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Bangladesh crush Ireland by 183 Runs in 1st ODI
Bangladesh secured their biggest win in terms of runs beating Ireland by 183 runs in the first ODI of the three-match series on Saturday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Shakib Al Hasan and debutant Towhid Hridoy played crucial innings to help Bangladesh secure their biggest win. The pair put up an impressive 135-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Shakib scoring 93 off 89 balls and Hridoy making 92 off 85 balls. Their partnership laid the foundation for a challenging total of 338/8, which proved too much for Ireland to chase down.
Towhid’s 92 is now the best innings by a Bangladeshi in debut.
Ebadot Hossain was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking four crucial wickets for just 42 runs in his 6.5 overs— his best performance in ODIs.
After winning the toss, Ireland sent Bangladesh to bat first aiming to restrict them to a chasable total on a sunny day.
Bangladesh started their innings with a loss as Tamim Iqbal was caught by Paul Stirling off Mark Adair for just three runs in the third over. Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto tried to stabilise the innings, but both fell to Andy McBrine and Curtis Campher respectively, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 81/3 in the 16th over.
However, Shakib and Towhid then took charge of the innings and put up an impressive 135-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Shakib scored a brilliant 93 off 89 balls, including nine fours, while Hridoy made 92 off 85 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes.
Mushfiqur Rahim then came in and added quick runs to the board, scoring 44 off just 26 balls with three fours and three sixes. Taskin Ahmed and Yasir Ali also contributed with 11 and 17 runs respectively, as Bangladesh finished with a challenging total of 338/8— their highest-ever total in ODIs in their 50 overs.
For Ireland, Graham Hume was the most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 60 runs. Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, and Campher also took a wicket each.
In their chase, Ireland got off to a decent start as opener Stephen Doheny scored 34 off 38 balls with four fours and a six.
However, the rest of the Ireland batters struggled against the Bangladeshi bowlers. Paul Stirling was dismissed by Ebadot for 22, while Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker fell to Hossain and Taskin Ahmed respectively, leaving Ireland reeling at 73/4 in the 15th over.
Curtis Campher tried to revive Ireland's innings with a quickfire 16 off 17 balls, but he was dismissed by Nasum Ahmed. George Dockrell top-scored for Ireland with 45 runs off 47 balls, hitting six fours, but he failed to get any support from the other end as Ireland kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Ebadot was the best bower for Bangladesh, taking four wickets for 42 runs. Nasum Ahmed also impressed with his spin bowling, picking up three wickets for 43 runs in his eight overs.
Ireland was eventually bowled out for just 155 runs in 30.5 overs, falling short of the target by a massive 183 runs. This was Bangladesh's biggest win in terms of runs in ODI cricket, and they will look to carry this momentum into the rest of the series.
Towhid, the debutant, won the player of the match award for his outstanding innings. But he said it hurt him as he failed to hit the ton just for eight runs.
“It's disappointing that I missed out on a century, but I'm still happy with my performance and the good start to my career,” said Towhid. “Batting with Shakib was a great experience as he gave me some valuable suggestions and inspired me. I just focused on executing my plan and it worked out well.”
Asia Cup Archery: Bangladesh to battle for mixed team event gold on Sunday
Bangladesh team will battle for the gold medal of the recurve mixed team event of the 2023 Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament, Stage-1 in the Chinese Taipei on Sunday.
Bangladesh mixed doubles pair Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Diya Siddiqui will play the gold medal deciding final natch against Kazakhstan rivals on Monday at 2:52 pm local time.
Besides, Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Diya Siddiqui will also compete in the bronze medal match of the recurve men's singles and recurve women's singles, also on Sunday.
Diya Siddiqui will play a Malaysian archer in the 3rd place deciding bronze medal match at 3:12 pm local time while Hakim Ahmed Rubel will face a Kazakh archer in the 3:43 local time on Sunday.
Earlier, a nine member Bangladesh National Archery team, comprises comprises six archers and three officials, left the capital for Chinese Taipei last Tuesday to compete in seven events out of the tournament's ten events.
