Islam catapults Bangladesh to 27-run victory

IRE vs BAN, 9th Match, Group B, Dhaka
IRE 178-all out (45.0 Ovs)
BAN 205 (49.2 Ovs)

Bangladesh, spearheaded by fast bowler Shafiul Islam, beat Ireland by 27 runs in the World Cup Group B match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

Bangladesh have really pulled out the rabbit out of the hat. They started off with the spinners and it paid rich dividends as they sent back the openers cheaply. None of the Irish batsmen got going and the Bangladeshi spinners continued to pile on the pressure. Kevin O Brien and Andre Botha strung together a good partnership, but Naeem Islam and Shafiul Islam broke the partnership and ran through the tail to complete a thrilling 27 run victory for the Tigers. This victory was their first against the Irish in all ICC tournaments and they have kept themselves alive in the competition.

Boyd Rankin, on three, is bamboozled by Shafiul Islam's slower delivery, and is caught at short mid-wicket as Ireland is dismissed for 178.

Bangladesh earlier scored 205 runs. The Bangladesh-team celebrates their 27-run victory.

Islam captured 4/21 in eight overs, the best bowling performance by a Bangladesh-bowler in a World Cup match.

It was a sweet revenge for Bangladesh, who lost by 74 runs to Ireland during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.


43rd over: Shafiul Islam takes his third wicket as he traps Trent Johnston in front for 5 and Ireland slips to 171/9. They need another 35 runs, but Islam's inspired spell has taken Bangldesh within striking distance of a famous come-from-behind victory.

41st over: Shafiul Islam produces a beautiful yorker with reverse swing and Andre Botha is bowled for 22 (36 balls, 3x4) as Ireland slips to 168/8. There is another 38 runs needed for a win, but Bangladesh is holding sway.

39th over: John Mooney tries to play an expansive shot and drags a delivery from the spinner Naeem Islam onto his stumps. He is gone for a duck. Ireland needs another 42 runs for victory with 62 balls left. Andre Botha, on 22, is fast running out of batting partners.

37th over: Kevin O' Brien, on 37, is caught on the square-leg boundary by the substitute, Shurawadi Shuvo, off Safiul Islam as he attempts another big shot. He scored 37, faced 40 balls and muscled three fours and a six. He was involved in a 41-run partnership with Andre Botha, on 12.

Ireland needs another 55 runs to win, and Bangladesh is hunting for four wickets.

33rd over: Kevin O' Brien and Andre Botha slams fourteen runs in an over by the off-spinner Mohammad Ashraful. O' Brien moves to 33 off 29 balls, including two fours in that Ashraful-over. Ireland moves to 140/5.

30th over: Andre Botha and Kevin O' Brien battle against the spin of Abdur Razzak and reach 117/5 after 30 overs. The spinners are really turning it, and Ireland needs another 89 runs to win it.

28th over: Niall O' Brien tries to muscle a delivery by Shakik Al Hasan over the mid-wicket boundary, but is brilliantly caught by a diving Tamim Iqbal for 38 (52 balls, 3x4) as Ireland slips to 110/5.

Tamim celebrates wildly and the crowd is in raptures. This could be the turning point, although Kevin O' Brien, on thirteen, is looking in good nick. Ireland is chasing the Bangladesh-target of 205.

25th over: Mohammad Ashraful bowls Andrew White through the proverbial gate between bat and pad for 10 and Ireland slips to 92/4. Niall O' Brien is still there on 34, but Ireland is in trouble.

The ball is starting to turn prodigiously, with both the off-spinner Ashraful and Shakib Al Hasan troubling the batsmen.

19th over: Ed Joyce, on 16, tries to turn a delivery from the spinner Mohammad Ashraful to mid-wicket, but gets a leading edge and is caught and bowled for 16. Ireland is reduced to 75/3, with another 131 runs needed for victory.

18th over: Nial O' Brien drives Rubel Hossain through extra-cover for a boundary, one of the shots of the day. He moves to 27, while Ed Joyce is on 16. Ireland moves to 75/2, with another 131 runs needed to win it. Bangladesh scored 205 in 49.2 overs.

15th over:Ed Joyce and Niall O' Brien prefer to play cautiously against the spin of Mohammad Ashraful, carefully nurtuing the ball through the inner rings for singles without playing risky shots. Ireland moves to 62/2 after fifteen overs, with another 144 runs needed for victory. Joyce has ten and O' Brien twenty.

12th over:Niall O' Brien, on 11, and Ed Joyce, on 8, soldier on, as Ireand reaches 50/2 in that over, bowled by Mohammad Ashraful. O' Brien has slammed two early boundaries and looks to take the attack to the spinners of Bangladesh.

10th over: William Porterfield plays too early and hits it straight to Raqibul Hasan at short mid-wicket off Shakib al Hasan. He is gone for 20, and Ireland slips to 36/2. It was Shakib's first delivery of his first spell.

It is a good sign for Bangladesh, as Shakib is a world-class spinner, and he has tasted early success.


6th over: Paul Stirling tries to hit a full delivery by the spinner Abdur Razzaq, and the ball slips through to the wicketkeeper, Mushfiqur Rahim. He reacts like lightnining with Stirling just temporarily out of his ground, and removes the bails. Stirling is gone for 9 and Ireland slips to 23/1. Bangladesh managed 205 in their fifty overs.

3rd over: William Porterfield, with 10, and Paul Stirling, yet to open his account, have steadily guided Ireland to 11/0 after three overs. Earlier, Bangladesh scored 205 runs in their alloted 50 overs.

Bangladesh innings wrap: Ireland, spearheaded by Andre Botha, strangled Bangladesh and reduced them to 205 in their Group B World Cup match at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

Bangladesh started like a house on fire and was handily placed on 53/0 after 6.2 overs.

But they could not capitalize on their explosive start.

After Imrul Kayes was stumped expertly by Nyall O’ Brien off John Mooney for 12, the complexion of the match changed.

Tamim Iqbal perished shortly afterward when he was caught at point by the captain, William Porterfield for 44 (43 balls, 7x4) as Bangladesh slipped to 68/3.

Mooney, Botha and the slow bowler George Dockrell changed the pace of the innings. Botha and Mooney used clever variations of pace, the off-cutter and discipline to frustrate the Bangladesh batsmen on an extremely slow track.

Iqbal flayed the bowling to all parts of the ground early on, but once Botha took centre stage, he strangled the batsmen.

He finished with 3/32 from nine overs.

Dockrell captured 2/23 in ten overs and removed Mushfiqur Rahim (36, 66 balls, 1x4) and Mohammed Ashraful in similar fashion, caught at short fine leg.

Rahim and Shaqibal Hasan (38, 69 balls, 1x4) featured in a slow 61-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

But the soft dismissal of Rahim off a bad sweep shot in an attempt to hit a boundary off Dockrell, triggered a mini-collapse.

The Bangladesh team suffered a mid-innings wobble and collapsed from 147/4 to 170/8.

The lack of discipline and the inability to use a Plan B once their flair and fearless stroke play did not materialize, was at the heart of their struggle on a slow pitch that seems to suit the Ireland-attack more than the Bangladesh top-order.

Trent Johnston finished the innings off in style and captured 2/40 in 8.2 overs. Naeem Islam slammed a couple of attractive boundaries and reached 29 off 38 balls before he was caught at short fine leg by Dockrell off Johnston.

The Irish fielding was excellent throughout, and they played with passion and determination.

Dockrell is an 18-year old left-arm spinner, but his line was immaculate, and he got bounce and quite some spin against the dangerous top- and middle-order of Bangladesh.