ENGLAND v BANGLADESH - England left with plenty more to do after Tamim lights up Lord's

Centurion Tamim Iqbal smashed England to all parts of Lord's as the hosts discovered they will have to dig deep to complete their anticipated victory over Bangladesh in the first npower Test.

Tamim (103), Imrul Kayes (75) and Junaid Siddique (66 not out) made a mockery of England hopes for a quick kill on day four after they had enforced the follow-on, with their opponents 282 all out and still 223 behind.

Tamim and Kayes, who had posted their country's previous best opening stand against England in the first innings, quickly demonstrated that was merely a 'sighter' by rattling up Bangladesh's all-time record 185 for the first wicket on the way to a stumps total of 328-5.

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By the time Tamim fell in late afternoon – caught at deep backward-square trying to hook Steve Finn for yet another boundary – he had hit 15 fours and two sixes from 100 balls.

Finn doubled up with Kayes's wicket too, Ian Bell snapping up a sharp catch off the face of the bat at short-leg to give the Middlesex seamer his second success for a solitary run in 14 balls, as England sought to restate their authority.

But Junaid then shared another century stand with Jahurul Islam, Bangladesh steadfastly defying expectations of a collapse and ensuring instead England will have to wait well into the final day – and improve significantly with ball and even bat – if they are to go 1-0 up in this two-match series.

They were on to Plans B and C at least when Jonathan Trott dived forward for a caught-and-bowled off Jahurul's bat and pad for a maiden Test wicket which broke a hard-working third-wicket partnership.

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Even then, though, there was a little more punishment in the offing for a tiring attack as the mercurial Mohammad Ashraful decided he wanted a piece of the action too – until James Anderson saw him off caught behind in his first over with the second new ball, which was also to account for nightwatchman Shahadat Hossain.

In 14 overs to lunch, Tamim and Kayes already had 61 on the board – typically going after anything wide or full as England failed to find their optimum line and length on a benign pitch.

There was no compromise in the afternoon either, Tamim crashing boundaries almost indiscriminately – as well as slog-sweeping Graeme Swann twice for six in one over that cost 17 – while Kayes operated in a slightly more minor key on his way to and beyond a maiden Test 50.

Tamim might have been run out for the second time in the match, on just 11, had Trott managed a direct hit from cover as the non-striker dropped his bat responding to a call for a quick single.

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On 30, Kayes edged Anderson through Swann's fingers low down at first slip – and both batsmen needed other occasional small elements of luck.

In between, though – as frustration turned to something closer to desperation for England – events were characterised by thrilling strokeplay, moderate bowling and a realisation that the options open to captain Andrew Strauss were limited.

While Tamim continued to blaze away, Kayes slowed on the way to his 96-ball 50 – spending 16 deliveries on 49.

It was not much longer before Tamim was manically celebrating his hundred, after clubbing his final four over mid-on off a hapless Tim Bresnan. Anderson had earlier finished with 4-78 and Finn 4-100 – opening up the transitory illusion that England could push for an innings victory with a day to spare.

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Shahadat Hossain and Mahmudullah collected a rush of boundaries, after Bangladesh resumed on 237-7 in pursuit of 306 to pass the follow-on mark.

But in bright and fresh conditions, the Bangladeshis lost Shahadat for a breezy 20 when he missed a slog at a full slower ball from Anderson and was bowled off his back pad.

Mahmudullah, perhaps preoccupied with trying to manage the strike in company with No 10 Rubel Hossain, then drove all round a straight half-volley and was also bowled by Anderson.

But it was Bresnan who finished the tourists off before they could make England sweat too much, taking his first wicket of the match when he had Rubel flashing an edge from a flat-footed drive high to third slip.

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If England, or anyone in a meagre Lord's crowd, assumed that routine elimination of the tail was a preface to rolling over Bangladesh second time round they were soon to learn very different.

As a result, England coach Andy Flower was left seeking reasons for England's difficulties after the close of play.

"I think in both innings the bowlers themselves would acknowledge they have not performed as they would have liked," he said.

"But today I thought their openers played superbly. Imrul Kayes left the ball well, and Tamim obviously played a great aggressive innings.

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"We do acknowledge that and give them credit, but we know that we were a little below-par."

Flower declined to speculate whether good batting or moderate bowling was the most important factor, but did refute the suggestion that a five-man attack might have fared better.

"I don't think the number of bowlers is the issue. I think the way we bowled is the issue."

Flower exonerated Steve Finn, and cited a lack of recent bowling in first-class cricket as the problem for Bresnan and James Anderson.

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"Finn has been excellent, especially in the first innings. He's been superb, quite accurate and surprisingly so for a young man of that sort of pace," he added.

"Jimmy Anderson, after a long break and with not much first-class cricket under his belt, is not really hitting his straps - until this evening when, with the new ball from the pavilion end, he looked superb. He was a little bit more like the Jimmy Anderson we know.

"Tim Bresnan was superb in the West Indies in the Twenty20 stuff. But he hasn't had a chance to get any first-class cricket under his belt for I don't know how many weeks, since three games at the start of the season probably.

"He would benefit from first-class cricket prior to a Test series."

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VAUGHN ACCEPTS PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS ARE STILL BEING APPROACHED TO 'FIX' MATCHES

Former England captain Michael Vaughan claims he knows of a player who has been approached to take part in fixing – but does not believe it is widespread in the game.

Essex duo Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield were arrested and bailed earlier this season as part of an investigation into spot-betting – gambling on specific events within a game of cricket.

Two players have since reported approaches from bookmakers to the England and Wales Cricket Board, while Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan revealed ahead of the first Test against England that he received a suspicious phone call two-and-a-half years ago from someone wishing to "sponsor" him.

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Vaughan believes some form of fixing is "obviously" happening, but that the integrity of the game is largely intact.

"I don't know if it's rife in the game, I just know it's obviously going on, there have been rumours for many a year," he said. "I don't think it's happening all the time. I don't think they're actually fixing the outcome of games, I think it's a little bit of spot-fixing. That, to me, is match-fixing because you're influencing the game in other ways.

"I'm really pleased that guys are speaking out. You mustn't just point the finger at the players – there are umpires that may get approaches, there are administrators who could get approaches.

"The people that do get approaches and speak out are the good ones, you really need these guys to speak out and let the authorities know exactly what's happening.

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"I know of one (player who has been approached). I think within all this it's very important that these guys stay anonymous – you hear of gangs and things that could happen so the guys that speak out are being brave, but it's exactly what needs to happen if we're going to try to get it out of the game."

Professional Cricketers Association chief executive Angus Porter revealed that players have reported approaches to his organisation but, asked how many, said: "Less than half a dozen."

He added: "We have not yet got any examples where we believe a match has been fixed, we have not yet got any examples where even an event within a match has been fixed, but we are investigating those comments.

"The sport is not a sport if it is fixed. I don't think matches are getting fixed – it's certainly possible people are trying to fix individual events within a game, and I think that is equally serious and we all have to put the integrity of the sport at the top of our agenda."

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