Bangladesh make history, knock England out to reach their first ever WC quarterfinals

Bangladesh have stormed into the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time, knocking England out to pull off one of the greatest feats in their cricketing history.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 9 March 2015, 08:40 AM
Updated : 9 March 2015, 07:50 PM

After reaching a fighting 275 from 2 down for 10, Bangladesh's pace battery struck when it mattered and hunted down the Englishmen in packs to leave them 15 runs short of victory.

England folded up at 260 in 48.3 overs at Adelaide Oval on Monday.

Mahmudullah Riyad patiently anchored the Bangladesh innings after the openers went cheaply and Shakib Al Hasan failed to click with the bat.

He scored his nation's first ever World Cup century to take them to a fighting 275 for 7.

Mahmudullah's 103 set the tone with Mushfiqur Rahim’s classy 89 as Bangladesh recovered.

Earlier Soumya Sarkar’s 40 had helped the Tigers recover from the early shocks.

Rahim's facile hitting broke the stranglehold of the English bowlers as had happened against Scotland.

Bangladesh’s win took Sri Lanka to the last eight alongside Australia and New Zealand from Pool A.

Pacer Rubel Hossain (4/53) struck twice in two overs to help the Tigers bundle England out.

Bangladesh qualified for the last eight of the 2007 World Cup but it was a round-robin stage.

The game swung both ways till the nerve-jiggling final overs sealed England’s embarrassing elimination.

England got off to a solid start with the bat in pursuit of 276, but Moeen Ali rode his luck as he got away with a few streaky edges and survived an lbw that was overturned on review.

Ian Bell (63) then paired Alex Hales (27) for a 54-run stand to steady the chase.

Mashrafe sent back Hales but it was Rubel's double strike in the 27th over that turned the game on its head.

Bell continued to accumulate runs and went to his fifty with little alarm, but he fell to Rubel who found some extra bounce to take the edge of the opener’s bat.

Buoyed by his wicket, Rubel charged in and sent down a couple of swift bouncers to Morgan.

The England captain swayed out of the way of the first, but hooked the second to the deep fine leg boundary to Shakib Al Hasan who took a great catch.

Morgan fell for his fifth duck in last 11 innings.

England's problems were compounded as James Taylor perished chasing a wide delivery and Joe Root fell for 29.

But Jos Buttler (65) and Chris Woakes (42 not out) brought England back in reckoning with some lusty hitting.

Buttler, playing as a finisher, had tipped the game back England's way with a half century.

However, he edged Taskin Ahmed behind and it opened up an end.

Chris Woakes still gave England hope.

But Rubel clean bowled Stuart Broad and James Anderson with fast, swinging deliveries in the 49th over to send the Tigers soaring and the fans into spasm of ecstasy.

It did not start that well for Bangladesh, though.

Anderson’s late swing proved too much for Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal who were both caught in the slips.

Having been reduced to 8 for 2 in the third over, Mahmudullah led the fightback.

He and Sarkar set about repairing the damage and put on 86 for the third wicket before the latter was undone by a bouncer from Chris Jordan.

Mahmudullah continued to compile runs and he found an ally in Mushfiqur Rahim. The pair put on 141 runs at a good rate.

He struggled at start, but grew in confidence smashing seven boundaries and two sixes for his maiden ODI ton off 138 balls.

England, however, struck back picking up two more quick wickets to put Bangladesh on the back foot again.

After losing Sarkar and Shakib (2) in quick successions, Mushfiq settled in quickly and brought up the 200 in the 41st over.

Mahmudullah scurried a single off Broad to bring up the century and embarked on an emotional celebration with Mushfiq.

He, however, went back shortly thereafter leaving it to Mushfiq whose 77-ball innings 89 was laced with eight boundaries and a six.

At the awards ceremony, captain Mashrafe dedicated the win to "all the freedom fighters of Bangladesh" and "all those people working very hard".