Five wickets for Ghosh and 46 runs for Rahman set up a 25 run victory for Bangladesh.
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Both of these teams have made it to the Women’s World T20 that will take place in the Caribbean in November, but there was a lot of pride at stake as they met in the final in Utrecht to decide who was the ultimate champion of this qualifying event. Despite a fine come back from their bowlers in the second half of the Bangladesh innings, a target of 123 to win was too much for the Irish as the lost by 25 runs.
Having won the toss and elected to bowl the Irish would have been hoping for early wickets to keep themselves in the match against a team that they lost to in a recently concluded T20 International series in Dublin. As it was Bangladesh got off to a steady start reaching 80/2 at the end of the 12th over.
They lost Shamima Sultana in the fourth over when she had a waft at a wide one that was caught at backward point off the bowling of Lucy O’Reilly. With her opening partner gone it fell to Ayasha Rahman to take the attack to the Irish. In the end her innings was more of an anchoring effort as she made 46 from 42 balls with two sixes.
Rahman couldn’t push on and was bowled by Ciara Metclafe to have Bangladesh 88/3 in the 13th over. From there they should have been looking at a total in excess of 140 but the Irish bowlers, led by O’Reilly who finished with figures of 4/28 from her four overs, brought them back into the game.
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No one could get going for Bangladesh and as soon as they attempted to accelerate a wicket would fall to peg them back even further. The next highest score after Rahman’s 46 was 17 from Fargana Hoque as six Bangladeshi batters fell for single figures scores as they reached 122/9 from their 20 overs.
Bangladesh chipped away with wickets from the outset of the Irish innings with Cecelia Joyce gone for 3 in the third over when she sliced a ball to backward point off Jahanara Alam.
When Panna Ghosh claimed two further wickets in the sixth over it was all over for Ireland with Clare Shillington and Laura Delany both bowled.
Gaby Lewis attempted to keep her team in the game but she fell for 26 from 30 balls in the middle of a cluster of three wickets for two runs to leave Ireland reeling at 54/6.
A breezy 23 from 19 from Eimear Richardson got the scoreboard ticking over again but when she fell nicking behind to Ghosh any last semblance of hope for the Irish was gone.
In the end the Irish could only manage 98 all as Ghosh game back into the attack to claim three tail end wickets to finish with remarkable figures of 5/16, her best ever return for her national team.
