By Simon Mann BBC Sport in Dhaka

The final match of the series was more competitive than the previous two.

But if Bangladesh feel some satisfaction from making it last 90 overs it is only because their previous efforts were so abysmal.

Their batting was more disciplined with eight players reaching double figures.

However none played the big innings that would be the foundation of a challenging total.

In reply, Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan, who was suffering from a stiff neck and was only declared fit 40 minutes before the start, had to bat carefully against the new ball.

Flintoff and Collingwood guided England home

They deliberately avoided being drawn into a frantic chase for runs in the first 15 overs, reasoning correctly the bad balls would arrive the longer they remained.

Both were dismissed when well-set but the home side knew those wickets were useless unless they could get rid of Andrew Flintoff before he started bruising the ball.

But again the boundaries looked too small for him.

In the course of his innings he broke Ian Botham's England record of 44 sixes in one-day internationals.

By the time Flintoff has finished the new mark could be unbreakable.

Bangladesh go to Zimbabwe in the new year to compete for Test cricket's unofficial wooden spoon and it is doubtful whether Khaled Mahmud will still be in charge.

Perhaps expectations were unfairly raised by Bangladesh's narrow defeat to Pakistan.

He is now routinely mocked by the home supporters.

Mahmud was jeered on his way to the wicket and back again after instigating - and becoming the victim of - a slapstick run out.

Both he and Mushfiqur competed to make their ground at the same end; they had to wait side by side while the third umpire decided who was the loser.

Khaled partially redeemed himself with the ball, gambling on a seven-two off-side field and bowling a tight off-stump line.

The England team celebrate the series win

But that is part of the problem. His tactical acumen will always outweigh his ability as player.

The other part is that he has been dealt an impossibly weak hand.

Political manoeuvring and short-sightedness were the overriding factors in Bangladesh becoming a Test-playing country when there was no first-class structure in place.

Even the ICC's chief executive, Malcolm Speed concedes they were elevated too soon but the ICC cannot - and will not - back-track.

Bangladesh have no option. They will continue to learn the hard way until their development programmes produce sufficient players of test standard.

It will happen one day. The enthusiasm and support for the game here is unquestionable.

England could not have done much more. Their preparation and attitude was exemplary and they won all the international matches convincingly.

Now the real test starts. They begin another one-day series against Sri Lanka next Tuesday.