England stunned by Bangladesh rally

CENTURION Tamim Iqbal smashed England to all parts of Lord's as the hosts discovered they will have to dig deep to complete their anticipated victory over Bangladesh in the first npower Test.

Tamim (103), Imrul Kayes (75) and Junaid Siddique (66 not out) made a mockery of England hopes for a quick kill on day four after they had enforced the follow-on, with their opponents 282 all out and still 223 behind.

Tamim and Kayes, who had posted their country's previous best opening stand against England in the first innings, quickly rattled up Bangladesh's all-time record 185 for the first wicket on the way to a stumps total of 328 for five – 105 runs ahead.

By the time Tamim fell in late afternoon – caught at deep backward-square trying to hook Steve Finn for yet another boundary – he had hit 15 fours and two sixes from 100 balls.

Finn doubled up with Kayes' wicket too, Ian Bell snapping up a sharp catch off the face of the bat at short-leg to give the Middlesex seamer his second success for a solitary run in 14 balls, as England sought to restate their authority.

But Junaid then shared another century stand with Jahurul Islam, Bangladesh steadfastly defying expectations of a collapse and ensuring instead England will have to wait well into the final day – and improve significantly with ball and even bat – if they are to go 1-0 up in this two-match series.

They were on to Plans B and C at least when Jonathan Trott dived forward for a caught-and-bowled off Jahurul's bat and pad for a maiden Test wicket which broke a hard-working third-wicket partnership.

Even then, though, there was a little more punishment in the offing for a tiring attack as the mercurial Mohammad Ashraful decided he wanted a piece of the action too – until James Anderson saw him off caught behind in his first over with the second new ball, which was also to account for nightwatchman Shahadat Hossain.

In 14 overs to lunch, Tamim and Kayes already had 61 on the board as England failed to find their optimum lines and lengths on a benign pitch. There was no compromise in the afternoon either, Tamim crashing boundaries almost indiscriminately while Kayes operated in a slightly more minor key on his way to and beyond a maiden Test 50.

It was not long before Tamim was manically celebrating his hundred, after clubbing his final four over mid-on off a hapless Tim Bresnan.

Bangladesh had earlier resumed on 237 for seven in pursuit of 306 to pass the follow-on mark. But they lost Shahadat and Mahmudullah to Anderson and Tim Bresnan finished the tourists off.

However, if the home side assumed that routine elimination of the tail was a preface to rolling over Bangladesh second time round they were soon to learn very different.