Mushfiqur lifts Bangladesh to 277 for 6

Bangladesh 277 for 6 (Mushfiqur 67*, Sabbir 49, Imrul 46, Tamim 45, Rashid 4-43) v England Live scorecard and ball-by-ball updates

Bangladesh have never beaten England in a three-match ODI series. To add them to a list of impressive conquests in their own country in recent years they need to defend a target of 277 in the series decider in Chittagong. History suggests that is a formidable score on this ground.

Bangladesh failed to summon the big innings to make their total impregnable, but consistency from the top order plus an unbeaten 67 from 62 balls by Mushfiqur Rahman – his first half-century in 21 attempts – in a well-judged finale gave their spinners ample opportunity to take advantage of a pitch that turned appreciably for Moeen Ali, and, in particular, Adil Rashid, who returned career-best ODI figures of 4 for 43.

Perhaps influenced, even if only subconsciously, by a feisty second ODI in Dhaka, which resulted in three players being called up before the match referee, England recalled Liam Plunkett, their most aggressive fast bowler, as a mid-innings enforcer.

If it was unsure how much their thinking had been coloured by events, it was undeniable that it was the wrong call. The Chittagong pitch was so slow that it was no time to be The Enforcer – even Dirty Harry would have taken the day off – but it turned from the outset. As the pace bowlers struggled for encouragement, Liam Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder, must have rued a missed opportunity to bowl his offspin on a surface like this.

Fortunately for England, Rashid had the sort of day when the heavens bestowed kindness upon him. He is England’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year, but three of his four wickets …

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