Crunch time has come for Bangladesh sooner than they would have liked, and it has as much to do with their opposition in today’s World Cup match as it does with the weather in Bristol.

Mohammad Salahuddin, who has mentored Shakib Al Hasan since his BKSP days, received a text message from his pupil which read, ‘Thank you Sir’, after the star all-rounder smashed his maiden hundred in the World Cup against hosts England in Cardiff on Saturday.

A scan done yesterday on ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan suggested a Grade 1 strain on his left thigh, placing him in doubt for today’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka at the Bristol County Ground.

Rain stopped proceedings at Southampton after Windies paceman Sheldon Cottrell struck twice in the World Cup match agianst South Africa today.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a blazing century to set up a 36-run win over Australia in the World Cup on Sunday as the reigning champions suffered their first defeat of this year’s tournament.

Bangladesh are the seventh-ranked team and England are ranked number one, so it would have been overly optimistic to expect the Tigers to beat the form team in world cricket.

Bangladesh lose against the hosts England by 106 runs at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff today.

While Bangladesh showed tremendous fighting spirit in their two-wicket loss against New Zealand at The Oval on Wednesday, the defeat was a timely reminder of the old follies that the Tigers can revert to when faced with opposition playing at a higher level than them.

A big talking point surrounding Bangladesh’s two-wicket loss to New Zealand was established long before the result, when wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim negated a sure run out of Kane Williamson by dislodging the bails with his elbows when trying to intercept a throw from Tamim Iqbal at mid on that was heading for the stumps anyway.

Bangladesh fight valiantly, Bangladesh fight bravely, but the Tigers lose. Despite a late flurry of wickets, the Kiwis get home with two wickets to spare. A hard-fought win for New Zealand dents Bangladesh's spirit, but should also provide them with some belief and show their remaining opponents that nothing will come easy.

Bangladesh and New Zealand have played each other quite a few times in the past and ahead of today’s enthralling encounter, here we look at some of the interesting facts about both the sides.

Here we look at some of the statistics and key players of both the teams ahead of Bangladesh’s clash against New Zealand at the Kennington Oval in London today.

The combination of the Bangladesh team, a World Cup and Eid is not a happy one. The only time the religious festival has coincided with cricket’s quadrennial showpiece was in 2003, when Bangladesh opened their campaign with an ignominious campaign against minnows Canada on Eid day, which foreshadowed a World Cup in which they lost every completed match. 16 years on, in England, the picture is the opposite.

Not far from The Oval, the scene of a stirring win in their World Cup opener against South Africa on Sunday, the Bangladesh team were enjoying a well-deserved rest day at their hotel yesterday.

Pakistan beat England by 14 runs at Trent Bridge yesterday as the World Cup’s first centuries from Joe Root and Jos Buttler were not enough to help the hosts and pre-tournament favourites overhaul the huge target of 349 set for them.

Certain boxes have to be ticked to know that the Bangladesh team are in good fettle.

As Mustafizur Rahman ran up to bowl to South Africa number 10 Imran Tahir, with the Proteas needing an unlikely 44 runs from the last 16 balls, Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s smile from his position at backward point told the story.

330 for six is Bangladesh’s highest ever total in the World Cup. Their previous highest score in the mega event was the 322 they scored against Scotland in 2015 at the Saxton Oval in Nelson. It was also Bangladesh’s highest ever total against South Africa in the fifty-over format

The Bangladesh squad are now faced with a test at the eleventh hour before they open their World Cup campaign with a high-pressure match against South Africa at The Oval in London tomorrow. The test is a stern one as it involves perhaps the most important player in their batting line-up -- opener Tamim Iqbal. During practice at The Oval yesterday, Tamim sustained a painful blow to his left wrist while batting in the nets, but fortunately for the Tigers, an X-Ray later yesterday revealed no fracture.

West Indies crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided World Cup match at Trent Bridge yesterday, with the two-time champions showing they are a resurgent force in the one-day game.