Bangladesh series sweep spices up ICC Women’s Championship race

Bangladesh v Ireland, third ODI, scorecard

Hosts Bangladesh wrapped up the series in style, securing a dominant seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the final ODI in Mirpur to complete a 3-0 whitewash.

Sharmin Akhter continued her sublime form in the series, following up scores of 96 and 43 with a fifth ODI half-century that set the stage for the win. Fargana Hoque too continued her purple patch and made it three fifties in a row in the series as Bangladesh made light work of the chase.

Ireland did strike early in Bangladesh’s chase, removing Murshida Khatun for 8 inside the first five overs but Sharmin and Fargana strung a 143-run partnership to put their side back on track.

Their partnership set a new record for Bangladesh in Women’s ODIs for any wicket, eclipsing the 127-run stand between Rumana Ahmed and Sharmin against South Africa in 2017.

Highest partnership for Bangladesh in Women's ODIs

Aimee Maguire struck twice in two overs to send back the two record partnership holders but it was all too late for Ireland by then. Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary ensured there were no further hiccups as they romped home with 7 wickets and 12.3 overs to spare.

Earlier in the day, Gaby Lewis led from the front with a captain’s knock of 52, supported by Amy Hunter (23), Orla Prendergast (27) and some valuable lower-order contributions, as Ireland put up 185 on the board.

However, it was Bangladesh's spinners who dominated with the ball, claiming all 10 wickets. Fahima Khatun was the standout performer, leading the charge with three scalps, while the rest of the spin attack chipped in with wickets and suffocated the Irish batting.

Bangladesh's 3-0 series sweep also has massive implications for the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 (IWC) as the competition approaches its final stages.

The top five teams in the IWC standings will secure direct entry to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, joining India, who have already qualified by virtue of being hosts.

ALSO SEE: Latest ICC Women's Championship Standings

Meanwhile, the remaining four teams in the standings, along with the top two sides from the ICC Women's ODI Team Rankings, will need to compete in a Qualifier to earn their spots in the marquee event.

Besides India, Australia, England and South Africa have already secured their places in next year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. However, the battle for the remaining two automatic qualification spots has intensified following Bangladesh's emphatic series victory.

WATCH: The format of ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 explained

The triumph has propelled Bangladesh to seventh place in the standings, reigniting their hopes of direct qualification. With 19 points, they trail Sri Lanka (22 points) by three and New Zealand (20 points) by just one.

ALSO READ: Fixtures announced for India Women's home series against West Indies and Ireland

Sri Lanka, among the teams still vying for direct qualification, have completed their set of matches in this IWC cycle, leaving their fate in the hands of other results, as they no longer have opportunities to add to their tally.

New Zealand, currently in sixth place, face a challenging three-match series against Australia, while West Indies, sitting ninth with 14 points, have six games left in the cycle. Crucially, three of those matches will be against Bangladesh, offering the Caribbean side a chance to climb the standings.

Story of the series

Bangladesh kicked off the series in commanding fashion with a dominant 154-run victory over Ireland. Sharmin Akhter was the star of the show for the hosts, narrowly missing out on a century with a stellar knock of 96.

She was ably supported by Fargana Hoque (61), Murshida Khatun (38) and captain Nigar Sultana (28), as Bangladesh posted a formidable total of 252/4.

In response, Ireland crumbled for just 98, with only three batters reaching double figures. Spin duo Sultana Khatun and Nahida Akter wreaked havoc, taking three wickets each, while Marufa Akter delivered two early blows to derail the chase.

The visitors put up a much better effort in the second match, posting a competitive total of 193, thanks to a resilient half-century from Amy Hunter (68).

However, Bangladesh’s top order proved their mettle once more. Fargana Hoque (50), Sharmin Akhter (43) and Nigar Sultana (40) anchored the chase with composed knocks, guiding the hosts to a comfortable five-wicket victory with more than six overs to spare.

The final ODI followed a familiar script, with the hosts once again proving too strong for Ireland in home conditions. Bangladesh cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket victory, sealing the series sweep in style.