Yorkshire's Adil Rashid rested as England toil in heat for final Test preparations

Zafar Ansari led England's fightback following Abdul Mazid's 90-ball hundred on the opening day of their final warm-up fixture against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI.
tight spell:Steve Finn was Englands most economincal bowler in the tourists last warm-up game in Chittagong before Thursdays opening Test match against Bangladesh. Picture: PA/AP.tight spell:Steve Finn was Englands most economincal bowler in the tourists last warm-up game in Chittagong before Thursdays opening Test match against Bangladesh. Picture: PA/AP.
tight spell:Steve Finn was Englands most economincal bowler in the tourists last warm-up game in Chittagong before Thursdays opening Test match against Bangladesh. Picture: PA/AP.

Mazid blazed a trail in the morning with 92 from 86 deliveries and returned in the final session – having retired hurt during lunch with cramp – to go past three figures before he was eventually out for 106 at MA Aziz Stadium.

At one point it looked like it would be another day of toil in the field for England in the baking Chittagong heat but Ansari’s three quick wickets were the start of a BCB XI collapse from 207-2 to 294 all out.

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The left-arm spinner was the pick of the bowlers with 4-68 to boost his chances of a maiden Test appearance, while Stuart Broad and Gareth Batty each took two wickets.

Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.
Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.

Steven Finn went without reward but he was by far England’s most economical bowler, conceding just 24 runs from his 10 overs, to give England plenty to mull over ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh which begins on Thursday.

In response, England reached two without loss after four overs before bad light brought a premature end to the day’s play.

The tourists curiously decided to rest Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid, along with seamer Jake Ball, while captain Alastair Cook is attending the birth of his second child.

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But the other 13 players in the squad are expected to feature at some point in the two-day practice match.

Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.
Yorkshires Adil Rashid was rested for the game. Picture: PA/AP.

The outfield remains as sluggish as it was during Friday’s first warm-up, but that did not thwart the BCB XI after they won the toss, Mazid finding the boundary rope regularly with flashy strokes through the offside and more agricultural pulls.

Chris Woakes was pummelled for three successive fours in his second over but the Warwickshire seamer made the breakthrough when Soumya Sarkar, one of six BCB XI squad members with international experience, looped a catch to short cover.

Mazid brought up his fifty with an unconvincing pull into the leg side off Finn, who thought he had seen off Nazmul Hossain Shanto only for the umpires to rule Jonny Bairstow’s low catch from a faint edge had not carried.

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Mazid continued his all-out assault on the other England bowlers, thumping Gareth Batty for a booming six before a heave over extra cover in the off-spinner’s next over took him into the 90s.

He did not emerge for the second session – where Jos Buttler replaced Bairstow behind the stumps for England – and his replacement Mominul Haque made just one before chopping Moeen Ali onto his stumps.

Shanto, though, was admirably level-headed, taking very few risks as he patiently accumulated. The No 3 had barely played a false shot as he brought up his half-century from 99 balls.

Mosaddek Hossain was punchy and looked like becoming the third BCB XI player to pass fifty, only to pop a return catch to Ansari three runs short of the mark.

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Ansari took two more wickets to give England some reward for their endeavours in unforgiving heat as Shanto (72) miscued to point and Shadman Islam (two) was caught at short leg.

Broad then had Tanveer Haider caught behind after tea as the hosts fell from 207-2 to 258-6.

That prompted Mazid to resume his innings and he brought up his hundred with a couple into the offside, before being cleaned up by Broad.

Nurul Hasan, the last of only four BCB XI batsmen to reach double figures, was caught and bowled for 39 by Batty, who dismissed Taskin Ahmed in the same manner before Ansari polished off the innings when Al-Amin Hossain miscued to point.

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Sabbir Rahman is among four new faces in Bangladesh’s 14-man squad for the first Test against England in Chittagong.

Former under-19 captain Mehedi Hasan and paceman Kamrul Islam Rabbi have never been capped at international level while wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan has only played in limited overs.

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal (vice-captain), Soumya Sarker, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Hoque, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nurul Hasan.

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