Bangladesh's participating seven events are: recurve men's singles, recurve women's singles, recurve men's team, recurve mixed team, compound men' s singles, compound women's singles and compound mixed team.
Members of Bangladesh team: Mohamnad Hakim Ahmed Rubel, M Sagor Islam, Ram Krishna Saha (recurve men's archer), Diya Siddiqui (recurve women's archer), Mohammad Ashiquzzaman (compound men's archer) and Shymoli Rai (compound women's archer).
Officials: Aynal Haque Swapan (team manager), Martin Frederick ( head coach) and Mohammad Hasan (coach).
Bangabandhu Cup Kabaddi: Bangladesh emerges unbeaten group champions beating Iraq 49-33
Holders Bangladesh emerged Group A champions in the Bangabandhu Cup'2023 International Kabaddi Tournament with all-win record beating Iraq by 49-33 point at the Shaheed Noor Hossain Volleyball Stadium here on Saturday.
Bangladesh led the first half by 28-13 point.
With the day's feat, Bangladesh made it five in five to clinch the top slot of Group A securing full 10 points from straight five matches and will play Group B runners up in the first semifinal at 4pm on Monday.
Formidable Iraq took the court on Saturday afternoon with three back to back wins, but conceded their first defeat in the meet against last two times champions hosts Bangladesh.
However, they still in the semifinal race from Group B securing six points from four matches and will play England in the remaining Group B match on Sunday to assure the semifinal berth.
In the day's vital match, Bangladesh had a slow start but gradually regained the rhythm with overall teamwork.
.The first five minutes saw some neck to neck duels but Bangladesh inflicted the first Lona (all out) in the sixth minute.
Experienced raider Arduzzaman initiated efficient attacks while Tuhin Tarafder and Mizanur Rahman was witty in their raids.
Iraq skipper Sabir Aloi Sari made some headache for Bangladesh defence with his height and long limbed kicks.
In the 16th minute, Bangladesh was reduced to three against Iraq’s seven. But a super raid of Mizanur Rahman saw three Iraqi players out and three Bangladesh players back into the court.
After the change of ends, Bangladesh concentrated upon maintaining the lead with cautious approach. Iraq tried hard but failed to overcome the tactical net of the hosts.
Tuhin Tarafder and Arduzzaman both scored nine points each but Tuhin was grabbed the glittering trophy and the purse of BDT 10000 allocated for the Man of the Match.
In the day's other match, Chinese Taipei took a solo lead in the Group B of the Tournament beating all losers Malaysia by 79-34 point at the same venue on Saturday.
Chen Chi Chih Chang was adjudged Man of the Match.
With the day's well merited victory, Chinese Taipei completed their Group B campaign in the top slot securing eight points from all the five group encounters.
But, the Chinese Taipei still have to wait for their semifinal slot as Sri Lanka and Thailand both also have six points and one match to play.
Towhid shines on debut as Bangladesh post record total against Ireland
Right-handed batter Towhid Hridoy made a stunning ODI debut against Ireland on Saturday at the picturesque Sylhet International Stadium, scoring a brilliant 92 off 85 balls. His performance helped Bangladesh post their highest total in ODI history, finishing at 338 for eight.
Towhid fell just short of a century, missing out by eight runs, while Shakib Al Hasan was also denied a hundred, falling seven runs short. After losing three early wickets for 83 runs, Towhid and Shakib put on a partnership of 135 runs for the fourth wicket.
Thanks to their excellent batting display, which was boosted by Mushfqiur Rahim's quickfire 44 off just 26 deliveries, Bangladesh posed a formidable challenge for Ireland.
Also Read: Shakib Al Hasan reaches 7000-run milestone in ODIs
Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and chose to bowl first. Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal failed to lead from the front, departing early after being caught by Paul Stirling off the bowling of Adair for just 3 runs. Litton Das followed shortly after, attempting to build a partnership with Najmul Hossain Shanto. They put on a cautious 49-run stand before Das was caught by Stirling off Curtis Campher's bowling for 26.
Shanto, who had been playing a steady innings, was dismissed by McBrine after scoring 25 runs.
