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Download PDF Opener Tamim Iqbal slammed his maiden one-day hundred as Bangladesh completed a clean sweep against Ireland with a 79-run victory in the third and final match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
The visitors’ hope to finish the series with some solace all but evaporated when the Tigers piled up 293 for seven, their second highest score in the shorter-version after a 301-7 against Kenya, after deciding to bat.
In reply to the mammoth target, the Irish were never in the game and they lost wickets at regular intervals, interestingly four of them fell victims to run outs, before being bundled out for 214 in 45.3 overs.
The lone resistance came from Niall O’Brien who struck a 73-ball 70, but it was not good enough to stop the Tigers from securing their sixth one-day series whitewash. With the success Mohammed Ashraful’s boys not only avenged their last World Cup defeat against Ireland but also continued their supremacy over the ICC associates.
The home side put their opponents under a pile of runs thanks to a 109-run opening stand between Tamim and Shahriar Nafees, who signaled his return to form with three consecutive half-centuries to be adjudged man-of-the-series.
Bangladesh made a flying start with Nafees taking the early charge with four boundaries off Kevin O’Brien’s first two overs and they lost the first wicket when Nafees offered a simple catch to Ryan Strydom at mid-on for a breezy 56-ball 54 that contained nine fours.
Tamim however played sensibly during his 136-ball 129, the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi after Shakib Al Hasan’s unbeaten 134. His knock saw 15 fours and a six.
The left-hander must however thank Andre Botha, who spurned a simple return catch when he was on 30, to reach the three-digit in his 27th appearance.
The dashing Tamim executed a brilliant cover drive and then sliced a wide delivery of pacer Trent Johnston to become the sixth Bangladeshi batsman to score a hundred in the over-limit game after Mehrab Hossain, Mohammad Ashraful, Nafees, Rajin Saleh and Shakib.
Bangladesh suddenly lost their batting momentum when medium-pacer Alex Cusack bowled a double-wicket maiden to send back Nafees and Aftab Ahmed and they soon found themselves at 179 for 5 after 37 overs.
Mahmudullah Riyad joined Tamim to share 82 runs for the sixth wicket to put up the formidable total on the board.
Riyad remained not out on 49 off 44 balls with the help of four boundaries.
Ireland got off to a positive start by making 33 runs in the first five overs before a series of run outs derailed the chase. And it was also left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib who tightened the noose around the tourists in the middle by taking two wickets each.
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