Cook serves up whitewash

Skipper caps tour to remember with classy century

By Joe Drabble   Last updated: 24th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Cook serves up whitewash

Cook: Led from the front

Second Test Match
Mirpur
Bangladesh 419 (Tamim Iqbal 85, Naeem Islam 59 no, Mohammad Mahmudullah 59, Shafiul Islam 53, G P Swann 4-114) & 285 (Shakib Al Hasan 96, Tamim Iqbal 52, J C Tredwell 4-82) v England 496 (I R Bell 138, T T Bresnan 91, I J L Trott 64, M J Prior 62, Shakib Al Hasan 4-124) & 209-1 (A N Cook 109 no, K P Pietersen 74 no)
England beat Bangladesh by 9 wkts

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England maintained their 100 per cent record against Bangladesh after cruising to a nine-wicket victory on day five of the second Test in Mirpur.

Set 209 for victory with just under two sessions remaining, captain Alastair Cook (109 not out) struck his 12th Test century and Kevin Pietersen added a breezy 74 as England sealed a 2-0 series triumph with 11 overs to spare.

The pair put on an unbroken 167-run stand for the second wicket after Jonathan Trott was run out for just 19.

Bangladesh had earlier threatened to salvage a draw after batting out the morning session, however James Tredwell (4-82) justified his inclusion in the side to wrap up their second innings on 285.

Among the Kent off-spinner's victims was Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, who was denied his first Test century against England when he fell for 96.

Poise

The home skipper was key to his side's hopes of avoiding yet another Test series whitewash when play resumed on the final day.

Shakib and nightwatchman Shafiul Islam took to the crease with Bangladesh on 172-6, 95 runs ahead in the second innings.

Shafiul started by edging Tim Bresnan between wicketkeeper and slip but soon settled, hitting Graeme Swann for back-to-back boundaries.

Shakib, meanwhile, batted with much greater poise, taking Stuart Broad's first over for 11 on his way to a controlled half-century.

The arrival of the new ball re-energised England, who nearly got the breakthrough when Broad banged one in short and Shafiul mis-hit high into the leg-side.

Trott, who dropped a sitter at point on day four, made good ground in the deep and took a diving, one-handed catch only to see the ball pop out as he hit the ground.

Shafiul finally fell for 28 in the next over though, top-edging Tredwell to give Trott a much simpler take.

Naeem Islam, who struck an unbeaten 59 in the first innings, ran out of patience early in his innings and picked out Pietersen at mid-on off the bowling of Tredwell.

Ease

That took the score to 259-8 but, as Shakib edged towards his century, he was quickly running out of partners.

Steven Finn dismissed Abdur Razzak lbw three balls before lunch and then Shakib, four runs short of his second Test century, was stumped off Tredwell nine balls after the resumption.

That saw the hosts dismissed for 285, leaving England needing 209 to win from a minimum 55 overs.

Trott, who made 64 off 195 balls in the first innings, batted with greater urgency before departing in unfortunate circumstances when run-out for 19.

Pietersen then joined captain Cook in the middle with England on 42-1, and the pair took the game away from the hosts with a flurry of boundaries either side of the wicket.

The tourists reached tea needing 115 for victory in the final session, and they did so with relative ease.

Cook brought up his 12th Test century with a 10th boundary and Pietersen finished unbeaten alongside him on 74 off just 79 balls.