England put Bangladesh's Test pretensions into sharp perspective on Thursday as the touring side's first appearance at Lord's rapidly turned into a rout.
The Bangladeshis, keen to convince, folded for 108 in 38.2 overs after being put in and then looked as anonymous in the field as England, seeking a 13th win in 17 Tests, rattled up 188 for one by the close of the first day.
Marcus Trescothick was undefeated on 78, having hit 10 fours, while Andrew Strauss made 69 during a 148-run stand for the first wicket. Earlier, seamer Matthew Hoggard took four wickets for 42.
Before the series, Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore had talked of taking the match into the final day, while home captain Michael Vaughan had warned of potential banana skins before the arrival of the Australians.
After Thursday it will take a miracle, a deluge or a lorry-load of over-ripe bananas to get this match much beyond the third day.
For 40 minutes, it was possible to believe that Bangladesh's recent win over a weakened Zimbabwe, their only success in 36 Tests, might mean something. The tourists, however, having reached 31 without loss in cloudy conditions, suddenly got stage fright in front of a patchy, subdued crowd.
STEPPED AWAY
Strike bowler Steve Harmison (two for 38) began the procession as Nafis Iqbal stepped away from a lifter and gave Trescothick catching practice at first slip. Captain Habibul Bashar then came and went, showing his players how not to do it with a criminal pull at Hoggard off his third ball which looped up high and straight to the wicketkeeper.
By lunch it was 74 for five, Simon Jones the most eye-catching of the quicks as he shaped the ball away from the right-handers.
He finished with one wicket for four runs off six overs. Andrew Flintoff, back from ankle surgery, chipped in with two for 22 and Bangladesh quickly disintegrated after lunch, their last five wickets going for 19 runs in 33 balls.
Javed Omar top-scored with 22 while 16-year-old Mushfiqur Rahim, the youngest debutant ever to walk out at Lord's, grafted patiently for 85 minutes for 19 before Hoggard pegged back his off stump. Spinner Gareth Batty failed to get his hands on the ball.
England, in reply, were not required to graft.
At tea they were 70 without loss, scoring at more than six an over, and the openers were only parted after putting on 148.
Strauss, dropped on 50 at slip off left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, eventually played across the line and falling lbw to seamer Mashrafe Mortaza, the pick of the attack. He hit 10 boundaries.
Vaughan, another English batsman to come into the game short of form, was also given a life, Rafique spilling a back-foot drive off his own bowling after the England captain had made eight. Vaughan finished on 22 not out.
The second and final Test begins in a week on Friday.
Scoreboard
Bangladesh (1st innings):
J. Omar c Trescothick b S. Jones 22
N. Iqbal c Trescothick b Harmison 8
H. Bashar c G. Jones b Hoggard 3
A. Ahmed c Strauss b Flintoff 20
M. Ashraful lbw b Flintoff 6
M. Rahim b Hoggard 19
K. Mashud lbw Hoggard 6
M. Rafique run out 1
M. Mortaza b Harmison 0
A. Hossain Munir not out 5
S. Hossain c G. Jones b Hoggard 4
Extras: (b-1, lb-1, nb-12) 14
Total: (all out, 38.2 overs) 108
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-34, 3-65, 4-65, 5-71, 6-89, 7-94, 8-98, 9-98, 10-108.
Bowling: Hoggard 13.2-5-42-4 (nb-8), Harmison 14-3-38-2 (nb-4), Flintoff 5-0-22-2, S. Jones 6-4-4-1.
England (1st innings):
M. Trescothick not out 78
A. Strauss lbw Mortaza 69
M. Vaughan not out 22
Extras: (lb-7, nb-12) 19
Total: (for 1 wickets, 46 overs) 188
Fall of wickets: 1-148
To bat: I. Bell, G. Thorpe, A. Flintoff, G. Jones, G. Batty, M. Hoggard, S. Harmison, S. Jones.
Bowling: Mortaza 15-5-40-1, Hossain 9-0-69-0 (nb-6), Hossain Munir 9-0-38-0 (nb-6), Rafique 12-1-34-0, A. Ahmed 1-1-0-0.
