BATTY SEIZES MOMENT IN SPOTLIGHT

GARETH BATTY admitted he had never been more nervous in his career after bowling for the first time in a Test match since June 2005. But the spin bowler spoke with pride as he reflected on the crucial wicket of Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, caught behind for 78. ‘When you are just an average player, you enjoy every bit of success,’ he said. ‘I felt I had set him up a bit and just skidded it through. It is nice to get very good players out. ‘When you stick the England shirt on, it is an amazing feeling and I don’t think I have ever felt like that before in my career. ‘It was nerve-racking, but that’s a good thing. You know you’re alive when the nerves are jangling.’ Having settled into life as a county cricketer with Worcestershire before returning to Surrey in 2010, Batty found himself bowling the second over of the Bangladesh reply. ‘I’ve never bowled with the new ball, which added to the nerves,’ he said. ‘My first ball was a bit of pie, so it was nice to get that out of the way but there were some decent balls as well. ‘I leaked probably ten more runs than I should have done. You want to hold the game and not let them get away from you.’ Batty’s wicket was a big moment, too, in the context of this first Test. Iqbal had moved to 78 as Bangladesh reached 163 for three in reply to England’s 293. A hundred on his home ground looked only a matter of time. But Batty sent one down a touch quicker, and Tamim tried to force him through the off side. A thin edge was well held by Jonny Bairstow, part of a good performance standing up to the spinners, and Batty loosened his vocal chords. With Bangladesh closing a tough day for Alastair Cook’s bowlers at 221 for five, the game was back in the balance. England may regret not adding more than 35 to their overnight score of 258 for seven, with Chris Woakes falling to the first ball of the day prodding Taijul Islam to short leg. Adil Rashid made a spritely 26 and Stuart Broad unfurled a couple of meaty sweeps before becoming a sixth victim for Bangladesh’s 18year-old off-spinner Mehedi Hasan. But the value of each run will grow as this game progresses and the pitch deteriorates. The drama is far from over.