Bangladesh complete second last-over victory to claim series-win over Ireland

Shamima Sultana's 51 led Bangladesh Women to a second successive win in the second T20I in Dublin.

While Thursday’s first match saw Ireland push the visitors to the last ball, today’s game was won by the same margin – four wickets – but with a slightly more comfortable five balls to spare.

After Ireland registered 124/8 from their 20, opening bat and (wicket-keeper) Sultana guided a somewhat nervy chase with a cool-headed 49-ball innings – though with the score at 96/2 when she was dismissed by Eimear Richardson, the job was far from over, in this first part of a Friday double-header involving Ireland v India men.

No.3 Fargana Hoque contributed 36, but with all around her failing to get out of double figures, it was left to No.6 Sanjida Islam (11*) to see the innings home. She hit the winnings runs in style off the first ball of the final over – a hard-swung six over the square-leg boundary off Richardson.

Veteran opener Isobel Joyce, who took 1/19 from her four overs, had been the mainstay of Ireland’s batting, compiling a well-made 60 from 47 balls, with six fours and a six. Only skipper Laura Delany (20), who later contributed 2/21 with the ball, and No.8 Shauna Kavanagh (15*) contributed double-figure scores as Ireland made nine runs fewer than they had lost with the day before. Still, having scrambled to 124, they knew they were in the game against a sometimes jittery Bangladesh batting line-up. But the bowling contributions of Jahanara (2/15 from four) and Nahida Akter (2/18 from four) had restricted the girls in green just a little too much.

Bangladesh head in to the third and final T20 on Sunday having wrapped up the series, whilst Ireland will be keen to register a win as both sides prepare for the Women’s World T20 Qualifier in the Netherlands, starting on July 5.