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England will leave Bangladesh knowing more about roguish band of ODI tyros | Will Macpherson

Paul Farbrace says Jos Buttler could not have had a tougher first series as captain but everyone rose to the challenge, despite the mental barriers they had to crossWhen England travelled to Bangladesh two weeks ago, there were many reasons why they could have lost the ODI leg – and in the course of the series they created a few more. Absent players, ever-improving opposition, alien conditions, crowds wishing them the worst, the suffocating – if superb, and inescapable – security detail and some overemotional aggro all popped up at one stage or another. England’s greenhorns passed their test, however. Related: Jos Buttler says England’s ODI series win in Bangladesh is ‘hugely satisfying’ Related: Eoin Morgan will resume England limited-overs...

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Gareth Batty’s England encore a victory for bloody-minded persistence | Andy Bull

The 38-year-old has earned his place on the tour of Bangladesh by continuing to toil on the county circuit and while he is a short-term fix, like Fred Titmus and John Emburey, he is unlikely to see it that way himself“The day I stop wanting to be No1,” Gareth Batty once said, “is the day I retire.” That was 12 years ago, and even he wasn’t sure whether his ambition would last this long. Back then he was still burning about the fact that he was the man bowling to Brian Lara when he broke Matthew Hayden’s world record for the best Test score in Antigua earlier that same year. “Maybe in 10 to 15 years’ time, certainly when I’m...

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