Cricket Highlights, 15 May: Ireland vs Bangladesh (3rd ODI)

Ireland vs Bangladesh (3rd ODI)

Ireland needed 10 runs in the last over to get the victory. However, the Irish batsmen could not score the desired amount of runs due to Hasan Mahmud’s great bowling. As a result, the Tigers won by 4 runs in the last match of the series. Through this, visiting Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series by 2-0.

After losing the toss and batting first, Bangladesh was bowled out for 274 runs in 48.5 overs at Chelmsford in England on Sunday. In response, Ireland’s innings stopped at 270 runs after losing 9 wickets in 50 overs.

At one time, it seemed that the hosts would win the match very easily. At one point, Ireland needed runs less than the number of balls in hand. However, Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud bowled well in the last few overs. In the end, the Tigers grabbed the match with the great bowling of these two bowlers.  

Ireland’s captain won the toss and decided to field first, which propelled the Tigers to bat first. Batting at the beginning, Bangladesh collected a fighting capital courtesy of Tamim-Mushfiq. Tamim played the highest innings of 69 runs for the team with the help of 6 boundaries. 45 runs from 54 balls came from Mushfiqur Rahim’s bat. There were 3 fours and 1 six on his innings.

Besides, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 37 off 39 balls and Najmul Hossain Shanto collected 35 off 32 balls, and Liton Das made 35 off 39 balls. In these short cameos, the Bangladesh team was all out for 274 runs in 48.5 overs. Mark Adair took the maximum number of 4 wickets for Ireland. Also, Andy McBrine and George Dockrell took 2 wickets each, and Craig Young picked up a wicket.

The match seemed to be taken as an experimental match and two new faces were introduced to the visiting camp. Opener Rony Talukdar and pace-bowling all-rounder Mrittunjoy Chowdhury made their ODI debut in the Tigers jersey on this day. Besides, Mustafiz played for Bangladesh for the first time after the IPL.

Chasing a challenging target of 275 runs, Ireland lost wickets early on. Opener Stephen Doheny (4 runs off 16 balls) returned to the dressing room with the team’s 17 runs. Then another opener, Paul Stirling made a great pair of 109 runs for the second wicket with captain Andrew Balbirnie.

This partnership made the team dream of victory. However, pace bowler Ebadot Hossain separated this pair. His victim, Ireland captain Balbirnie returned to the pavilion with 53 runs off 78 balls. Off-spinner Miraz did not allow Stirling to score more than 60 runs, who continued his batting rampage from the beginning of the innings.

Ireland was under some pressure after losing these two wickets but Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker kept the team on the road to victory. These two batsmen put together a partnership of 79 runs for the 4th wicket. But suddenly Ireland’s batting line-up collapsed like a house of cards. Mustafiz and Hasan Mahmud’s bowling cannons confused the Irish.

Tector scored 45 runs from 48 balls and Tucker scored 50 runs from 53 balls, but the hosts survived the match. Ireland needed just 10 runs from the final over to win. Adair (20 runs from 10 balls) who continued his batting rampage at the end of the innings was bowled in the first ball of Hasan Mahmud’s over. Ireland got a single run off the next ball.

Hasan took a wicket again on the third ball. McBrine was his victim this time. The Irish needed 6 runs off the last ball to register a victory. The hosts had one wicket in hand. Ireland couldn’t get more than a single run off Hasan Mahmud’s last ball. As a result, Bangladesh left the field with a 4-run victory in a tense and exciting match.

Mustafizur Rahman took the highest number of 4 wickets for the team. He was also awarded the player of the match. Besides, Hasan Mahmud took 2 wickets whereas Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Ebadot Hossain took 1 wicket each. Moreover, Shanto has been adjudged the player of the series by collecting 196 runs in two matches.

Ireland vs Bangladesh Scoreboard

Bangladesh – 274/10 (48.5)

Ireland – 270/9 (50.0)

Result – Bangladesh won by 4 runs

Player of the match – Mustafizur Rahman

Player of the series – Najmul Hossain Shanto

Najmul Hossain Shanto

Ireland vs Bangladesh Playing Xis