England win dramatic first Test in Bangladesh
24 October 2016
England beat Bangladesh by 22 runs in a nail-biting conclusion to the first Test as it took a little under 20 minutes to wrap up a thrilling match on day five.
Finely poised going into the final morning in Chittagong, with both sides still in a position to come out winners, it was England who finished on top thanks to Ben Stokes’ decisive bowling.
Needing two wickets – while Bangladesh attempted to chase down 33 runs to pull off a remarkable first Test victory over England – the visitors bowled them out in the space of three balls to begin the two-Test series victorious.
Bangladesh got off to a good start as a mix of timing and fortune saw them pick up 10 runs off the first three overs, as England persevered with their seam bowling plan of utilising the old ball.
And it proved to be the correct decision when Stokes trapped Taijul Islam in front and was given out on review, with a ball that nipped back a little and was going to go on to crash into leg stump.
Two balls later and Shafiul Islam fell the same way, this time given out on the pitch and confirmed by replays when the batsman requested a review, as man of the match Stokes had the final say on proceedings.
Reaction
Alastair Cook has hailed Ben Stokes as a rare talent after the all-rounder’s man of the match performance helped England secure a 22-run victory in the first Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong.
Cook said "Ben just balances the side for us. It allows us to play the extra seamer in these conditions. These cricketers don't come around very often.
“He might have all that skill and talent but he has an enormous heart as well. He's a seriously good cricketer. You can't get the ball out of his hand. I’d rather have him that way.”
Root believes Stokes is still improving following his second innings knock of 85 that held England together and provided the base from which they were able to set Bangladesh a challenging total of 286 to chase.
"Ben Stokes has been fantastic," said Root.
"He is getting better and better and more confident. He is a natural leader on the field. Always 100 per cent. People want to play with him. You know things are going to happen.
