CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh (AP) — Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys claimed a career-best 4-13 as Ireland made a winning start to the three-match T20 series with a 39-run victory against Bangladesh on Thursday.
Ireland posted a competitive 181-4 thanks to a well-composed knock from Harry Tector, who remained unbeaten on 69 from 45 balls. Chasing a challenging target, Bangladesh managed to put up 142-9 after a disastrous start, as they were reduced to 5-3 in the fourth over.
Despite a lone fight from Towhid Hridoy, who struck a career-best 83 not out, Bangladesh’s batting collapse was too much to overcome.
Humphreys, who was impressive amid the tourists’ 2-0 loss in test series, gave the side a breakthrough in the opening over by dismissing Tanzid Hasan Tamim for 2, before taking three wickets in one over in his second spell to script Ireland’s victory.
Mark Adair dealt a double blow to jolt Bangladesh further.
Adair sent back Parvez Hossain Emon and Liton Das, both for 1 in consecutive overs as he returned figures of 2-20.
Bangladesh tried to claw back into the game through Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali, who played patiently in order to rebuild the innings. But pacer Barry McCarthy, who grabbed 3-23, undid Jaker with a short ball for 20, ending the 48-run partnership.
Humphreys returned with three wickets in one over, leaving Bangladesh at a precarious 74-8 in 13th over. Hridoy continued to fight, raising his fifth T20 half-century from 34 ball, slapping a delivery of Curtis Campher to deep point for a single. He shared two partnerships with Shoriful and Nasum Ahmed to delay Ireland’s victory.
Earlier, the knock by Tector, laced with one four and five sixes, drove the side to a challenging target for Bangladesh after the Irish openers gave the side a fluent start.
After being put into bat first, captain Paul Stirling and Tim Tector added 40 runs from 26 balls, before the captain top-edged a delivery of Tanzim Hasan Sakib for 21.
The Tector brothers — Harry and Tim — kept up the aggressive brand of cricket until Tim Tector perished to a big shot after hammering a 19-ball 32.
After anchoring the innings, Harry Tector flourished in the last over, taking the total past 180. ___
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
