They were tested in two edge-of-the-seat games against Ireland at Chelmsford, but they came through with more strength and adventure, securing a 2-0 sweep with a five-run margin win with Mustafizur Rahman turning the screws on the Irish side with a four-for. Bangladesh was the first international side to visit England this summer, and they were tested in those games against Ireland. When it counted, the younger stars shone brighter than their elder counterparts.
If I told you that we had faith that we would prevail, I would be lying to you. However, cricket is a strange sport since wickets are knocked over and having scoreboard pressure is a terrible thing. When the Fizz took two wickets, we felt we could have a chance,” the captain of the team, Tamim Iqbal, admitted during the post-match ceremony. That’s how close the game was.
In the end, it came down to the death overs, but before that, it appeared as though Ireland were in complete control of the situation in their pursuit of Bangladesh’s 274.
Andrew Balbirnie, who was serving as captain, tagged along with Paul Stirling as they methodically prepared the platform for an assault at some time. After Mustafizur had achieved the initial breakthrough by removing Stephen Doheny from the game, Ireland were able to reach their target thanks to the 109-run partnership at the third wicket.
Balbirnie, who had scored 53 runs off 78 balls before being dismissed, grounded out at deep mid-wicket by Ebadot Hossain, who then took the crucial wicket. Mehedi Miraz had been putting in the work, and his efforts paid off as he eliminated Stirling in the 60th round.
However, Ireland’s run scoring was on fire thanks to Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker at the bat. Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, who was making his bowling debut, had been unlucky with his deliveries, and in the 37th over, Ireland took him for 21 runs, which shifted the balance of power in the game. 80 required off 78 deliveries, Miraz concluded his stint, and Tamim Iqbal, the captain, had little choice but to bet on Najmul Hossain Shanto’s part-time off-spin. The risk paid off.
Tector made a minor error with a draw, but Liton Das did brilliantly to hang on to it at long on to break the stand that had been going for 79 runs and 65 balls.
Despite this, Ireland appeared to have the upper hand in the game until Mustafizur did his magic in the very next over, when they needed 49 runs from eight overs. Before Mustafizur hit again, Curtis Campher skied one for a dolly at mid-off. Then, George Dockrell bludgeoned one to replacement Yasir Ali. Mustafizur scored another goal. Before the left-armer slipped one under his lap shot to unsettle the stumps, Tucker fought his way to a fifty.
Hasan Mahmud triumphed in the last over, scooping up two wickets and allowing just four runs to be scored when Ireland needed 10 runs to win the game. Mark Adair raged in the penultimate over as Mrittunjoy was placed under the cosh.
Mustafizur, who was awarded player of the match, was dragged along by Tamim to the ceremony, where Fizz casually mentioned that he “was thinking of bagging five wickets before the match.” Mustafizur was awarded player of the match. The master bowler may have had one short, but overall, it was a performance that made a statement after being criticized extensively. Shanto took his maiden international scalp with the wicket of Tucker, which also earned him the honor of being named player-of-the-series for his efforts over all three matches.
In the first part of the match, Bangladesh’s batting performance was a touch underwhelming. This was the case despite Tamim’s comeback to runs with a fifty runs after nine innings. With Tamim at the wicket, the partnerships became stronger, first with Shanto and then with Liton, reaching 44 and 70 runs, respectively. Both Shanto and Liton got off to strong beginnings, but they were unable to live up to expectations.
After Tamim was out for 69 off 82 balls, Mushfiqur Rahim and Miraz kept the momentum going for their team. After batting for 54 balls, Mushfiqur was defeated by McBrine, who scored 45 in the acceleration phase.
Although the fact that the final five Bangladesh wickets were lost for only 14 runs may provide some fuel for concern, in the end, the youthful team won in another victory that is strengthening their confidence.