Opener Tamim Iqbal played an entertaining knock before rain washed out the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier between Bangladesh and Ireland in Dharamsala, India on Friday.
The match officials declared the game abandoned about 11:00pm Bangladesh standard time as play could not be resumed following a rain break at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium. The wash out means the Tigers are still on track to qualify for the next round three points from two matches. Oman share the top position with Bangladesh, having earned the same points.
It made the Sunday’s last qualifier between the two teams virtually a knock-out contest with the winners taking the place in the main draw alongside top eight teams.
Bangladesh will progress in case of another wash out as they are ahead in the run rate.
The Tigers will take confidence from their Friday’s performance when they made 94-2 in eight overs before rain stopped the play.
Fresh from his unbeaten 83 off 58 balls against Netherlands, Tamim led the way for the Bangladesh once again hitting 47 off 26 balls that left Ireland bowlers almost clueless.
The match was reduced to 12-over-a-side after rain that earlier washed out the Netherlands-Oman match.
A defeat in the match could have made situation tricky for Bangladesh, so they had no choice but to go for a win.
True to the fact, Bangladesh, who wore a new jersey, began aggressively and reached to a kind of score they were looking at this stage of the innings.
Bangladesh lost a similar truncated match in the Asia Cup final rather easily. Keeping that in mind openers swoop on Irish bowlers from the onset and hit one or two boundaries in every over.
Skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza said he was happy to see the batsmen playing with that mindset.
‘In the Asia Cup final we fell few runs short,’ Mashrafee said after the washout. ‘I am happy that today our batsmen could execute our plan.
‘It was good for our confidence coming into the next game against Oman. I am sure it will boost up others.’
Ireland had to score at least 72 runs if they were given the chance to bat minimum five overs after the rain.
It would have even tougher equation if Tamim did not get out in the last ball just before the rain had intervened.
Soumya Sarkar was the other batsman dismissed but not before scoring 20 off 13 balls with three fours.
Tamim and Soumya put 61 runs in the opening stand in just 4.4 overs before Ireland had the first success in the game.
Left-arm spinner Andrew McBrine dragged Soumya out of his crease and Niall O’Brien completed a simple stumping.
McBrine earlier dropped Soumya on naught in the very first over of the game. Sabbir Rahman was unbeaten on 13 when rain stopped the play for one final time.
-With New Age input