Shakib then took control of the innings, playing an impressive knock of 93 from just 89 balls, including nine fours, at a strike rate of 104.49. He and Towhid shared a crucial 135-run partnership, with Towhid himself playing a superb innings of 92 from 85 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes.
Mushfiqur added quick runs to the total, smashing 44 off just 26 balls, including three fours and three sixes. His onslaught helped Bangladesh reach a formidable score, but he was eventually caught by McBrine off Hume's bowling.
At the tail end of the innings, Taskin Ahmed hit a quick-fire 11 before being caught by Adair off Hume's bowling. Yasir Ali also contributed well with his 10-ball 17.
For Ireland, Graham Hume was the most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 60 runs. Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, and Campher also took a wicket each.
Ireland have never won an ODI chasing a total of 338 or more. Their highest second-innings total in ODI is 329, which they scored against England in 2011.
SAFGR’s Independence Day Golf Tournament begins on Sunday
A two-day ‘Independence Day Golf Tournament, with the participation of Golfing Rotarians from home and abroad, begins on Sunday (March 19) at the Savar Golf Course
Rotary’s Past District Governor in India Parag Sheth, the founding chair of the South Asian Fellowship for Golfing Rotarians (SAFGR), will be the guest of honour to inaugurate the tournament at the Savar Golf Club on Sunday.
The SAFGR, a platform of Rotarians who play golf in South Asia, is organizing the tournament with much enthusiasm as a gesture of remembering the
1971 war heroes and celebrating the country's Independence earned through a hard-fought war against Pakistan.
But, the final day of the tournament will take place at Kurmitola Golf Course in Dhaka Cantonment on Monday.
Rotarian Engr. M.A. Wahab, Rotary’s incumbent District Governor in Bangladesh, will chair the closing and prize giving ceremony at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
Read more: YU Young-oh wins first prize at 39th Korean Cup Golf Tournament
Rotarian Shafiqul Islam, SAFGR’s Bangladesh chief and a freedom fighter, said on Saturday that at least 15 golfing Rotarians from India and Nepal have arrived in Dhaka to join the tournament while a number of Bangladeshi golfing Rotarians will also take part in the competition.
“Rotarians work for humanity. In Bangladesh some 10,000 Rotarians are engaged in various social work. But they also play golf, cricket and other games. As the Independence Day is knocking our door we have planned to remember the war heroes through this tournament,” Shafiqul, who is also a former President of Rotary Club of Uttara, said.
“This tournament, I am sure, will also strengthen friendship among the Rotarians from other South Asian countries including India and Nepal,” he said.
SAFGR Golfers who are joining from India and Nepal are Asish Sen, Gp Capt RS Raghav, Justice JK Ranka, Yogesh Gupta, Ramesh Kumar Kakkar, Kamal Bordia, Parag Sheth, Bhai Raja Pabday, Uday Narayan, Athmaram Simkhada, Ajoy Nongrum, RR Panday, JP Tiwary.
Shakib Al Hasan reaches 7000-run milestone in ODIs
Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has completed 7000 runs in ODIs.
He achieved the milestone during the first ODI of the three-match series against Ireland in Sylhet today, when he scored 24 runs.
Shakib took 228 matches and 216 innings to score 7000 runs in ODIs, becoming the second Bangladeshi batsman after Tamim Iqbal to reach this feat.
Read more: BAN vs IRE 1st ODI 2023: Match Preview
During his ODI career, Shakib has scored nine centuries and 52 half-centuries, and has also taken 300 wickets in the same format.
In addition, Shakib is the third player to score over 7000 runs and take 300 or more wickets in ODIs, after Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka and Shahid Afridi of Pakistan.
Ireland won the toss in the first match of the series and opted to bat first. In Sylhet, Bangladesh played four ODIs earlier and won all of those matches.
