'Put my name on there': 11 years of Tamim's sensational Lord's century
It was an emotional hundred as well for him. "My (late) father was an ardent follower of the game. Whenever Lord's was shown on TV, he always told us, 'Look, that's where cricket began'. I really missed him after the hundred."
Bangladesh were touring England for just the second time for a Test series. The visitors lost both the Tests but what Tamim Iqbal did in that summer of 2010 will remain part of Bangladesh cricket folklore forever.
At Lord's, England posted a mammoth 505 in the first innings. In reply, it was the 21-year old Tamim Iqbal who took on the bowlers right from the word 'go'. Tamim was unfortunately run-out scoring almost a run-a-ball 55. He was devastated.
Tamim asked an attendant whether there was a way of putting his name on the Lord's honours board. "There should be one for the fifties as well," said Tamim. But the attendant said that one has to get a hundred to
put his name on the board.
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Then Tamim told him, "I am not going from here without a century."
Bangladesh couldn't score more than 282 in the first innings. England captain Andrew Strauss enforced the follow-on and Bangladesh had to bat again.
Tamim, this time, didn't miss out. He struck a flurry of boundaries and made the England bowling attack that had James Anderson, Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan look like an ordinary one.
Tamim raced to a hundred from 87 in space of four balls. His celebration was spectacular as well. He ran towards the balcony and gestured towards the attendant to put his name on the honours board. He brought up the hundred off only 94 deliveries, the fastest on the venue in 20 years. The innings involved 15 fours and two sixes. Tamim became the first Bangladeshi batter and second Bangladeshi to register his name on the honours board.
Though Bangladesh lost the match, Tamim's batting was the shining light in the ruins. It was an emotional hundred as well for him. "My (late) father was an ardent follower of the game. Whenever Lord's was shown on TV, he always told us, 'Look, that's where cricket began'. I really missed him after the hundred."
Tamim scored a hundred at Old Trafford as well and was named one of the Wisden cricketers of the year 2010. In an interview, the then editor of Wisden Scyld Berry said, "I have never seen a batter taking on the England new ball bowlers like Tamim, not even (Virender) Sehwag. He hit England bowlers in India, but he could never do so coming in England."
