Bangladesh A draw 2-2 with Ireland A

FT ONLINE

Bangladesh ‘A’ conceded an eight-wicket defeat against host Ireland ‘A’ in the series decider fifth unofficial ODI at Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin on Friday to see a evenly-contested 2-2 draw. 

Ireland ‘A’ got a 34-run victory in the third game to level the series while Bangladesh ‘A’ made the fifth match as decider, having an emphatic 85-run win in the fourth game where visiting side captain Mominul Haque’s 182 of 133-ball to post the series highest total of386/4 and the bowlers restricted Ireland at 301/10.

On the final day, Andrew Balbirnie hit unbeaten century of 144-balls 160*, including 18 boundaries and two sixes, on the way home victory with a score of 285 for 2 in 46.4 overs as Bangladesh posted 283 for 8 in 50 overs, opting bat after winning the toss.

Andy McBrine [89 off 103b; 9x4] was removed from the 2nd wicket on 229/2 in 39.3 overs as he was caught by Zakir Hasan off Sunzamul Islam, starting after the dismissal of opener James Shannon on 32/1 in 5.1 overs.

Shariful Islam (1/45) and Sunzamul Islam (1/56) were the wicket takers for Bangladesh.

Irish pace bowler Peter Chase (5/42) was the main destroyer in Bangladesh innings where Fazle Mahmud [74 off 63b; 7x4] and wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Mithun [run-a-ball-73; 9x4] could cross fifty runs marks and both shared 76 off 11.3 overs in the 5th wicket to reach the team total to a 200 in 39.2 overs.

Fazle Mahmud and Mithun started from 124/4 in 27.5 overs after the dismissal of another notable scorer Mominul [46 off 62b; 2x4; 1x6].

Number-7 batsman Al-Amin [22], opener Mizanur Rahman [20], Nazmul Hossain Shanto [15] and Zakir Hasan [10] were the other double digit scorers for Bangladesh.

Graham Kennedy (1/45), Simi Singh (1/43) and Jonathan Garth (1/54) equally shared three wickets for the winners.

Both sides will play a three-match unofficial T20I series, starting on August 13.