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| Tamim's maiden ton charges Bangladesh to series win |
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Tamim Iqbal's maiden ODI century allowed Bangladesh to complete a clean sweep against Ireland. Tamim's 129, the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi in ODIs, was complemented by breezy knocks from opener Shariar Nafees and Mahmudullah as the hosts galloped to 293. For Ireland, Niall O'Brien offered the lone resistance with a 73-ball 70 but it only delayed the inevitable.
Choosing to bat, Bangladesh were off to a flier with Nafees being the early aggressor, taking four fours off Kevin O'Brien's first two overs. Tamim soon cut loose as well and was given a life in the 12th over when Andre Botha shelled a return catch. Ireland pulled things back as medium-pacer Alex Cusack bowled a double-wicket maiden and Bangladesh soon found themselves at 179 for 5 after 37 overs, having slipped from 105 without loss.
With wickets tumbling at the other end, Tamim soldiered on, moving smoothly towards his century. Mahmudullah played a superb hand, clobbering 49 off 44, and the pair put on 82 from just 10.5 overs. Tamim was finally dismissed with the score at 260, after an excellent knock which featured 15 fours and a six. Mashrafe Mortaza also swung his bat around to push Bangladesh to their second-highest score in one-dayers and virtually shut Ireland out of the match.
Ireland got off to a promising start, reaching 34 in a little more than seven overs before a series of run-outs derailed the chase. William Porterfield, the opener, was the first to be dismissed, stranded by a sharp effort from Abdur Razzak before Reinhardt Strydom joined hands with Niall to provide momentum to the chase. But at 126 for 3, Strydom fell and Bangladesh tightened the noose with three more run-outs as Ireland slumped to 154 for 7.
© Cricinfo
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| Reza bowls Bangladesh to series win |
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A five-wicket haul by the right-arm medium pacer Farhad Reza, backed by restrictive spells by the left-arm spinners, shot out Ireland for 162 as Bangladesh claimed an 84-run victory in the second one-dayer at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium and sealed the series 2-0 with one left to play. Set a target of 247, Andre Botha and Alex Cusack stabilised the chase with a half-century stand before a sudden burst of wickets by Reza saw Ireland crashing from 144 for 5 to 147 for 9. It was a complete all-round performance by the home side, fashioned by half-centuries by Shahriar Nafees and Aftab Ahmed before the bowlers sent Ireland crashing.
Ireland's openers Reinhardt Strydom and William Porterfield began steadily, adding 42 before Reza and the left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak struck with three quick wickets. After Razzak trapped Strydom in front, Reza sent back Eoin Morgan and Porterfield - both caught while trying to clear the infield on the offside - off successive deliveries. A stand of 36 by the O'Brien brothers - Kevin and Niall - lifted the visitors before the pair succumbed to the left-arm spin of Shakib Al Hasan.
Ireland had lost half their side for 92, but Cusack and Botha presided over their side's best passage of play, adding 52 in just over ten overs. Botha set the pace with a quick 34 off 36 balls before spooning a full toss back to Reza. Trent Johnston fell soon after, bowled by Razzak, before Cusack fell in the next over, trapped in front by Reza. Bangladesh moved in for the kill as Reza picked up his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, bowling Greg Thompson. Razzak claimed the final wicket of Dave Langford-Smith to finish with figures of 3 for 27 to complement Reza's demolition job.
A significant factor in Bangladesh's thumping victory was the fact that the batsmen managed to bat out 50 overs, something they have struggled to do recently. Nafees and Aftab set the tone with half-centuries before a late-innings surge by Mashrafe Mortaza propelled the score close to the 250-mark.
The openers, Tamim Iqbal and Nafees, dropped anchor with a 94-run stand and ensured against early setbacks. Tamim, a naturally aggressive player, played out 85 balls for his 46 and looked set for a half-century: he took on Dave Langford-Smith in the 26th over and launched him over the deep midwicket boundary, but the bowler had the last laugh the next ball as Tamim holed out to Kevin. Ireland had waited a long time for their first breakthrough, and the hard work continued as Nafees and Aftab added 41 for the second wicket.
Aftab made up for his failure in the first ODI with a half-century, coming off 51 balls, which included a six off Botha over midwicket. He then launched legspinner Thompson for another six over long-on before falling to a mis-timed pull to Johnston at square leg. His 61 came off 57 balls and set the platform for a sizeable score.
Nafees followed up his half-century from the first game with another, this time compiling a patient 60 off 92 balls before he was run-out, attempting a risky second run. Aftab and Mohammad Ashraful propped the innings with the highest partnership of the match, 64, for the third wicket, before Ireland clawed back with quick wickets.
