England dominated Bangladesh so completely with ball and then bat on day one of their Test series that the tourists' coach Dav Whatmore was left to contemplate on the worst possible start for his team at Lord's.

Bangladesh - bowled out for 108 in less than 40 overs - were already 80 adrift on first innings by stumps following an opening partnership of 148 between Marcus Trescothick (78no) and Andrew Strauss (69).

Middlesex batsman Strauss insisted there is no way England will write off the opposition on the evidence of just one day - but Whatmore could not hide his disappointment.

''It probably could not get much worse on the first day of a Test series,'' he said.

Matthew Hoggard (four for 42) was the chief tormentor of Bangladesh batsmen on a day when the ball swung prodigiously in humid conditions.

Whatmore took that into account - as well as the effect of such a big occasion on novice Test match minds - as he insisted his team will improve in time.

He said: ''It was not a 108 wicket - but I am loathed to take the big stick out on them. Lord's is a great place to play, and it was a bit of a build-up for them to deal with.

''But the more you play the better you will get - there is no doubt about that. We just have to guard against the confidence getting knocked around too much.''

Strauss, delighted to have made his first half-century of summer 2005 - as did Trescothick - felt there was plenty of mitigation for Bangladesh.

''A lot of teams have come unstuck previously when it has swung at Lord's. Bangladesh struggled with it, but they are far from the first team to do so,'' he reasoned.

''For us to write them off after the first day of the series would be wrong and premature.''

Strauss' own lack of runs in county cricket has been a cause of concern for a batsman who has made a spectacular start to his Test career since he marked his debut 12 months ago on this his home ground with a century against New Zealand.

''When you are out of form you can look for reasons everywhere. Maybe I have been trying to dominate a bit too much,'' he suggested.

''Everyone goes through these little patches.

"I was a little disappointed to get out having done the hard work. But it is better to be out for 69 than nought, and it was great for me and Tres to get back in the routine.''

Strauss was not the only one to be offering words of encouragement last night.

Whatmore was heartened too, despite a miserable scoreline for his side, with what he had seen from teenage debutant Mushfiqur Rahim who resisted England for 56 balls before he was bowled with a beauty by Hoggard.

He added: ''I still think he is a class above the others, with the way he moves.

"He got some good balls out there, and I think we have seen enough from him at this level to know he has a bright future.''