BanglaCricket Article

In an exciting rain-shortened match, Bangladesh defeated Ireland by just two wickets in a practice one-dayer at the Stormont in Belfast.

Ireland had scored 81 for 1 in 18 overs when the heaven opened up. The match was then reduced to a 32-over game after a short delay. Ireland went on to score 179 runs in the stipulated 32 overs. J Molins top scored with 64.

Bangladesh's target was reset to 206 in 32 overs using the D/L method.

Bangladesh lost Ashraful early on but opener Javed Omar and Nafees Iqbal put up a 126-run partnership before Javed fell for 39 (144/2).

Javed played a perfect foil to the aggressive Nafees, who scored a blazing 70-ball 100 and was eventually declared man of the match.

After Nafees' departure, Bangladesh suffered a spectacular collapse, losing 5 wickets for just 20 runs. Debutant captain Rajin Saleh was instrumental in staying unbeaten at one end as the wickets fell regularly at the other end. This was 21 year old Rajin's first outing as a captain in the absence of regular skipper Habibul Bashar, who was ruled out of the Champion's Trophy tour due to injury.

At one point, BD's target of 46 from 48 balls was increased to 27 runs off the last 3 overs. In the end, Bangladesh won scoring the needed 1 run off the last ball of the last over.

Scorecard from: Cricinfo

Scorecard from: Irish Cricket Union

Ireland v Bangladesh
29 August 2004
Stormont, Belfast
One Day International
Result: Bangladesh won by 2 wickets

Toss:    Bangladesh
Umpires: J McCall, J Wiseman

MoM:     Nafis Iqbal
Latest update at: 8:43 PM

IRELAND
J Molins     c sub (Tareg) b Rajin Saleh   64   Tapash Baisya         7    0    30    1
J Bray                   b Tapash Baisya   16   Nazmul Hussain        6    0    31    0
A Botha  c Tapash Baisya b Khaled Mahmud   23   Mushfiqur Rahman    2.2    0    10    0
A White   c Nazmul Hussain b Rajin Saleh   12   Rajin Saleh         3.4    0    28    2
P Gillespie                      not out   19   Khaled Mahmud         7    0    41    1
K McCallan                       run out    2   Manjurul Islam        6    0    24    0
D Joyce                          not out   17                                          
N Shoukat                                                                              
J Bushe                                                                                
G Cooke                                                                                
A McCoubrey                                                                            
  Extras    (b 3, lb 12, nb 3, w 8, p 0)   26
  Total             (5 wkts, 32.0 overs)  179

FOW: 1-27 (J Bray) 2-89 (A Botha) 3-120 (A White) 4-136 (J Molins) 5-141 (K McCallan) 

BANGLADESH (Target = 206 in 32 overs; Current rate = 6.44; Required rate = NaN)
Javed Omar                   lbw b White   39   Shoukat               7    0    34    0
Mohammad Ashraful    c Botha b McCoubrey    8   McCoubrey             3    0    17    1
Nafis Iqbal              c White b Cooke  100   Botha                 6    0    33    2
Rajin Saleh                      not out   21   McCallan              4    0    25    0
Aftab Ahmed                  lbw b Botha    0   White                 6    0    43    1
Khaled Mashud                    b Botha    4   Cooke                 6    0    43    3
Manjurul Islam Rana              b Cooke    2                                          
Khaled Mahmud                    b Cooke    0                                          
Tapash Baisya                    run out    7                                          
Nazmul Hussain                   not out    1                                          
Mushfiqur Rahman                                                                       
  Extras   (b 0, lb 11, nb 0, w 13, p 0)   24
  Total             (8 wkts, 32.0 overs)  206

FOW: 1-18 (Mohammad Ashraful) 2-144 (Javed Omar) 3-162 (Nafis Iqbal) 4-169 (Aftab Ahmed) 5-177 (Khaled Mashud) 
     6-182 (Manjurul Islam Rana) 7-182 (Khaled Mahmud) 8-204 (Tapash Baisya)