The Bangladesh Emerging Team kept visiting Ireland Wolves win-less in the series after clinching a 30-run victory in the lone T20 match on Tuesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur.
Earlier, the hosts won the solitary four-day game by an innings and 23-run margin before inflicting a 4-0 defeat on the Irish side in five-match one-day series. The first one-day was called off after an Irish player Ruhan Pretorius was found Covid-19 positive.
Pretorius’s positive result left the series in uncertain state but much to the delight, all of the players, staff and stakeholders of the series including Pretorius himself returned negative, just a day after that incident. Therefore the series went as planned.
Bangladesh won the first one-day by four wickets, second by six wickets, third by eight wickets before clinching a hard-fought five-run victory in the fifth game.
Being sent to bat first, Bangladesh Emerging team compiled a hefty 184-7 in 20 overs before wrapping Ireland Wolves innings up to 154 in 18.1 overs.
Towhid Hridoy blasted 35 ball-58, hitting seven fours and one six to play the vital role in the victory. Skipper Saif Hassan made 48 off 36, that included five fours and one six.
Bangladesh had a disastrous start as they lost Anisul Islam Emon (0) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (8) before Saif and Yasir Ali, who scored 22, steadied the innings.
After Yasir’s dismissal, Towhid Hridoy played his shots at will to take the side in a position of dominance. Shamim Patwari also took some lusty blow on Irish bowlers, hammering 28 off 11 with four towering sixes.
Peter Chase claimed 2-36 for Ireland Wolves while Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, Shane Getkate and Mark Adair picked up one wicket apiece.
For Ireland Wolves, most of the batsmen got the start but none could make it bigger to challenge Bangladesh Emerging Team. Lorcan Tucker was the highest scorer for the side with 38 while Stephen Dhoney made 29. Shane Getkate contributed with 26 (not out) while captain Harry Tector chipped-in- with 22.
Fast bowler Sumon Khan was the wrecker-in-chief in Irish innings with 4-28. He was ably supported by Tanvir Islam and Aminul Islam who both grabbed two wickets apiece. Captain Saif Hassan and Shamim Patwari bagged one wicket each.
The T20 series originally was a two-match series but it was cut short to one match. The Covid-19 related restrictions in Ireland about their transit country on the flight back home forced them to reduce the length of the tour basically.
