Jos Buttler hailed England's intensity as his team clinched an ODI series victory in Bangladesh by dominating the second match in Mirpur.
Sam Curran starred with bat and ball, while Jason Roy top-scored with 132, which also proved to be the exact margin of victory as England posted 326-7 before bowling the hosts out for 194.
Curran followed 33 not out with 4-29, while Adil Rashid also took four wickets as the tourists seized an unassailable 2-0 series lead, ahead of the third match on Monday.
After a nail-biting three-wicket win in the series opener, also played in Mirpur, this second contest saw England go up a level, to the delight of captain Buttler.
It was their biggest victory margin, in terms of runs, in ODIs played in Asia.
"That was a fantastic series win," Buttler said. "Bangladesh are a formidable team at home, so we are delighted to get the series win.
"We spoke about ways we could improve from the last match and I thought we really did that. Jason Roy led fantastically well with the batting and guys chipped in around him, and then a fantastic start with the ball."
Buttler made 76 with the bat and Moeen Ali added 42, as Roy found plenty of strong support, with England winning a 50-over series after falling short in their most recent four attempts in the format.
"From one to 11, the guys stood up," Buttler said, "and I thought our standard and the intensity we played the game at was much higher than the first game and that's what we strive to get to.
"We've talked a lot in the dressing room about adapting to conditions and being a team that can play in a variety of ways. There are lots of guys putting their hands up and putting up great performances which is fantastic for the team."
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said Roy performed "exceptionally well", adding: "I am disappointed to lose the series. When you lose a game like this you can point a lot of fingers at a lot of people, but I'm not the kind of person who'll do that. We didn't do well as a team and that's why we lost.
"We'd like to finish the series on a high, it's very disappointing that we lost the series, but credit must go to England for the way they played."
Roy, whose century was his 12th for England in ODIs, spoke of how experience of playing in varying conditions throughout his career helped him get to grips with the pitch.
"I've spent a lot of time playing a lot of cricket in the subcontinent when i was younger, doing a lot of training camps," the 32-year-old opener said. "Today I had to dig deep with those skills and put it on the field.
"I needed to give myself an opportunity. In the first game I had a bit of a rush of blood and played a pretty poor shot against the spin. I wanted to make sure I batted time and gave myself the best opportunity to score runs and get a good score on the board for the team."
Moeen Ali may be ready to answer England’s call
Moeen Ali is considering the possibility of reversing his Test retirement after Jack Leach’s injury left England short of an experienced spinner for the Ashes.
Moeen, 35, has not played red-ball cricket since September 2021 but has found his name thrust back into the conversation after Leach was ruled out for the summer by a stress fracture in his lower back.
The PA news agency understands Moeen is weighing up whether or not to make a dramatic return over the next couple of days.
England are not without slow bowling options, with Surrey’s Will Jacks, Leicestershire’s rising star Rehan Ahmed and Liam Dawson all offering different skills. However, none can match the experience of a seasoned Test player with 64 caps and 195 wickets under his belt.
Head coach Brendon McCullum previously tried to tempt the all-rounder back into the fray for the historic tour of Pakistan but, after initially declaring himself open to the idea, Moeen ultimately decided to stick to limited-overs cricket.
Now the same offer is back on the table in the form of one last shot at Australia. With the series getting under way at Moeen’s home ground of Edgbaston on June 16, time is short, but the England and Wales Cricket Board are unlikely to rush for a quicker verdict.
Announcing his decision not to take up McCullum’s offer of taking part in the Pakistan trip, Moeen said last year: “I want to enjoy my cricket and it wouldn’t be fair to reverse my decision and then struggle to give it my all. It’s time to close the door on that side of my career. To play 64 tests for England has been a privilege and a dream fulfilled.”
He had earlier taken a different tone, hinting that he could be persuaded to re-enter the fray, telling PA and the Guardian last June: “Baz messaged me asking if I was in. Maybe in the future, potential tours or whatever, who knows? I said ‘Call me at the time’. If and when he calls me, we’ll chat.”
If he did throw himself into the maelstrom of an Ashes summer, Moeen would need to be certain he had the necessary mental and physical energy to take on a side against whom he has some difficult experiences but, perhaps, unfinished business.
The leadership style of McCullum and captain Ben Stokes may prove a real draw in his deliberations. Moeen’s naturally aggressive style, with both ball and bat, chimes perfectly with the current environment and the chance to make his own mark on the ‘Bazball’ era could be persuasive.
Stuart Broad, a contemporary of Moeen’s who has been revitalised by the set-up over the last year, can already see a neat fit.
He told Sky Sports: “We know Mo is a phenomenal cricketer and someone who would fit into Stokes and Baz’s philosophy beautifully.
“I don’t know if he’s being considered by the selectors or if he would consider red-ball cricket again, but he’s a mighty fine cricketer.”
