Bangladesh women’s cricket team comfortably defeated Ireland in the third and final ODI to complete the series sweep at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Monday.
This achievement was powered by a record partnership between Fargana Hoque and Sharmin Akhter Supta.
This is Bangladesh’s first-ever series sweep against any team on home soil, reports The Daily Sun.
Chasing a target of 186 runs, Bangladesh lost opener Murshida Khatun early. She was caught by Sarah Forbes off Orla Prendergast’s bowling for just nine runs.
However, what followed was a masterclass from Fargana and Supta. The duo dominated the Irish bowlers, leaving no room for recovery.
Supta, in particular, was aggressive from the start, playing shots all around the wicket and regularly rotating the strike. Together, they kept the scoreboard ticking effortlessly.
Supta scored her second half-century of the series, while Fargana also reached the milestone.
Along the way, the pair broke their own record for Bangladesh's second-highest partnership. Their 104-run stand in the first ODI was surpassed today, as they set a new national record with a 143-run partnership for the second wicket. This stand also became the highest for any wicket by a Bangladeshi pair in ODIs.
Fargana was handed a lifeline on 54 when she lofted spinner Amy Maguire to mid-off, where Leah Paul dropped the catch. However, Supta couldn’t capitalize on her partner’s reprieve.
One ball later, Supta attempted another attacking stroke but was caught at long-on by Freya Sargent. The right-hander’s excellent 72-run knock off 88 balls, laced with 11 boundaries, came to an end.
Fargana, too, couldn’t make the most of her reprieve. Adding just six more runs, she attempted a late cut off Maguire but edged it to wicketkeeper Amy Hunter. Her composed innings of 61 runs off 99 balls provided a solid foundation for Bangladesh’s chase.
Sobhona Mostary and Nigar Sultana ensured there were no further hiccups. Nigar, who played a match-winning knock of 40 in the previous ODI, came in with Bangladesh needing just 20 runs to win.
She opened her account with a boundary and sealed the victory alongside Mostary, completing a memorable series sweep for the hosts.
Earlier, Ireland’s batting struggles continued in the final ODI as they managed only 185 runs after opting to bat first. Captain Gaby Lewis finally found some form, scoring a fifty, but even that wasn’t enough to surpass their total from the previous match, as Bangladesh’s spinners maintained tight control throughout.
Ireland lost their first wicket in the sixth over when Forbes was bowled for five. A 48-run partnership between Lewis and Hunter for the second wicket briefly revived their innings. Hunter was dismissed for 23 off 40 balls, falling to Rabeya Khatun’s bowling.
Lewis carried on to register a hard-fought fifty and added another 40 runs for the third wicket with Orla Prendergast. However, just after reaching her milestone, Lewis’s innings came to an end on 52. She played on a low delivery from Fahima Khatun, leaving Ireland in trouble.
In the latter stages of the innings, none of the Irish batters could contribute significantly, as the Bangladesh bowlers tightened their grip.
Ireland lost their last five wickets for just 62 runs.
Fahima Khatun was the standout bowler for the hosts, claiming three wickets, while Sultana Khatun and Nahida Akter chipped in with two wickets each, ensuring Ireland’s innings ended on a modest total.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
