World Cup 2015: Bangladesh make maiden entry into quarters as England make an early exit

ADELAIDE: March 9 will be written in golden letters in Bangladesh's cricket history. On Monday, they stunned England by 15 runs in a pulsating match at the Adelaide Oval to book a berth in the quarterfinals, a first for them, and most likely set up a date with India in Melbourne on March 19. In the process, they knocked a sorry-looking England out of the competition.The result also helped Sri Lanka make the quarters.
The 'Tigers' owed their victory to Mohammed Mahmudullah who became their first batsman to register a World Cup century, and also to their bowlers, especially Rubel Hossain who castled the last two batsmen with brilliant yorkers when the match was on a knife's edge.
With the spectators on the edge of their seats, the pendulum swung with every boundary and with every dot ball through the game. What Bangladesh required in the end was wickets and that's where their bowlers excelled and English batsmen floundered.
It was man-of-the-match Mahmudullah who held the innings together with a wellpaced century after Bangladesh were sent in to bat and posted a challenging total of 275. The England batsmen fumbled on a beautiful batting track, especially their top order, with skipper Eoin Morgan horribly out of form.
But when Jos Buttler dug in, it seemed he would steer the team home. But it was not to be as with victory in sight he was caught behind to leave the match in the balance. Then Rubel produced two magical deliveries to castle Stuart Broad and last man James Anderson to finish it in style.
There was wild celebration on the field as Bangladesh players hugged each other and a few lay on the ground, hardly believing what they had achieved. Their supporters celebrated in the stands and then outside the team hotel just across the Oval.
They still have to travel to New Zealand and take on the hosts in the final game on March 13 at Hamilton. Then they return to Melbourne to play their quarterfinal, where their likely rivals India will not be able to take things for granted after Monday's performance.
England have nobody but themselves to blame for their disastrous campaign. They never looked a competitive outfit and Monday's defeat was like the last nail in the coffin.
With England needing to win their final two matches to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive, captain Morgan decided to bowl first, hoping his bowlers would capitalise on the conditions. And Anderson did just that, finding enough movement to induce two edges in his first seven deliveries, reducing Bangladesh to 2 for 8.
But Mahmudullah (103) led the fightback, adding 86 runs with Soumya Sarkar (40) and then 141 with Mushfiqur Rahim (89) to guide Bangladesh to a fighting total which still looked at least 25 runs below par at that time.
Mahmudullah found an able partner in Rahim and the duo came good at the right time. Mahmudullah looked a bundle of nerves approaching the 100-mark, which he eventually reached in the 44th over, scurrying for a single before embarking on an emotional celebration. Rahim, however, continued to punish the English bowling, hitting eight boundaries and a six in his 77-ball knock.