Collingwood steadies the ship to see England home

Paul Collingwood steered England to a six-wicket victory with a clinical knock of 75 not out in the first one-day international against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

His efforts ensured England maintained their 100 per cent record against the hosts in all formats but they did not have everything their own way at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, with Tamim Iqbal producing the stand-out performance of the day with a commanding 125 in his side's 228 all out.

Alastair Cook, captaining for the first time in an ODI, got the reply off to a positive start with 64 at the head of the innings before England lost three wickets for 23 runs.

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Collingwood eased any pressure with a nerveless 100-ball stay and scampered the winning single with four overs remaining.

Much of the pre-match hype had centred around debutant Craig Kieswetter following a series of eye-catching innings since his emergence on England's radar.

But it was Cook, back in the 50-over side after a long absence, who took centre stage at the start of the reply. He faced every ball of the first three overs, helping himself to 14 along the way.

When Kieswetter did get the strike, Shakib Al Hasan brought himself on and immediately subdued him with spin.

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Kieswetter, more used to pace on the ball, had two lucky escapes in the space of his first six balls as an international batsman – edging one through the wicketkeeper's legs and surviving a good shout for lbw.

Cook progressed undaunted, hitting confidently on both sides of the wicket as he set about adding 40 of the first 50 runs.

His own half-century was up soon after, off 44 balls, but Kieswetter's patience broke and he was stumped for 19 off the bowling of Naeem Islam.

Kevin Pietersen, following failures in both warm-up games, lasted only five balls as he was questionably given caught at slip off the nagging Shakib.

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Cook and Collingwood looked ready to dig in until the former was seen off by a poor leg before verdict that gave Naeem a second success and left the tourists on 96-3.

Bangladesh's fourth spinner, Mahmudullah, entered the fray in the 25th over, by which point Eoin Morgan had joined the counter-attacking Collingwood.

After a cagey start, the Irishman reverse swept the all-rounder for four, following up with a driven boundary off Shakib in the following over.

Collingwood was also keeping the score moving at his end and despatched Abdur Razzak to mid-wicket for his fifth four of the day.

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Morgan was reprieved on 20 and 21 – from a missed stumping and another poor umpiring decision – as the luck started to fall in England's favour.

Collingwood, though, needed none of it and moved serenely to a 25th one-day fifty in 64 deliveries with a lofted four and dabbed single off Mahmudullah.

Bangladesh's attack was becoming a little ragged and the boundary count spiked accordingly until Morgan (33) handed Naeem a third wicket when he sprayed to cover.

England required 45 when Matt Prior joined Collingwood, the wicketkeeper scoring 30 of them in a neat cameo.

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Tamim had earlier excelled with a fine century to underpin his side's total.

That knock included 13 fours and three sixes, two of them in a frenetic bout of hitting in the first 10 overs.

But, having been put down by Morgan at cover on only 10, Tamim also impressed with his restraint in the middle overs.

After dominating the opening stand of 63, he soon downgraded the intensity of his attack as the wickets began to tumble.

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Tim Bresnan first removed Imrul Kayes (15) before Zunaed Siddique, caught off Stuart Broad for a duck, and Aftab Ahmed, run out by Pietersen, followed him back.

From then on Tamim settled into a series of less explosive partnerships with Shakib (12), Mushfiqur Rahim (22) and Naeem (25) as he set about nudging his side beyond 200.

There was still time for a third big six, though, lifted high over the ropes off Collingwood before the fun ended when Broad bowled him round his legs.

Tamim's century, his third in ODIs, took only 94 balls.

England were solid with the ball, if not inspired, but Graeme Swann again impressed with 3-32.

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Luke Wright took the wicket of Naeem with the first delivery of his solitary over and Broad closed with 2-46 after sustaining some early blows.

Afterwards, Cook paid tribute to the influence of his vice-captain Collingwood.

"He's our most senior player, he showed his class again in the way he saw us home from what was a potentially very tricky situation," he said. "It was pure class. He was fantastic out in South Africa and he's carried on that fantastic form here.

"He knows his game really well and knows to take risks, as he showed today.

"He took the right options again and again and has been doing that for the last 18 months or two years.

"It's very reassuring having him come in at four, knowing what he can do."

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