DHAKA: Paul Collingwood and Alastair
Cook hit solid half-centuries to guide England to an emphatic six-wicket win
over Bangladesh in the opening one-day international on Sunday.

Scorecard

Collingwood
scored an unbeaten 75 and skipper Cook 64 as England surpassed Bangladesh’s
modest total of 228 with four overs to spare in the day-night match for a 1-0
lead in the three-match series.

Tamim Iqbal earlier top-scored for
Bangladesh with an attractive 120-ball 125 for his third one-day hundred, but
his team still failed to set a stiff target.

Bangladesh introduced
spin after just three overs on a slow pitch but Cook and debutant Craig
Kieswetter (19) batted steadily to put on 73 for the opening wicket.

Off-spinner Naeem Islam (3/49) provided the breakthrough when he had
Kieswetter stumped before left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan got a big wicket,
having Kevin Pietersen (one) caught in the slips.

Cook’s responsible
knock ended when he was trapped leg-before by Naeem after hitting six fours in
his fourth half-century in one-dayers.

England looked under pressure
at 96/3 but Collingwood and Eoin Morgan (33) kept the spinners at bay with their
sensible knocks, adding 88 for the fourth wicket.

Morgan, who
survived a stumping chance on 20 off spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah, was caught by
Aftab Ahmed in the covers off Naeem but not before consolidating his team’s
position.

Matt Prior remained unbeaten with 30.

Iqbal,
who hit three sixes and 13 fours, was let off early in his innings after the
hosts were put in to bat.

The left-handed opener, who was on 10 when
dropped by Morgan in the covers off paceman Ryan Sidebottom, paced his innings
remarkably well before becoming the ninth man to be dismissed, bowled by fast
bowler Stuart Broad.

He was involved in two useful stands, adding 63
for the opening wicket with Imrul Kayes (15) and as many runs for the seventh
with Naeem (25).

England did well to restrict the hosts despite
Iqbal’s century, with off-spinner Graeme Swann being the most impressive bowler
with 3-32 off 10 tight overs.

Iqbal did not curb his strokes after
being dropped as he hit a four off Sidebottom and then a six over long-on in the
same over.

Sidebottom, giving away 21 runs in his opening three
overs, was replaced with Broad who was also punished by the Bangladeshi opener
in his first spell.

Iqbal smashed Broad for two successive fours and
then a six over mid-wicket in the same over before racing to his half-century
off just 32 balls.

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League
chairman Lalit Modi has said that English cricketer Ravi Bopara not coming to
India for IPL due to security apprehensions is a fictional
story.

Modi said on Twitter account, “Another fictional story on
Bopara by the media. I guess they have run out of stories. They should
concentrate on world cup hockey instead.

Modi added, “Just spoke to
Ravi Bopara – he is looking forward to coming to India. All the news about him
not coming and comments are completely false.”

Earlier, there were
reports that Bopara has indefinitely postponed his trip to India for IPL due to
security apprehensions, saying cricket meant everything to him but “it is not
worth dying for”.

Bopara, who was snapped at $450,000 by the Kings XI
Punjab, was supposed to leave on Sunday to join the Mohali-based outfit for the
Twenty20 tournament but the Essex cricketer backed out at the last moment,
saying he was not sure if the risk was worth taking.

“Cricket is my
living and in many way my life. But it is not worth dying for,” Bopara was
quoted as saying by the Mail on Sunday.

Bopara was worried with Reg
Dickason’s report in which the security expert raised some serious concerns.

“This is a very tricky call. I have been in touch with the franchise
and they are pretty positive that things will be OK. But Reg Dickason’s report
says something different.

“At the moment I’m nowhere with this
decision. I’ve had some contact with other players. No one has said they are
definitely not going, but no one has said they definitely are either. I have
pushed back my flight so I can give myself a bit more time to see what happens
and whether the security measures are implemented,” he said.

“The
franchise will want an answer in the next few days, but I will not come to a
hasty decision just because I have to. I need to weigh everything up and if I
could buy myself even more time I would,” added Bopara.

KARACHI: Accused of match-fixing,
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, on Sunday said he is not bothered
by the allegations and is focussing on his game to give his best in the World
Twenty20 championship beginning April 30 in the West Indies.

The
former Pakistan vice-captain said at the National Stadium that such damaging
reports are being spread by elements seeking to destabilise Pakistan cricket.

“These false reports do not bother me and I will continue to focus
on my game. I want to give my best performance for my country,” said the
Lahore-based Akmal who is in Karachi to feature in the National Twenty20
championship which began on Sunday.

However, Akmal made it clear
that he might consider suing the media organisations which accused him of being
involved in match-fixing.

“It is a huge allegation and I will decide
on my response after discussing the issue with my lawyer and the Pakistan
Cricket Board.”

Media reports over the last couple of days have
suggested that Akmal and experienced Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
are under investigation for match-fixing.

Rana Naved has also
strongly denied the accusation and has threatened to take legal action over the
issue.