A brilliant hattrick by leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed guided touring Bangladesh Women’s Cricket team to win the three-match ODI series 1-0 beating hosts Ireland by 10 runs in the 3rd and last match at Instornian Cricket Club, Shaw’s Bridge Lower Ground in Belfast on Saturday night.
The first match of the three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and Ireland women’s cricket teams was washed out without a single ball being bowled due to rain on Thursday and the 2nd match between two teams also ended in no result at the same venue also for rain on Friday.
Winning the toss in the 3rd ODI, Bangladesh team made a frustrating start losing top five wickets of–Ayesha Rahman (5), Fargana Haque (3), Rumana Ahmed (0), Nigar Sultana (1) and Fahima Khatun(0)– for just 25 runs, but opener Sanjida Islam supported by three two digit score from lower order batter enabling Bangladesh to score 106 runs for all in 40.1 overs.
In an initial batting collapse situation, opener Sanjida Islam batted confidently to score the team highest 33 runs off 53 balls featuring four boundaries and guided the team to score 100 plus runs.
Number eight Jahanara Alam (14), number seven Ritu Moni (13) and number nine Nahida Akhter (11) were other notable lower order contributors for Bangladesh in the day’s crucial match.
AJ Kenealy grabbed four Bangladesh wickets conceding 32 runs while KJH Grath took two for 24 runs.
In reply, hosts Irish women’s made a flying start scoring 52 runs in the opening stand by MF Kendal (23) and CNIM Joyce (35).
Later, captain and two down L Delany added another useful 53-ball 26 runs, but, finally they were all out for 96 runs in 37.5 overs against Bangladeshi spin attack by Rumana Ahmed and Khadija-Tul Kurba.
Rumana Ahmed’s spin attack destroyed Irish hope as she claimed three consecutive wickets of CJ Grath (0), CMA Shillington (0) and MV Waldron (0) to make the first hat-trick for the Bangladesh Women’s Cricket team.
Rumana claimed three wickets for 20 runs in her 7.5 overs spell with two maidens and was adjudged player of the match. Another spinner Khadija-Tul Kubra and Fahima Khatun took two wickets each giving away 20 and 13 runs respectively.
Earlier, in the curtailed 47-over-a-side 2nd ODI match on Friday, sent in to bat first, Ireland opened their innings to score 68 for no loss in 18 overs when the rain halted the and spoiled the match. The first ODI was washed out without a single ball being bowled on Thursday at the same venue.
Including this wash out, Bangladesh women side faced three successive washouts in their tour to Ireland for a two-match T20I and a three-match ODI series.
The 2nd T20I and 1st ODI of their series were washed out without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield consequence of persistent rain, both at Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason, Bready on September 6 and 8 respectively.
However, Bangladesh lost the 1st T20I by 6 runs against the host on September 5, also was a rain-hit and curtailed 10-over-a-side match that led Bangladesh to loss the two-match T20I series 0-1.
