Recent Match Report – Bangladesh vs Ireland 1st ODI 2022/23

bangladesh 338 for 8 (Shakib 93, Hridoy 92, Hume 4-60) vs Ireland

Mushfiqur Rahim’s 26-ball 44 was followed by meaty hits from Taskin Ahmed and Yasir Ali as Sylhet produced the fourth consecutive 300-plus score for the team that batted first. Ireland’s bowling frayed towards the end as they conceded 183 runs in the last 20 overs. Only Graham Hume looked like a wicket taker, with his 4 for 60.

Ireland started well, however, taking two wickets in the first Powerplay. Paul Stirling took both catches as Tamim Iqbal went to first slip in the third over, before Litton Das resumed his soft-dismissal theme, with Curtis Campher taking a wicket in his first over.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib continued to bat positively before Andy McBrine got an offbreak to straighten from around the wicket and beat Shanto’s exuberant drive. Going 81 for 3 in the 17th left, Ireland should have pushed through the advantage, but they found themselves up against a rampant Shakib who had an agitated Hridoy to keep him going. For around 13 overs the pair focused on fast runs, to force the visiting side into defensive lengths and fields. When Shakib reached 24, he became the third cricketer to reach 7,000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs.

The pair had hit just six fours between them until the 30th over, before Shakib fired on Harry Tector to take on 22 runs in the 35th over. He struck with a swing, a think about cover, another swing and a square cut, before closing it off with a fifth boundary line, straight to the ground. This was the sixth time since 2003 that a batter hit more than 20 runs in an over without hitting a six.

A century seemed a foregone conclusion with the way Shakib batted, but Hume trailed him by 93. He hit nine fours in his innings off 93 balls, laying a solid foundation for a big total.

Mushfiqur took full advantage of this base, hitting three sixes and as many fours in his 44. He added 80 runs in eight overs for the fifth wicket with Hridoy, but the pair came out within three balls of each other. Taskin and Yasir each hit a six, as Ireland found it difficult to stop the flow of runs.

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