Langford-Smith accounted for Reza and Shakib in quick succession to set Bangladesh back at 211 for 5, before Ashraful fell for a run-a-ball 38 to Botha with the score at 223. Mortaza's cameo of 26 from 15 balls, which included three fours and a six, pushed his side close to the 250-mark. Langford-Smith, who finished with 3 for 43, was Ireland's most successful bowler.
The third one-dayer on Saturday, also in Mirpur, gives Ashraful the ideal opportunity to claim a series sweep and bring more smiles to his supporters who've seen nothing but defeat in all forms of the game in the last few months.
© Cricinfo
Posted by Abrar Ahmed, Thu Mar 20, 2008 @ 11:54 AM 0 Comments |
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| Nafees and Ashraful seal big win |
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Shahriar Nafees struck a fluent unbeaten 90 while Mohammad Ashraful signalled his return to form with 64 not out as Bangladesh avenged their 2007 World Cup loss to Ireland with a convincing eight-wicket win in Mirpur. More importantly for Bangladesh, it was their first ODI victory after a run of 14 losses and the under-fire Ashraful's first as captain.
Bangladesh were off to a blazing start with Tamim Iqbal blasting two successive boundaries through the covers off seamer Kevin O'Brien. Nafees, after picking a couple of runs off the first delivery that he faced, cut Dave Langford-Smith past point to get his innings going. Langford-Smith drew first blood for Ireland in the fifth over, as Tamim sliced the ball to Greg Thompson at point. Nafees did not let that affect his intent, striking three fours in a single over bowled by Langford-Smith, who, despite an early wicket, struggled to maintain a consistent line.
Trent Johnson, the Ireland captain, found success in his first over when Aftab Ahmed drove straight to Reinhardt Strydom at mid-on. The Bangladesh batsmen were once again showing signs of ineptitude, similar to their performance against South Africa, but the arrival of Ashraful brought calm to the proceedings. Ashraful, having made 45 runs in five innings, took 13 balls to get off the mark with a cut through backward point as Andre Botha pitched one wide. He then cut Johnston through the covers first ball off the next over.
In the mean time, Nafees, who was looking solid at the crease, brought up his fifty off 75 balls when he glanced Kyle McCallan down the leg side for two. Nafees and Ashraful adopted a steady approach against the spin combine of McCallan and Thompson, and were content with the singles and twos. Ashraful reached fifty with a quick single off Thompson, and four balls later, Nafees rocked back and cut the same bowler past the covers to bring up the century stand.
With a win all but inevitable, the pair opened out against Langford-Smith in the 37th over: Ashraful played two identical cover drives and Nafees followed suit with a superb off-drive. Nafees then whipped Alex Cusack through midwicket to seal victory with 61 balls to spare.
Earlier, the Bangladesh bowlers, led by three wickets from Mashrafe Mortaza, who received the Man-of-the-Match award, restricted Ireland to 185 for 7. The spin quartet did well to keep Ireland down to 115 for 6 till the 35th over before a lower-order revival by Cusack and Johnston gave the visitors a more respectable total.
Mortaza, the lone seamer, set Ireland back by dismissing the openers - both edged to the 'keeper, Dhiman Ghosh. Niall O'Brien, Ireland's in-form player, began in earnest with two fours and a six but failed to carry on after making a start, driving straight to Farhad Reza at cover. Eoin Morgan and Kevin staged a recovery of sorts with a stand of 38 for the fourth wicket before Morgan played all over a yorker from Reza. Kevin fell soon after - trapped on the sweep to Shakib Al Hasan - and Ireland were in trouble at 97 for 5.
Following Botha's run-out four overs later, Johnston and Cusack added 65 to prop Ireland. Cusack played a patient knock of 38 off 61 balls before falling victim to Mortaza in the final over, who finished with an impressive 3 for 22, including four maidens. Johnston remained unbeaten on 31.
© Cricinfo
Posted by Abrar Ahmed, Thu Mar 20, 2008 @ 11:54 AM 0 Comments |
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| Fri Apr 26, 2024 |
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| Do u believe Ashraful Has the talent to captain Bangladesh? |
Results |
Yes |
| | 0.0% | |
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No |
| | 5.7% | 2 votes |
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Maybe |
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I dont know who Ashraful is |
| | 0.0% | |
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Haven't Voted Yet |
| | 94.3% | 33 remain |
Total Votes: 2
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| ** This is an anonymous survey. |
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