Marvellous Mehidy influential as Bangladesh clinch England T20I series

By Sports Desk March 12, 2023

England failed to protect a modest total as Bangladesh won a low-scoring second T20I by four wickets to take the series in Dhaka.

A competitive England score had been chased down in the opener, meaning the world champions were in trouble again when they could only tally 117 on Sunday.

Jos Buttler's tourists slowed alarmingly after reaching the end of the power play on 50-1, crucially losing Phil Salt (25 off 19) in the seventh over before Mehidy Hasan came to the fore for Bangladesh.

Mehidy finished with figures of 4-12, and he then had a key role again with the bat after England had threatened to come back into the match.

Although the Bangladesh reply saw only 32 runs scored in the power play, they still required just over a run a ball at that stage to make 118 – an increasingly achievable target when Mehidy scored 20 off 16, including two sixes.

That contribution would prove decisive – along with a steadier 46 from Najmul Hossain Shanto – as the chase was completed on 120-6 with seven balls remaining, sealing the series ahead of Tuesday's final match.

England stutter after solid start

All out for 117 from the final ball of the innings, England went from a run rate of 8.33 in the power play to 4.79 across the remaining 14 overs.

Even on a difficult pitch, that score – England's eighth-lowest in T20Is – was never likely to be quite enough.

Mehidy makes the difference

Mehidy had career-best figures with the ball, removing Moeen Ali for 15 and then bringing out the tail with the consecutive wickets of Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan.

But his brisk knock with the bat was every bit as vital, with only Salt, Mehidy and Taskin Ahmed (a late eight off three) scoring at more than a run a ball in the match.

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