Cricket One Day International Prediction

Ireland vs Bangladesh - Match Preview

🏏 14 May 2023 - 13:00 GMT +0

The action may have begun two hours late and concluded 11 hours after the gates opened at the County Ground in Chelmsford, Essex, but a predominantly pro-Bangladesh crowd were this time rewarded for their patience with the nation’s sixth-ever successful run chase of greater than 300 runs. In its dying breath, the soon-to-be-defunct World Cup Super League offered a last-over thriller with a match run rate (7.14rpo) that would make some IPL venues envious!

It seems befitting that a new tournament that failed to capture the imagination of (or even be understood by) the general public goes out with a whimper rather than a bang, with no World Cup qualification ramifications to come out of the third and final ODI for either the tourists or for “home” side Ireland. Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal set his team a goal at the beginning of the league to finish as high in the points table as possible, and with the opportunity to move alongside second-placed World Cup champions England with a win here to be separated only by Net Run Rate, the visitors will be going out all guns blazing.

The Irish had another false start with the bat as both Paul Stirling and Stephen Doheny were dismissed for fewer than 20 runs for a third consecutive time (all against Bangladesh), leaving it to Harry Tector’s fourth ODI century (from 29 innings) and an IPL-worthy finishing cameo from bowling all-rounder George Dockrell, who must have inspired Rashid Khan’s incredible innings later in the day, to propel them to their second 300+ total outside of Ireland since the global Qualifier for the 2019 ODI World Cup.

But in the run chase, Bangladesh demonstrated their class and comfort in this format despite their openers also failing to make an impact. For years they have been crying out for a number three to take over from 36-year-old veteran Shakib Al Hasan and it finally appears they have found one. Najmul Hossain Shanto was in and out of the side for a five-year period, recording a best score of 38 from his first 15 innings, but since his maiden fifty he has never looked back. That 58 in his first game against England was followed up with another in the same series, a 73 against Ireland in Sylhet, and Friday’s glistening 117.

That result means the Tigers have won ten of their last 13 completed ODIs away from home, picking up victories against South Africa, the West Indies, Zimbabwe and, of course, Ireland. There’s little wonder then that they are strong favourites to back it up again in front of a sellout crowd for this Sunday game, particularly now that they boast an authoritative 10-2 record against the Irish in this format with three no-results. The forecast for this ODI is far more upbeat than for the previous two, with only a very low chance of any rain on the game.

⚡ Players to watch: Including his 21no in Ireland’s interrupted first ODI run chase, Harry Tector has top scored for the team in four of their last 11 ODI innings, with George Dockrell chipping in for another two.

Strangely, Shakib Al Hasan has never taken more than two wickets in an ODI against Ireland (from 15 games in total), though Friday’s 0/57 was just the second time the Irish batters shut him out completely.

📋 Stat attack: After the previous ODI, teams who score 300+ when batting first in England have an 80% success rate.

• Irish batter Paul Stirling has cleared 25+ runs in just two of his last nine ODI innings.
• Josh Little has never dismissed Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy or Shakib Al Hasan in an ODI (0/70 from 54 balls).
• Bangladesh batter Towhid Hridoy has struck sixes in three of his four ODI innings so far.
• Tamim Iqbal has been dismissed three times by Mark Adair in ODIs this year for 70 runs from 75 balls bowled.
• Bangladesh spinner Hasan Mahmud has combined figures of 4/27 from 50 balls bowled to Irish openers Doheny and Stirling in ODIs this year.