Ireland defend 54 in tight 10-over contest

Ireland Women defended 54 against Bangladesh Women in a T20I that was reduced to 10 overs a side in Bready. Steady rain had delayed the start of the match by more than two hours, but a tightly contested match and a last-over finish made up for it. Lucy O'Reilly, the 16-year old seamer, had nine runs to defend and she did it in style, picking up two wickets and helping pull off a run-out as well. Ireland's hard-fought six-run victory gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series.

The game had been shortened before the captains walked out to the toss. Bangladesh won it and put Ireland in, who had difficulty scoring boundaries on a slow outfield. Seamer Ritu Moni got rid of the 15-year old opener Gaby Lewis in the third over, but was also hit for two fours by Clare Shillington. With 10 batsmen to play 10 overs, there was no need to hold back.

However, that ploy didn't quite pay off for Ireland. They put on 21 for 6 in the 32 balls after Shillington's dismissal in the fifth over. Her 26 was the only double-digit score for the hosts as they finished on 54 for 8. Offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra picked up 3 for 5 in two overs.

Bangladesh found batting equally tough, scoring 23 for 2 in the first six overs, each of which was delivered by a different bowler. This left them requiring 32 off the last four overs, 17 off two and finally 10 off the last six balls. Their hopes rested largely on Fargana Hoque, who was batting on 23 off 22 and had held the innings together up to that point.

Fargana took a single off the first ball, before three wickets - one of them a run-out - fell in the next three. O'Reilly bowled a dot on the fifth ball and left Bangladesh an impossible nine runs off the final ball.