AN ASTONISHING MATCH IN DHAKA

Bangladesh have just completed a great victory over England. The margin is 108 runs after a match of astonishing ups and downs. The star of the show is just turned 19 year old Hasan Mehedi Miraz with 12 wickets in the match. In 95 previous test matches Bangladesh had won seven times, five against Zimbabwe and two against a depleted and demotiavted West Indies. This victory is their first against top table opposition in Test cricket. They came close in Chittagong in the first match of this series, but this time they have actually done it.

England rescued themselves from 144-8 in the first innings to lead by 24 (244 to 220), but then Bangladesh, principally through Imrul Kayes (79), Mahmudullah (47) and Tamim Iqbal (40) reached 296 in their second innings (the highest innings total of this compelling series). When England for once started well, reaching 100 with no wickets down things were not looking so good for Bangladesh. The first ball after tea account for Ben Duckett, chief architect of England’s good start, and once he was out England went into a tailspin.

It was appropriate that the series should end with confusion over the DRS – Stephen Finn thought he still had a review to use and had to be told that in fact he did not and the match was irretrievably over (the review would have made no difference anyway on this occasion).

The future looks bright for Bangladesh, with Mehedi a real find, and I end this brief post by echoing my chosen title: Congratulations, Bangladesh!