Bangladesh vs England: Ben Stokes produces brilliant all-round performance as England take control of tense first test
First Test, Chittagong (day three)
England 293 & 228-8 (76 overs): Stokes 85, Shakib 5-79
Bangladesh 248 (86 overs): Tamim 78, Mushfiqur 48, Stokes 4-26
England lead by 273 runs
BEN STOKES produced a brilliant all-round performance as England seized command of the fluctuating, fascinating First Test.
The Durham star took 4-26 in Bangladesh's first innings - including a spell of 6-2-9-3 on the third morning - and then followed with 85 as England reached 228-8 and extended their overall lead to 273.
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Stokes displayed the skills and natural ability with the bat he has always possessed but added a maturity to his play. He was less impetuous and more prudent.
He walked in with England tottering at 28-3 in their second innings, having lost three wickets for two runs and with an overall lead of just 73. Bangladesh's spin bowlers were dragging their team back into the match.
Two more wickets fell soon afterwards but Stokes found a staunch ally in wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who made 47. The pair added 127 for the sixth wicket and in all likelihood put the game beyond Bangladesh’s reach.
The way Stokes worked the ball into the gaps and rotated the strike against the slow men was reminiscent of former England left-hander Graham Thorpe.
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And perhaps that is no surprise - Thorpe, in his role as head England batting coach, helped Stokes try to improve his play against spin with some one-on-one sessions before leaving for this tour.
With Stokes, however, there are always likely to be the occasional big blow and three times he deposited short deliveries over mid-wicket for six.
England also benefitted from five penalty runs when the ball hit a helmet on the ground behind the wicketkeeper.
Bairstow eventually played on while Stokes was lbw attempting a sweep shot.
Apart from Stokes and Bairstow, the next highest score in England’s second innings was 15 by Ben Duckett as batsmen succumbed to a string of ill-advised shots.
Stokes was at the centre of much of the feistiness during the one-day series and it seems an edge brings out the best in him these days. In the past, he occasionally became sucked into personal vendettas and lost focus.
After experienced Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan charged down the pitch to the second ball of the day and was stumped off Moeen and nightwatchman Shafiul Islam was caught at mid-on, Stokes took the final three wickets with decent pace and reverse swing.
There have only been five wickets in the match so far not taken by spin bowlers - and Stokes has four of them.
In total, Bangladesh lost their final six wickets for 27 runs.