The third and final T20 match between Bangladesh and Ireland was played on 27th March 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With Bangladesh having already won the series 2-0, Ireland were playing for pride in the final match.
31 MARCH 2023
TIME: 04:00 AM ET
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. Their opening pair got off to a solid start, putting on 50 runs for the first wicket in just 5.2 overs. However, once Liton Das was dismissed for 29 runs, Bangladesh lost a few quick wickets and were struggling at 88-4 in the 12th over.
Mahmudullah then took charge of the innings, scoring a quickfire 49 runs off just 27 balls. His innings included 3 fours and 4 sixes and helped Bangladesh post a competitive total of 164 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs.
In response, Ireland got off to a shaky start, losing their opening batsman early. However, Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie steadied the innings, putting on a 70-run partnership for the second wicket.
Once Balbirnie was dismissed for 28 runs, Ireland lost a few quick wickets and were struggling to keep up with the required run rate. They eventually finished their innings at 144 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs, falling short of the target by 20 runs.
Shakib Al Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, picking up 3 wickets for just 20 runs in his 4 overs. He was well supported by the rest of the bowlers, who kept the pressure on the Irish batsmen throughout the innings.
It was a comprehensive win for Bangladesh, who completed a clean sweep of the series. Their bowling was once again disciplined and accurate, and their batting was led by Mahmudullah, who played a crucial innings to take Bangladesh to a competitive total.
Ireland, on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance in the series. They failed to win a single match and struggled to keep up with the quality of the Bangladesh team. However, they will take some positives from the performances of their individual players, particularly Paul Stirling, who was their standout batsman in the series.
Overall, it was a successful series for Bangladesh, who dominated the proceedings from start to finish. They will be looking to carry this momentum into their upcoming matches, while Ireland will be looking to regroup and come back stronger in their next series.