Sport

Bangladesh are serious obstacle to Irish hopes

CRICKET/Under-19 World Cup: Brían O'Rourke stopped short of using the cliche "one match at a time", but that was the gist of…

Wed Feb 20 2008 - 00:00

CRICKET/Under-19 World Cup:Brían O'Rourke stopped short of using the cliche "one match at a time", but that was the gist of his message as he looked forward to encounters with Bangladesh and Bermuda over the next two days that will shape Ireland's destiny in the Under-19 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

"It's going to be a tough one to approach mentally," O'Rourke said, "because our priority in this tournament is to establish Ireland as the leading non-Test playing country and to do that we really must beat Bermuda on Thursday.

"At the same time, we know we are very much underdogs against Bangladesh. But what we can't do is go into the first game in a negative frame of mind, not believing we can win and taking it easy.

"To my mind Bangladesh are certainly beatable here. They were 130 for five against Bermuda on Monday and would have been six-down but for a dropped catch. We need to get them in that sort of position again and keep the pressure on."

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Ireland's disappointing total of 109 against England in their opening match looked a little better yesterday when the Group D leaders dismissed Bermuda for only 55 before easing to another 10-wicket victory to all but assure their place in the Super Series quarter-finals.

Bangladesh, who beat Bermuda by 178 runs on Monday, will join them in the final stages if they avoid defeat at the Bayuemas Oval today, leaving Ireland and Bermuda desperate to avoid last place in Group D and an opening Plate match next week against a Test-playing nation, probably the West Indies. The team finishing third will have easier opponents in Papua New Guinea.

Ireland received a boost last night with the news that James Hall has recovered sufficiently from his calf injury to play in the back-to-back matches.

IRELAND (v Bangladesh, from): Greg Thompson (capt), Ben Ackland, Andrew Balbirnie, Andrew Britton, Christopher Dougherty, Shane Getkate, James Hall, Richard Keaveney, Theo Lawson, Graham McDonnell, Gavin McKenna, Lee Nelson, Stuart Poynter (wkt), James Shannon, Paul Stirling.

Schedule: Today: Ireland v Bangladesh; Tomorrow: Ireland v Bermuda; February 24th - March 2nd: Super Series; February 24th - March 1st: Plate competition.