Iqbal. The diminutive left hander

displayed an impressive range of strokes and the confidence to play freely and should have celebrated his 21st birthday by becoming only the fifth person to score a century before lunch.

The cricketing world will know a lot more about Tamim after the Bangladesh tour to England in May when the pitches will favour the bowlers and also any time he plays in South Africa or Australia. He looks to have the skills to succeed but will need greater discipline, greater understanding of when to attack and when to leave the ball alone and greater courage. Bowlers do not like being thrashed to the boundary and Tamim will find a lot more directed towards his body and head than is currently possible.

Madmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan batted well and ensured Tamim's whirlwind start was not wasted but England, through perseverance and some good support bowling by debutant James Tredwell, dragged themselves into a strong position by close of play. He dismissed Tamim and Al Hasan and offered vital accuracy to his captain, Alastair Cook. Indeed he was the only bowler to concede fewer than three runs an over and with Graeme Swann delivered 59 of the 94 overs bowled.

The hope must be that the dryness of the pitch makes it break up on the latter days, if not then England should amass a total near 600 and start the arduous task of taking another ten wickets. Much more tedium like yesterday, though, and the bowlers might start to sympathise with Sisyphus who was forced to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity as punishment by the gods.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh v England (Mirpur)

Bangladesh 330-8. Bangladesh won the toss. Second Test, day 1

Bangladesh

T Iqbal c Prior b Tredwell......................85

I Kayes b Finn b Broad..........................12

Z Siddique lbw b Swann......................39

J Islam lbw b Swann..............................0

Mahmudullah c Collingwood b Finn....59

S Hasan lbw b Tredwell........................49

M Rahim c Prior b Bresnan...................30

N Islam not out....................................33

A Razzak lbw b Swann .........................3

S Islam not out......................................8

Extras (b-1 lb-10 nb-1) ......................12

Total (eight wickets; 94 overs).......... 330

Fall of wickets 1-53, 2-119, 3-122, 4-167, 5-226, 6-254, 7-301, 8-314

Bowling Broad 14-4-48-1, Bresnan 13-4-40-1, Swann 30-4-94-3, Finn 7-2-44-1 (nb-1) Tredwell 29-5-85-2, Collingwood 1-0-8-0

To bat : R. Hossain.