CRICKET:IRELAND'S UNDER-19 side enjoyed their best finish at the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand yesterday, but in claiming 10th spot they also learned the gap at underage level still remains massive as they went down to a 195-run defeat to Bangladesh in the Plate Final at McLean Park in Napier.
Having been put in to bat, Bangladesh scored quickly and freely from the outset, with openers Anamul Haque and Amit Majunder adding 45 in the first seven overs, before both were dismissed by Craig Young. Saikat Ali then struck a brisk 34 before being trapped lbw by Stuart Thompson with the total on 98, but that was to be the end of Irish success for quite a while, as Mominul Hoque and skipper Mahmudul Hasan added 119 in 22 overs.
Hasan made 52 before being trapped lbw to Andrew Balbirnie, one of four victims for the Irish captain, while Mominul Haque departed five balls later after top-scoring with 81 from 100 balls.
At 224 with six overs left, Bangladesh launched an all-out assault on the Irish bowling, with Shabbir Rahman (47) and Noor Hossain (31) helping them close on 307 for eight.That target was always going to be beyond Ireland, and despite the early loss of Lee Nelson they had a go in the early stages. Stuart Thompson and Paul Stirling both attacked to move the scoreboard to 35 for one after six overs. But that became 39 for five in a heartbeat, as Alauddin Babu (3-33) removed Stirling and Balbirnie in consecutive deliveries, before accounting for James Shannon.
Graham McDonnell hit 31 from 42 balls but his dismissal was followed by Stuart Poynter being run out the next ball to leave Ireland at 80 for seven. Ben Ackland dug in and scored 34 not out from 100 balls, only for the reintroduction of Kamrul Islam to bring a swift conclusion to Ireland’s innings as he bowled Shane Getkate, and then dismissed Eddie Richardson and Young to claim a hat-trick.
Napier scoreboard
BANGLADESH
A Haque b Young 23
A Majumder c Balbirnie b Young 22
S Ali lbw b Thompson 34
M Haque c Ackland b Balbirnie 81
M Hasan lbw b Balbirnie 52
S Rahman c Young b Balbirnie 47
N Hossain b Richardson 31
A Babu c Young b Balbirnie 2
T Haque not out 0
Extras (lb2, nb2, w11) 15
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 ovs) 307
Did not bat: K Islam, S Ahmed.
Fall: 1-45, 2-52, 3-98, 4-217, 5-224, 6-293, 7-307, 8-307.
Bowling: C Young 7-0-33-2; S Getkate 9-1-53-0; A Balbirnie 10-0-59-4; E Richardson 4-0-43-1; S Thompson 6-0-28-1; P Stirling 6-0-32-0; L Nelson 8-0-57-0.
IRELAND
S Thompson b Hasan 20
L Nelson run out 4
P Stirling c Ali b Babu 11
A Balbirnie lbw b Babu 0
J Shannon c A Haque b Babu 2
B Ackland not out 34
G McDonnell c Islam b Hossain 31
S Poynter run out 0
S Getkate b Islam 4
E Richardson b Islam 0
C Young c Hasan b Islam 0
Extras (lb2, w4) 6
Total (all out, 38.5 ovs) 112
Fall: 1-6, 2-35, 3-35, 4-37, 5-39, 6-80, 7-80, 8-112, 9-112.
Bowling: A Babu 10-0-33-3; K Islam 4.5-0-21-3; M Hasan 3-0-9-1; S Ahmed 8-2-17-0; N Hossain 6-0-19-1; S Rahman 7-0-11-0.
Bangladesh beat Ireland by 195 runs
