Craig Kieswetter blasts hundred as England win Bangladesh series 3-0

England would have been tempted to take a punt on Craig Kieswetter for the World Twenty20 even if he had failed in all three one-day internationals in Bangladesh. Now instinct does not come into it. Kieswetter's maiden one-day international hundred has given them all the statistical proof they need to take him to the Caribbean in search of their first success in a global limited-overs tournament. Not everybody will celebrate. Michael Vaughan, whose views are still given the cachet allowed to a recent England captain, had rubbished Kieswetter ahead of this game as "shipped-in talent" because of his appearances for South Africa Under-19s and had admitted that in an ideal world he would like to see "11 complete Englishmen in the team". "He's entitled to his opinion," Kieswetter said. "But I have a British passport, I've done the four years' registration and I'm British." He may, arguably, be shipped in, but he will be hard to ship out. Kieswetter's 107 from 124 balls had England's captain in Bangladesh, Alastair Cook, praising the way that he had adapted his explosive, pinch-hitting style and had come to terms sensibly with Bangladesh's quintet of spinners. England wrapped up the series 3-0 with a comfortable 45-run win. Bangladesh have been spirited and worthy one-day hosts. Eoin Morgan's heroics prevented them from winning the second game and they only faded here when Kevin Pietersen won a shocking leg-before decision against their captain, Shakib Al Hasan, the fifth batsman out with another 123 needed at eight an over. In the absence of the injured Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan bowled with gumption in the powerplays for his best ODI figures, four for 28. The results of MRI scans on the back injuries suffered by Broad and Graham Onions showed no serious damage, but they will miss the warm-up match before the two-Test series. England should recognize that Broad is a precious talent who must meet heavy demands and send him home. Bangladesh, eking out an existence as they can, take the subcontinent's reliance on spin bowlers to extreme proportions. Rubel Hossain had a stretch of the legs at not much above 130kph and was withdrawn after one over, Abdur Razzak's slow left-arm was employed by the third over, and he was in tandem with his fellow left-armer Shakib Al Hasan by the ninth. Kieswetter, doubtless reflecting that it had very little to do with cricket as he knew it, took 25 balls to reach double figures. He calmed himself, kept the rate respectable and learned much ahead of not just the World Twenty20 but the World Cup on the subcontinent in 2011. On 11 March next year, England are back on this ground against Bangladesh with considerably more at stake. With 15 overs remaining, he deliberately upped the tempo, flexing his biceps in a manner to delight Huw Bevan, England's fitness trainer, and deposited Mahmudullah over the midwicket rope for his first six. Mahmudullah was the fifth spinner used; by then Kieswetter was getting used to it. But it was England's powerplay, well-timed to begin in the 41st over, that spring-cleaned his mind. It brought England 58 runs and when he was bowled in the over after its completion, Razzaq defeating his defensive push, he had taken 32 from his last 18 balls. England's 284 for five was their fourth highest total in 72 matches in Asia, and only Kevin Pietersen had cause for introspection. In his regular phone sessions with Duncan Fletcher after his poor South African tour, the line must have died before they could get on to the subject of left-arm spinners. Pietersen is the sort of character who, upon being informed that he has a fatal weakness against slow left-armers, might be expected to stride out and thrash them all into the next parish. But that was the old cavalier Pietersen. This is the Kevin Pietersen who has gone 10 ODIs without a fifty. Razzak got him again, Pietersen planting his front foot well forward but adjudged leg before for 22. Razzak had not taken a wicket in five ODIs before Pietersen came along and he had him lbw in the second ODI in Dhaka with one that turned. This time he defeated Pietersen with an unerringly straight ball. That is 47 runs in five innings in Bangladesh. It is probably not a place he gushes about. Bangladesh's reply had a false start in the first over. Ajmal Shahzad, who took two wickets in his first over on his Twenty20 debut against Pakistan last month, was three balls into his ODI debut before their dangerman, Tamim Iqbal, carved him to Bresnan at third man. It would be condescending to an improving Bangladesh side to suggest that the game was dead after three balls, but it felt like that. Aftab Ahmed was run out, sent back by Mushfiqur Rahim, and Shakib suffered a terrible lbw decision from Enamul Haque when facing Pietersen's off-spin. In Bangladesh, KP could probably get himself out at the moment.