Cricket Highlights, 30 Mar: Bangladesh vs Ireland (2nd T20I)

Bangladesh vs Ireland (2nd T20I)

Hosts Bangladesh has conquered the T20I series after their success in the ODI series against the visiting Ireland. Shakib Al Hasan’s team clinched the three-match series with one match remaining yesterday with a big win of 77 runs.

In the second T20I of the series in Chattogram, overs were shortened due to rain. The target for Ireland was 203 runs in 17 overs. The visitors were cornered right from the start by the Tigers’ bowling attack. They could not even give a good fight as wickets fell down one after another.

Ireland lost their first wicket on the first ball of the first over going down to the run chase. Taskin Ahmed sent back Irish captain Paul Stirling to the dressing room. Playing the ball off outside the body, Stirling (0) was caught by wicketkeeper Liton Das.

In the next over, Shakib also picked up a wicket on the first ball. That time, Lorcan Tucker (6) got caught at the square leg after getting confused by bowling a slower one. The Irish lost 2 wickets to score just 7 runs.

Then Ireland scored 14 runs from Nasum Ahmed’s over. But Shakib bowled him in the next over and he struck twice on that over. He bowled Ross Adair (6) on the first ball of the over, and Gareth Delaney (6) was caught by Litton on Shakib’s last ball.

In his next over Shakib hunted the pair of wickets again. He trapped George Dockrell (2) with an lbw in the third ball of the over, and bowled set-batter Harry Tector (22 off 16) in the sixth ball. By doing this, Shakib also got to achieve the second fifer in his T20I career.

Ireland lost 8 wickets to collect 86 runs. Then Curtis Campher scored fifty (29 balls) to reduce the margin of defeat a little. Taskin bowled Campher scoring 50 off 30 balls in 3 four-sixes. Ultimately, the Irish innings stopped at 125 runs for 9 wickets.

Tiger skipper Shakib took the highest number of 5 wickets conceding 22 runs. Besides, Taskin took 3 wickets with 27 runs. Hasan Mahmud got 1 wicket with only 6 runs in 2 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh scored 202 runs by losing only 3 wickets in 17 overs based on a devastating innings by Litton.

Ireland invited Bangladesh to bat first after winning the toss at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. After that, it started to rain. Once the rain stopped, it was decided to reduce the match to 19 overs. But while preparing the field, it rained again.

Later it was announced for the second time that 17 overs will be played in the match. As a result, the hosts started to take on the Irish bowlers from the start.

Litton and Rony Talukdar made a devastating partnership of 91 runs off 42 balls in the first T20I of the series. They got off to a flying start in the rain-interrupted second match as well.

The Litton-Rony duo completed the team’s fifty in 3.3 overs. This is the fastest fifty of the Bangladesh team. Earlier, Bangladesh scored 50 in 4 overs against Ireland in T20 World Cup, 2016.

Litton and Rony continued to play great shots around the wicket. As a result, Bangladesh scored 100 runs in 7.1 overs.

This is the Tigers’ record for the fastest team century in T20Is (in 43 valid deliveries). The previous record was 8.5 overs against Ireland in the last match.

Litton scored the fastest fifty in the country’s history off 18 balls. Rony also had a chance to pick up a fifty in 23-ball. He tried well for that too.

But Rony was caught on the long-on boundary while trying to hit an over boundary off Benjamin White. The innings of 44 runs off 23 balls had 3 fours and 2 sixes. Bangladesh lost their first wicket after 124 runs in the tenth over.

Litton reached 83 off 40 balls. There was a chance for him to score a devastating century. But the right-handed opener could not touch the magic figure of three falling short behind 17 runs. He returned to the dressing room making a mistake.

Litton was caught by the wicketkeeper while trying to play Benjamin White’s ball that was on the wide line. He hit 10 boundaries and 3 sixes in a 41-ball off 83-run innings.

After that, Shakib and young Towhid Hridoy put on a partnership of 61 runs off 29 balls. Hridoy got out for 24 off 13 balls with one ball left in the innings. Shakib was unbeaten on 38 runs off 24 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. 

Shakib was adjudged player of the match for his outstanding all-around performance. The two teams will meet at the same venue tomorrow (March 31) in the final match of the series.

Bangladesh vs Ireland Scoreboard

Bangladesh – 202/3 (17.0)

Ireland – 125/9 (17.0)

Result – Bangladesh won by 77 runs – 17 overs match due to rain

Player of the match – Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh

Bangladesh vs Ireland Playing Xis