Outclassed in the field

In the 14th over of Bangladesh's chase yesterday, Sabbir Rahman hit a well timed pull that for all money seemed to be sailing over the ropes. Fast bowler David Willey jumped up at the midwicket fence and appeared to catch it, but to the delight of the crowd he went over the line. The delight was premature, as before he went over the line, Willey had thrown the ball up in the air and then completed a brilliant catch after stepping back in calmly to set Bangladesh back in the chase of a big total.

About an hour before that athletic display, Chris Woakes mishit a Taskin Ahmed lifter in the 49th over and Tamim Iqbal went after it from the infield while Mosaddek Hossain ran in from the midwicket fence. The ball was in the air for a long time, and when it landed it was just about two or three feet away from Mosaddek, who astonishingly was not running but looking at Tamim.

Of course, Bangladesh had done the damage to themselves with a woeful display of catching and ground fielding, but that contrast more than explained the difference between the teams.

The Bens, centurion Stokes and debutant Duckett, did well to rescue the side from 63 for three, but they should both have been dismissed long before their eventual departures. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed was bowling at good clip and hurrying both batsmen. Stokes, naturally aggressive, wanted to break free in the 31st over and hit one hard in the air at Mahmudullah Riyad at mid on.

Mahmudullah Riyad missed another catches off Ben Stokes, who eventually went on to score a century. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Riyad, instead of moving his feet just swayed to his right and intercepted the ball. But when he fell, quite unnecessarily, the ball popped out. Stokes was on 69 then and in the very next over he went for another big shot off Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. Instead of it sailing into the stands it merely carried to sweeper cover, where 38-year-old Mosharraf Hossain fluffed the easiest of outfield catches.

Three overs later Mosharraf dropped a regulation chance offered by Duckett, on 58, at square leg. Mosaddek was the aggrieved bowler. Mosharraf could well be the microcosm of Bangladesh's effort on the day. He was expensive with the ball while his catching and fielding were of a standard seen in the Tigers about a decade ago; coincidentally this is his second match in national colours after a gap of eight years.

It was a throwback to a much weaker Bangladesh. Not only were the catches dropped, but many of England's hard-hit shots burst through the hands of the infielders, as if they were strangers to this standard of cricket. Mashrafe said recently that there are no excuses for bad fielding.  If this standard prevails, he will have an incredibly tough time as there are about two or three fielders he will have to hide in the field, which is a big handicap against a team like England.