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Sarkar, Mustafizur star in convincing eight wicket win for Bangladesh

by Manuj Sharma Friday 19 May 2017

Mustafizur Rahman (left) bowled a match winning spell

©REUTERS

Bangladesh 182-2 (Sarkar 87no) beat
Ireland 181 (Joyce 46) by eight wickets
Fourth match, Tri-Series, Dublin
Scorecard

Mustafizur Rahman picked a four-wicket haul while Soumya Sarkar played an unbeaten 87 run knock as Bangladesh chased down 182 runs against Ireland successfully with eight wickets in hand in the fourth match of the tri-series in Dublin.

Bangladesh won the toss and decided to field first. Ed Joyce returned back to the line-up replacing Simi Singh for Ireland while Sunzamul Islam made his debut for Bangladesh in the place of Mehedi Hasan.

Mustafizur (4-23) struck in the second over of the day when he had Paul Stirling (0) caught at short third man but William Porterfield (22) looked at his aggressive best when he hit three boundaries and a six in the first 16 deliveries.

Porterfield had a reprieve when he was dropped in the covers in the eighth over but was soon caught and bowled by Mosaddek Hossain (1-21) in the next over. Bangladesh reached 45 for two at the end of the first powerplay.

Shakib Al Hasan (1-38) went for 10 runs in his first over but bounced back strong to castle Andy Balbirnie (12) in his next over to leave Ireland reeling at 61 for three.

Niall O'Brien (30) counter-attacked the Bangladesh bowlers with a six and a four as he consolidated the innings with Ed Joyce (46) but both batsmen fell in successive overs bowled by Mustafizur and the debutant Sunzamul (2-22) respectively following which George Dockrell's (25) 50-ball contribution remained the saving grace for the hosts as they were bowled out for 181 in 46.3 overs.

Mustafizur was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with a four-wicket haul while Sunzamul and Mashrafe Mortaza (2-18) picked two wickets apiece.

In the chase, Tamim Iqbal (47) and Sarkar (87 not out) started positively scoring 33 runs in the first six overs following which the latter plundered two more boundaries and sixes to take the score to 69 for naught at the end of the first powerplay.

Just when Tamim also started to step up the accelerator, the 95-run opening stand when he was caught behind off Kevin O'Brien (1-22). Sarkar, who reached his fifty off 39 deliveries was dropped by Niall in the 20th over.

Bangladesh looked firm in control as Sarkar added another 76 run stand in the second wicket with Sabbir Rahman (35 not out) to put them in the course of victory.

Even though, Sabbir fell in the 25th over, Bangladesh coasted to a comfortable eight wicket win that they completed in 27.1 overs. Mustafizur bagged the man of the match award for his four-wicket haul.