Ireland produced a clinical all-round performance to outplay Bangladesh by 39 runs in the first T20I at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday. An unbeaten 69 by Harry Tector set up a strong total before left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys’ outstanding 4-13 dismantled the hosts.
Tector’s Class Anchors Ireland’s Innings
Asked to bat first, Ireland rode on Harry Tector’s superb 69 not out off 45 balls, featuring five towering sixes, to post a challenging 181/4. His younger brother Tim Tector continued his impressive rise with a brisk 32 off 19 balls, cracking six boundaries to lift Ireland to 71/2 inside nine overs.
Captain Paul Stirling set the early tone with a lively 21, while Curtis Campher’s 24 off 17 and George Dockrell’s late surge of 12 off seven balls ensured Ireland plundered 54 runs in the last five overs.
Among Bangladesh’s bowlers, Mustafizur Rahman was the sole source of control, conceding only 23 in his four overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib claimed two wickets but leaked runs, and the rest of the attack struggled for consistency on a good batting surface.
Humphreys Strikes Early, Destroys Bangladesh’s Chase
Bangladesh’s chase unravelled almost immediately. Humphreys, opening the bowling, removed Tanzid Hasan in his first over and later returned to deal the decisive blows, finishing with career-best figures of 4-13.
I was definitely struggling with my grip, but I pretty much just resorted to bowling arm balls. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while with the new ball. Under the lights and with the wet ground, it helps the reaction off the surface.
Pacer Mark Adair backed him brilliantly with 2-20, including the key wickets of Litton Das and Parvez Emon, as Bangladesh crashed to 20/4, their second-lowest Powerplay score in T20I history.
Stirling and Tim were brilliant up top. With them being 20 for four after the Powerplay, we were in a very strong position. Having a similar kind of performance from my peers gives me confidence..
Hridoy Stands Tall But Receives No Support
Towhid Hridoy played one of the finest lone hands by a Bangladeshi batter in recent times, scoring an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes. He found brief support from Jaker Ali (20 off 16), but once that partnership ended, the collapse resumed with the hosts slipping from 66/4 to 74/8 in a flurry of wickets.
Ireland were a touch sloppy in the field but kept control through disciplined bowling. Barry McCarthy chipped in with 3-23 while Adair and Humphreys combined for decisive early damage.
Stirling Pleased But Demands More
Ireland captain Paul Stirling praised the team’s intensity in what he called one of their strongest top-order showings in recent times.
We need to play more comfortably in the white-ball format, and we’ve shown how emphatic we can be. We turned up really well today. That’s as close to full strength as we’ve had in a long time. We welcomed back senior figures, and it showed. We came out on top.
However, he admitted the team was “a bit sloppy in the field” and said there was room for improvement in the remaining two games.
Litton Das Rues Early Collapse
If we lose a couple of wickets in the Powerplay, it’s very difficult for the lower order to stabilise,. Losing four wickets so early put us on the back foot. I was very happy with Hridoy; he delivered what was important. Jaker Ali helped out for a while. I still believe in my team, but we have to play well on the day.
Brief Scores: Ireland 181/4 in 20 overs (Harry Tector 69*, Tim Tector 32, Curtis Campher 24; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2-41) Bangladesh 142/9 in 20 overs (Towhid Hridoy 83*, Jaker Ali 20; Matthew Humphreys 4-13, Barry McCarthy 3-23, Mark Adair 2-20) Ireland won by 39 runs:
