Dhaka: Fast bowler Jake Ball was delighted with his dream debut in Dhaka after becoming the first England bowler to take five wickets in his first One Day International during Friday’s 21-run win against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, replying to England’s 309-8, appeared to be coasting towards their target with opener Imrul Kayes (112) clubbing a century and racking up a 118-run partnership with all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
With the hosts needing 39 runs off 52 balls, Ball helped England claw their way back into the fight by removing Shakib, who played one of the finest innings of his career before going for 79 off 55 balls.
Ball bowled young Mosaddek Hossain off the next ball and completed the dramatic win with the wicket of Taskin Ahmed as England claimed the last six wickets for 17 runs to dismiss Bangladesh for 288 runs. The visitors have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
“It was a debut you can’t forget really,” Ball said after the match. “It was a dream debut,” said Ball.
Ball, whose only Test match to date has been against Pakistan in July, also praised the England dressing room.
“I think it’s a really nice dressing room to be in,” he said. “The first thing I noticed is how much of unit everyone is as they all back each other.
“Confidence is really high. We play a brand of cricket that we believe ourselves and back ourselves. We did that today and managed to come out on top,” he said.
A fierce competition to get a place in the starting line-up also helped him, said the Nottinghamshire man.
“The players on the sideline would probably walk into another team,” he said. “It makes you keep performing. There are always people snapping behind you to come into the team,” Ball said.
England play Bangladesh in the second ODI at the same Dhaka venue on Sunday.
The two teams move to Chittagong for the third and final match of the series on October 12.
