At least one boundary was hit in each of the six powerplay overs as the England openers blazed off the blocks to raise a half-century stand in short order. While Phil Salt collected four boundaries inside the first six overs, Jos Buttler picked up two fours and also smashed the first six of the game when he cleared his front leg and went over long on against Mustafizur Rahman in the fifth over. Bangladesh, meanwhile, did themselves no favours with their lousy groundwork. Nasum Ahmed put down a catch off his own bowling in the sixth over to hand Salt a reprieve while Shakib failed to hold on to a top edge off Buttler’s bat in the same over, as England galloped to 51/0.
The England captain brought up a 32-ball fifty with a six off Hasan Mahmud in the 13th over and followed it up with another lusty blow into the stands. The bowler, however, had the last laugh as Buttler found long on trying to go over the top.
Jos departs for 67…
Good knock, boss! 👏 #BANGvENG | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/IkORgKHszd
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 9, 2023
