Bangladesh beat world champion England in T20 series; win by 16 runs

Bangladesh’s Tanvir Islam celebrate with the trophy and teammates after winning against England in the T20 series on March 14, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh whitewashed world champion England in their Twenty20 series by winning the third game by 16 runs on March 14.

Opener Liton Das hit a career-best 73 and Najmul Hossain Shanto 47 not out for Bangladesh to put up 158-2 on a slow Mirpur pitch.

Dawid Malan and skipper Jos Buttler had England on track to avoid being swept until their dismissals in consecutive deliveries. England slumped to 142-6.

Bangladesh earned its first T20 sweep of major opposition, while England was swept for only the third time after Australia in 2014 and South Africa in 2016.

Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, on debut, struck with his third ball when he removed opener Phil Salt for a duck.

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Then Malan hit a 47-ball 53 with six fours and two sixes and put on a 95-run stand with Buttler, who appeared to be in supreme touch with 40 off 31, including four fours and a six.

Then Malan edged behind to give pace bowler Mustrafizur Rahman his 100th wicket, and Mehidy Hasan ran Buttler out with a direct hit from point.

England collapsed from there, trying to maintain the asking run rate.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed took 2-26 to receive man of the match and, when England needed an unlikely 27 off the last over, Hasan Mahmud conceded just two boundaries.

England also bowled superbly at the death, giving up only 27 runs in five overs to Bangladesh, and only one four.

But Bangladesh capitalised on dropped catches to build a competitive total.

Opener Liton Das, who made just 26 runs in the last five matches against England, returned to form with a 57-ball 73 studded with 10 fours and one six.

Liton brought up his ninth fifty off 41 balls, then was dropped on 51 by Ben Duckett.

Rony Talukdar was dropped by Rehan Admed off Jofra Archer but the damage was limited.

Liton and Talukdar shared 55 in the opening stand before Talukdar gave legspinner Adil Rashid a return catch, and Liton and Najmul Hossain Shanto combined for 84 for the second wicket.

Liton was finally fooled by a slower ball from Chris Jordan which carried to Salt.

Shanto saw the innings out with an unbeaten 47 off 36.