Read More: Bangladesh vs Ireland Series 2023 Preview: Schedule, Fixtures, Team
Bangabandhu Cup Kabaddi: Bangladesh reach semis beating England
Defending champions Bangladesh smartly reached the semifinals of the 12-nation Bangabandhu Cup' 2023 International Kabaddi with all-win run outplaying England by 55-27 points in their 4th group match at the Shaheed Noor Hossain Volleyball Stadium Friday afternoon
Bangladesh led the first half by 29-10 points..With the day's well merited victory, last two times champions Bangladesh clearly dominated the Group A securing full eight points from straight matches and will face Iraq in their last and group deciding match on Saturday.
Captain Tuhin Tarafder started Bangladesh journey with a point in the very first raid of the match giving a clear message to England in the very beginning about Bangladesh’s intention.
But, Bangladesh received a severe blow in the very 5th minute when two reliable players Roman Hossain and Rasel Hasan collided with each during a catch attempt and had to leave the court with forehead injuries.
Bangladesh earned the first Lona in the 13th minute. The other Lona in the first half happened in the 17th minute.
Bangladesh’s dominating approach never allowed England to settle as Al Amin and Mizanur Rahman continued to explore the opponent territory regularly with success.
Bangladesh earned another two Lona’s in the second half.
Mizanur scored 14 points in the day's match taking his total individual points to 54 points in four matches.
Later, Mizanur was adjudged man of the match.
After the match, skipper Tuhin Tarafder paid tribute to the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and vowed to continue the winning streak.
“I dedicate the victory to our father of the nation and we have attained our first goal of reaching the semifinals. Now we are more confident to make our next goal a reality, we will now focus on reaching the final,” said Tuhin.
In the day's other match, Kenya came out firing with a massive 81-26 points win over Malaysia.
Kenya registered their 2nd win in four matches while consecutive four losses saw Malaysia crash out of the tournament.
In the day's other match, Nepal outplayed all losers Argentina by 62-28 points in the day's third match.
Argentina suffered their third defeat in same number of matches while Nepal kept their semifinal hopes alive with the 2nd win from four matches
'Dangerous to underestimate Ireland': Hathurusingha
Ahead of the first ODI of a three-match series against Ireland in Sylhet, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha warned against taking the relative newcomers lightly.
Bangladesh has been a strong team in ODIs over the last five to six years, especially at home. They have only lost just one ODI series at home in the last seven years - the most recent one against England. Despite this impressive record, Hathurusingha emphasized that they are not taking the Ireland team lightly.
"It would be dangerous to underestimate them. They are not an easy opponent in any regard. We are treating them as we would England," said Hathurusingha on Friday in Sylhet.
Ireland beat the West Indies in their last tour of the Caribbean and have talented cricketers who can turn the match at any point. Bangladesh has played ten ODIs against Ireland, winning seven of them, with Ireland winning two and one match ending in a no result.
Bangladesh has won all four ODIs played in Sylhet, and four out of eight innings in ODIs at this venue saw a total of more than 300 runs. This means that batters will have a great opportunity to demonstrate their abilities on the surface in Sylhet.
The match will begin at 2 pm (Bangladesh time), and will be live through Gazi TV and T-Sports in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has implemented an online ticketing system for the ODI series. To purchase tickets, fans must first register on the BCB's online platform using their NID and a valid phone number. Additionally, physical tickets can also be purchased from designated booths located in Sylhet.
BAN vs IRE 1st ODI 2023: Match Preview
The Bangladesh national cricket team will play another full series starting on March 18 with the first ODI. Bangladesh is going to play three ODIs against Ireland after blowing away England in T20. However, this will be Ireland’s first full series. All three ODIs will be played at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, and the first ODI will start at 2 PM on March 18, 2023.
Preview of Bangladesh vs Ireland 1st ODI 2023
Ireland already played a practice match against the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) XI, and they understood the pitch condition in Sylhet. Ireland got a notable victory, with a moderate total, in their preparation match. In the Sylhet pre-match, the Irish defeated the BCB XI by 74 runs.
After the morning rain, the ground at Sylhet International Stadium was soaked, causing the game to start late. Consequently, the match was shortened to 40 overs. The visiting team managed to score 255 runs after losing 7 wickets in their allotted overs. Curtis Campher's remarkable 75 runs off 50 balls was the top performance. Opener Paul Stirling scored 54 runs. While Ireland scored 53 runs in the opening pair, they lost one wicket by 100 runs. Gareth Delany put in a noteworthy performance, scoring 36 runs off 24 balls and bringing the total to 250. Rejaur Rahman Raja and Rishad Hossain each took two wickets, while Soumya Sarkar managed to take a wicket.
