Tamim Iqbal

Bangladesh has won their first World Cup match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur against Ireland.

The pitch at this match 9 of the WC was expected to be more helpful to the batsmen than the bowlers . Moreover the dew factor should have influenced the decision making for the captain winning the toss. However Shakib-Al-Hasan who won the toss decided to bat first, alleviating the dew factor, and thought it would be better to put runs on the board first so that their bowlers could then defend the target.

Boyd Rankin was the opening bowler for Ireland while Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes opened the innings for Bangladesh. Bangladesh started off brilliantly with a 53 run stand between the opening batsmen. Imrul Kayes was stumped at a score of 12. The next to go was Zunaid Siddique who was run out due to a casual piece of running on his part. Again while it seemed that a partnership was building Bangladesh lost Iqbal who was already well set at 44.

A Botha took a blinder of a catch of his own bowling to dismiss Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan. Mushfiqur Rahman and Roqibul Hasan took Bangladesh’s score to 146 when Rahman was dismissed at a score of 36.

The much volatile M Ashraful too could not do much and was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just 1 run. Roqibul(38) Hasan who was trying to hold on the innings was suddenly run out by White and Bangladesh was certainly in trouble at 159/6.Naeem Ul Islam (29) ,Abdur Razzak(11)  and a few others chipped in with scores but Bangladesh were finally all out for 205 in 49.2 overs.

Bangladesh had not performed with the bat as well as their captain would have liked them to and it was time for them to prove themselves with the ball.

Shafiul Islam opens the bowling for Bangladesh and is faced off well. So from the second over Bangla captain employs Abdur Razzak. To support him from the other end is another spinner Naeem Ul Islam.

Their plan works in the 6^th over when Razzak dismisses Stirling after Ireland had started off mediocrely well. Shakib Al Hasan brings himself on in the 10^th over and strikes with the first delivery sending Porterfield back to the pavilion. However Niall O Brien and Ed Joyce are resolute enough and offer quite a resistance. At the end of 18 overs Ireland were at 75/2.

However Ashraful who is brought back into the attack takes the wicket of Joyce and Bangladesh are back in the game. A fourth blow comes to the Irish team in the 24^th over when Ashraful takes his second wicket. Ireland was at 95 for 4 at this stage. Al Hasan picks up Ireland’s fifth wicket in the 28^th over with the help of a stunning catch from Iqbal and the crowd goes on its feet.

Again Ireland builds a partnership in the form of K O’Brien and Botha and take the total to 150/5 in 36 overs. However Shafiul Islam dismisses K o’ Brien and opens the doors again. Islam takes a second wicket of Botha in the 40^th over and Ireland is now in serious trouble. Islam is ecstatic when he takes Ireland’s ninth wicket in the 43^rd over with 25 runs still required for Ireland to win. It is only a matter of time when Islam picks his fourth wicket and Bangladesh wins the match.

In spite of Islam’s good performance Tamim Iqbal is awarded the Man of the Match award for his 44 which helped Bangladesh stage a competitive total.

Tags: Bangladesh, Cricket, Ireland, Man Of The Match, Mirpur, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Tamim Iqbal, World Cup