An absurdly one-sided contest against Bangladesh should not be dismissed as an irrelevant sideshow to the main event of the summer, the Ashes, because it allowed England to demonstrate what a ruthless cricket team they have become.

In overwhelming the visitors by an innings and 261 runs, England batted with great professionalism, bowled with unflagging energy, and fielded keenly. It sent a message to Australia that England can match them in the cold-blooded exposure of opposition frailties.

Admittedly, it will be a different matter bowling at the likes of Matthew Hayden, about twice as tall as any Bangladesh player, with a bat twice as wide, and capable of hitting bowlers off their lengths, and long hops will as rare as Bangladeshi Test wins against Glenn McGrath. But a more apposite yardstick for the England performance is their side that toured Bangladesh in 2003 and struggled to dominate their hosts. In the first Test at Dhaka, particularly, there were jittery moments in England's first-innings 295, before their eventual seven-wicket win.

This time England enjoyed home conditions, but they are also a more confident side for whitewashing New Zealand and West Indies, then gaining a historic series win in South Africa, and it showed in the margin of victory. Changes in personnel have helped, and Michael Vaughan has also had a chance to make the team his own, allowing several individuals to develop into world-class performers.

The England pace attack bowled very well, especially considering it was the summer's first game, suggesting they can get even better. Since Australia last played England, Matthew Hoggard has added a glorious nip-backer to his armoury and he used it to dismiss Aftab Ahmed in the first over of the third day's play. Steve Harmison began the first day spraying the ball down the legside, but after his first spell he found his rhythm and a good line for the rest of the match.

Even more reassuring were the performances of England's back-up seamers, Andrew Flintoff, bowling within himself on return from injury but extracting steep bounce, and Simon Jones, brutally muscular, accurate and hostile. Both could probably open the bowling for any other Test side bar Australia.

England's batsmen were also very impressive against an attack which contains no Glenn McGrath, but does possess two bowlers with statistical records that prove they are of Test quality, paceman Mushrafe bin Mortaza and slow left-armer Mohammad Rafique. Both were dealt with, for the most part, with ease, though Mortaza did trouble Andrew Strauss in a fine spell of inswing bowling, eventually grabbing his wicket lbw, and he got a beauty to spit off a length to dismiss Michael Vaughan.

Trescothick had had a terrible start to the season for Somerset, plagued by sleepless nights after the birth of his daughter. But a move into the spare room last week stopped him yawning as the bowler runs in, and he again demonstrated a hunger for big scores that he did not possess in his early Test career. His previous Test hundred was 180 at Johannesburg, and his 194 here was his sixth ton in his past 12 Tests, a greatly improved conversion rate after five hundreds in his first 48 Tests. Vaughan showed many glimpses of his best touch, but did not manage a single cover-driven four. Despite terrorising Australia with the shot in the last Ashes series, he needs to work on his technique because his bat is twisting in his hands.

Bell was a more commanding presence at the crease than Graham Thorpe, who may not yet see out the summer with some resentment being felt by the selectors at the delayed announcement of his decision to play in New South Wales this summer, and with so much competition for places in the middle-order. Robert Key added two more centuries this week, against Surrey, and Kevin Pietersen has blasted two tons at better than a run a ball since not being selected in the Test squad. Both are showing a keen desire to face up to Australia this summer.

As for Bangladesh, they will hope for a much better performance at Chester-le-Street in the second Test starting on Friday, away from the historic burden of a first Test at Lord's. But they need a better showing from their captain and best player, Habibul Bashar, who precipitated collapses after being out in both innings pulling wildly.

The motivational talks of coach Dav Whatmore, forced to veer between paternal sympathy and rollicking his ill-disciplined youngsters, would be interesting to hear. Though, one suspects, the former coach of the World Cup winning Sri Lankans is probably himself now in need of cheering up after being turned down two weeks ago for the India coaching role.

28 May, 2005