Read More: Tamim, Mehidy uncertain for 1st ODI against Ireland
Among all batters, Soumya, the left-handed opener, put up a courageous effort with the bat, resulting in 37 runs. Despite this, the BCB XI was unable to withstand the pressure of the full 32.1 overs, as they were bowled out for 181 runs. This win will surely boost confidence in Ireland.
On the other hand, despite losing the ODI series to England, Bangladesh has still had a great record at home. Other than England, they have not been defeated in a series over the last seven years. The first ODI against England was very close to being a win for Bangladesh, and to keep from being whitewashed, Tamim’s team got a victory in the last match. Although Bangladesh lost the 50-over cricket series, they were outstanding in T20. Shakib Al Hasan’s team completely defeated England by demonstrating their strength with both bat and ball. After this performance, Bangladesh will now play against Ireland. And Ireland seems to take up the challenge and attempt to win a few matches against Bangladesh.
Additionally, Bangladesh’s main weapon, the spinners, is in top form. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's spin bowling at home is a terror for any opponent. Bangladeshi spinners have previously shown their class to top-ranked batters. Against Ireland, it should be no exception.
Read More: BCB introduces online ticketing system for Ireland series
Probable Squad for BAN vs IRE 1st ODI 2023
Bangladesh XI:
Tamim Iqbal (Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
Ireland XI:
Stephen Doheny, Paul Stirling(c), Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker(w), Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Benjamin White.
Team News
Reports from Cricbuzz indicate that wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hasan suffered an injury to his left thumb while practicing at the Sylhet International Stadium on Thursday afternoon. As a result, he was dropped from the ODI series against the Irish. Zakir was called up for the first ODI. However, it is speculated that it will take a minimum of three weeks for him to make a full recovery. Apart from Zakir, all other Bangladeshi players are fit and can play the first ODI.
Rony Talukdar will play in Zakir’s place. BCB confirmed Zakir's injury and Rony's inclusion in a press release on Thursday. Opener Rony returned to the Bangladesh team after almost eight years with the last T20 series against England. He played in all three games during the spectacular whitewashed series of the world champions. He notched up 21, 9, and 24 runs, respectively, in three T20s. Though he failed to make a huge impact, Rony did demonstrate the necessary ambition for this tournament. Mahmudullah was not included in the first two matches of the ODI series, while Yasir Ali, Nasum Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam have all rejoined the national squad.
Read More: Zakir ruled out of Ireland ODI series due to injury
On the other hand, the Ireland cricket team is in good condition with no major injuries or absences and is predicted to field its most formidable lineup since the beginning of the first ODI.
Tamim, Mehidy uncertain for 1st ODI against Ireland
Bangladesh are concerned about the availability of Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ahead of the first ODI against Ireland on March 18 in Sylhet.
Mehidy suffered a blow to his eye during a practice session on Friday morning while playing football. However, a quick CT scan revealed that the all-rounder has no problem.
Tigers captain Tamim is suffering from a fever and cold, and his participation in the first ODI is uncertain.
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha said Tamim may have a viral infection, and a final decision regarding his availability is yet to be made.
Also Read: Zakir ruled out of Ireland ODI series due to injury
The southpaw did not participate in the practice session on Friday and batted for a long time in the nets.
Earlier, Zakir Hasan was ruled out of the squad due to a thumb injury. He sustained the blow during a practice session on Thursday at Sylhet International Stadium.
The second and final ODI will also be played at the same venue on March 20 and 23, respectively.
After the ODI series, both teams will play a three-match T20I series in Chattogram, followed by a Test in Dhaka, which will mark Ireland's first Test in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has introduced an online system for selling tickets for the ODI series.
Fans will need to register first on the BCB's online platform to buy tickets using their NID and a valid phone number. Tickets can also be bought in person from designated booths in Sylhet.