45 overs Ireland 319 for 6 (Tector 140, Dockrell 74*, Mahmud 2-48, Shoriful 2-83) vs Bangladesh
It will be a tough ask for the visitors although the ground size and pitch quality will encourage them.
Bangladesh’s bowlers were shattered, particularly Shoriful Islam, who went for 83 in his nine overs for two wickets. Shakib Al Hasan was wicketless, while Taijul Islam got hit for 59 from his seven overs. Hasan Mahmud bowled well throughout taking 1 for 48 from his nine overs. And he struck early blows after Bangladesh opted to bowl.
Mahmud removed both openers, Paul Stirling and Stephen Doheny, in his first spell. He had Stirling caught behind off the inside edge with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim grabbing a diving catch. He then had Doheny caught at point, after the batter crawled to 12 off 21.
Tector added 98 runs for the third wicket with Balbirnie, who himself was experiencing a dip in his form. Tector was initially attacked around his ribcage at the start of his innings but Bangladesh abandoned the plan quite quickly. Instead, they bowled short at him, and even dropped him on 23. Tamim Iqbal’s chance was a tough one at midwicket but the ball went through his fingers.
Tector’s first six was a pulled one, off Shoriful in the twelfth over, before he launched three sixes in a Taijul over that went for 20 runs. Two were over midwicket, and one hit over long-on as Ireland’s run-rate jumped from a modest 3.73 to a promising 4.55 in the 20th over. Balbirnie fell for 42 shortly afterwards when Shoriful had him caught behind, but he had helped lay the foundation for a big score for Ireland. When Tector struck his fifth six, it was the most by an Ireland batter against Bangladesh, but he wasn’t done.
Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher fell on either side of Tector’s sixth six, before he reached his century in the 35th over. Dockrell also teed off around this time, hammering Shakib down the ground for his first six, before Tector got two more, off Taijul, in the 37th over. Dockrell then smashed Shoriful for three sixes in a 24-run over.
Tector had two more sixes before Ebadot removed him in the 42nd over, but Dockrell kept the Bangladesh attack under pressure. Shakib dropped him on 59, a simple chance at cover off Mehidy who was belatedly brought into the attack for two overs.