England have held off naming an addition to the squad, having originally expected to make an early call, leaving the ball in Moeen’s court.
I feel like a different player – Ollie Pope has Ashes warning for Australia
New England vice-captain Ollie Pope has warned Australia they will come up against a very different player this summer.
Pope endured a torrid time during the last Ashes series and was dropped after two matches before being recalled for the dead-rubber in Hobart.
The Surrey batter only managed a top score of 35 in six innings and registered four single-figure scores in Australia, but he has flourished since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over last year.
Pope scored 145 in the second Test of the ‘Bazball’ era and the 25-year-old has continued to go from strength to strength, hitting 205 against Ireland last week in his first official match since being made vice-captain.
Looking ahead to the opener against Australia at Edgbaston on June 16, Pope said: “I feel good and confident going into the Ashes.
“I’ve put a lot of hard work into my game. That was my first time in Australia, different kind of pitch, different wickets. That’s one change.
“But I feel like I’m a different player, mentally and technically, to deal with the challenge of an Ashes series as well.
“I’m not happy with the way I played in Australia last time, that’s pretty obvious, but I know how the bowlers are going to challenge me.
“What they’re like as bowlers, their paces, their angles and stuff, so that’s always a benefit having faced them once before.”
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Pope’s promotion to number three last summer is one of many bold decisions made by Stokes and McCullum which have been handsomely vindicated over the past 12 months.
While he is determined to deliver with the bat over the next two months, there is a scenario which would see him captain the side during the Ashes.
Concerns remain over the fitness of Stokes, who has struggled with his left knee since the New Zealand series in February and, despite repeatedly allaying fears, the all-rounder has batted just twice and bowled only six competitive balls in the months building up to the Ashes.
“It’s a big honour firstly to be vice-captain of your country, especially in Test cricket,” Pope said.
“From what I was doing before, it doesn’t make a big difference. I’m going to give my opinion and challenge Stokesy when he needs challenging.
“We’re going to be tested in the Ashes along the way, so it’s not always about going on and agreeing with him. It’s about providing a different opinion to let ponder in his mind as well.
“Nothing’s really changed. He’s got a pretty clear vision and he’s got 15 guys in that changing room who know our roles now, so that’s helpful for everybody.
“Fingers crossed Stokesy’s body’s all good. It’s going to take a hell of a lot for him not to be on the pitch even for a day’s play, knowing what he’s like, but if it did happen, I feel confident.
“We’ve played a lot together as a team over the last year and a bit and he knows a lot how he wants the bowlers to operate, the kind of fields he sets and tries to get players to hit balls in areas that they don’t normally want to hit in.
“So, I’ve got a pretty good understanding of how he runs things now and if needs be can implement the same ideas.”
Colin Graves ends bid to return as Yorkshire chair
Colin Graves’ hopes of returning as Yorkshire chair have come to an end in acrimonious fashion, with the club accusing the businessman of a “distinct lack of understanding” about the club’s current position.
The troubled county is still looking for a new chair following Lord Kamlesh Patel’s departure in March and is under financial pressure due to a £15million debt to the Graves Trust.
That is due to be paid back in full next October, with an initial £500,000 payment due this autumn, while fast rising interest rates have made refinancing problematic.
Graves, who saved Yorkshire from going under in 2002 and went on to become chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board between 2015 and 2020, had publicly signalled his interest in picking up where he left off at Headingley but indicated that he wanted undiluted control as part of any comeback.
Graves, who sits independently from his family’s trust, has now walked away and reportedly sent an email outlining his displeasure to interim chair Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The Daily Telegraph states Graves accuses the board of acting “negligently” during an “arduous and disappointing” recruitment process.
The club responded with a stinging riposte, with a board statement reading: “We have been notified that Colin Graves has decided to withdraw his application for chair. We are disappointed that he has decided to do so publicly and are obliged to make it absolutely clear that at no point did Colin make a clearly defined, tangible offer that the board was able to consider formally, unlike other interested parties involved in the refinance process.
“We have consistently outlined that the new chair would be appointed using a fair, thorough and robust process, which is ongoing. Colin indicated that the terms of his return as chair would require total control of the board and executive.
“This would run counter to that process, as well as the best practice governance requirements set out in the County Governance Code that were agreed by all counties in 2019. Colin also makes a number of allegations about the board’s actions in regard to finances which are unfounded and indicate a distinct lack of understanding of the current position of YCCC.
“The short and long-term financial well-being of the club remains the board’s priority, and we will not be distracted by speculation which is unhelpful to our primary objective of securing the future of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and making it a welcoming club for everyone.”
A host of potential investors have been linked with the White Rose, including former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, the group behind Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals and the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
In April, Yorkshire appointed Grant Thornton in the United Arab Emirates to explore investment options in the Middle East and North Africa.
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