Sport

Ireland open qualifying campaign with defeat to Bangladesh

Eimear Richardson’s fightback with the bat not enough to see Ireland over the line in Abu Dhabi

Eimear Richardson's (middle) efforts with the bat were not enough to claw Ireland over the line. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Eimear Richardson's (middle) efforts with the bat were not enough to claw Ireland over the line. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Nathan Johns
Sun Sept 18 2022 - 19:57

Bangladesh (143-4, 20 overs) (Nigar Sultana 67; Eimear Richardson 1-20) beat Ireland (129 all out, 19.4 overs) (Eimear Richardson 40; Salma Khatun 3-19) by 14 runs. Full scorecard here.

Ireland began their T20 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 14-run defeat to Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. In the clash between the two favourites to top Group A, the result leaves Ireland likely needing two wins out of two in their remaining matches against Scotland and USA in order to progress and keep their World Cup hopes alive.

For all the good form and resultant praise of Ireland’s revamped top four, the one potential consequence of moving Orla Prendergast up the order was highlighted in Sunday’s defeat as the lower order could not keep up with the required rate once Gaby Lewis and Prendergast departed cheaply and the fightback from Laura Delany, Amy Hunter and Eimear Richardson fell short.

In pursuit of Bangladesh’s 143-4, Hunter was forced into a rebuilding partnership with Delany, with both players’ strike rates reflecting that after Lewis swept one onto her stumps on her first ball faced and Prendergast nicked off to Salma Khatun.

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Hunter departed for 33 off 32, Delany 28 off 30, the duo combining for five boundaries but the scoreboard pressure and climbing required rate necessitated an innings with more impetus from those lower down the order. Richardson provided it with 40 off 26 including four boundaries and a maximum, but when she was run out looking for a second no batter after her reached double figures, Ireland’s innings ending when the 10th wicket fell in the 20th over.

In the first innings, Bangladesh’s Nigar Sultana did the damage with the bat, flaying 10 boundaries and clearing the ropes once to end up with 67 at a strike-rate of 126. Shamima Sultana combined with her to put on 62 for the third wicket as Ireland struggled to chip away with regular dismissals, Eimear Richardson the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1-20 off her four overs.

Ireland have a chance to bounce back immediately on Monday against a USA outfit that was bowled out for just 51 on Monday evening.

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns is an Irish Times journalist