Bangladesh started with a loss in the first match of the three-match T20 series against Ireland. But the start of Bangladesh was not bad for the target of 170 runs given by Ireland on the great wicket of Sylhet. Bangladesh got 100 runs without a wicket in 11 overs. After that, the rhythm falls. Especially in the 11th to 15th over, the Bangladesh team could score only 19 runs, losing three wickets. Basically, this is where Bangladesh was knocked out of the match.
Batting first at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Ireland's girls scored 169 runs. Chasing the target of 170 runs, Bangladesh stopped at 157 runs. If they win, the host team could set a record for the highest run chase. But they lost by 103 runs in the opening pair. Sobahana Mostari and Dilara Khatun shared the record for the first wicket.
Sobhana, who scored 46 runs, said, 'From 11 overs to 15 overs, our runs were a little less. If we could have scored some more runs in that place, it would have been good. Still we were in the match. Had Maiden not gone in the 19th over, we could have done it even if it took 10/12 runs in the last over. I think if we could have scored 6 or 10 more runs in that space from 11 to 15 overs, the match would have been easier.'
Irish pacer Orla Prendergast's 19th over is a maiden. Besides, this pacer returned the two batters of Bangladesh, Ritu Moni and Swarna Akhter. Ritu's few dot balls in the overs that were basically bowled became the turning point of the match. Bangladesh needed 18 runs to win in the last two overs. Talking about the plan for the 19th over, Sobahana said, 'The coach-captain who was in the dugout in the 19th over was giving the message that the off-side fielder was up; The leg side was down. We could easily cut or late cut. But the plan was not implemented. The plan was to get the ball offside.'
Asked whether it was possible to chase 18 runs in the last two overs, he said, '18 runs from 12 balls is possible on this wicket. Unfortunately in the 19th over we bowled out a maiden. Looking at their batting, it seemed that we can score 170 on this wicket. In about 11 overs we got to a hundred runs. At one point the match seemed easy. But unfortunately could not reach the target.'
There was a flood of runs on Sylhet's wicket today. Ireland scored 169 runs batting first. Bangladesh can score 157 runs in reply. The middle-order batsman said about the wicket, 'The wicket is very good, when they were batting, it was clear how helpful the wicket is for batting. The bowlers bowled well. We lost mainly because of a few catches in the fielding. Some ground fielding misses too. 10/12 runs are over here. 150 plus runs will be scored on such a wicket, that is normal. We also did 150 plus.'
Sobhana does not see an option to improve the fielding in the next match, 'If we can improve in the field where we have problems. Then we will do better in the next matches.'
