Ireland well beaten by Bangladesh in first Test

BANGLADESH BEAT IRELAND by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test of a two-match series, but the Irish side have much to build on ahead of the second Test starting 19 November.

Looking doomed at 86-5 at the start of play – with a 215-run deficit – the Irish batters looked to play positively and not get dragged into a battle of attrition.

Andy McBrine was once more an immense asset for this Test squad, scoring his fifth Test half-century. He now has the status of ‘Ireland Men’s Test highest wicket-taker’ and ‘Ireland Men’s second-highest Test run-scorer’.

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McBrine looked assured at the crease from the outset – and despite surviving a number of close scares (he was giving out twice in successive balls at one point this morning, only to have both decisions overturned on review), batted Ireland through to lunch in reasonable comfort.

Earlier, Matthew Humphreys flared briefly with 16, before McBrine partnered with Andrew Balbirnie in a 66-run stand. Balbirnie had injured a finger in the field on Day 3 and had been moved lower down the order to give the finger a rest and time to recover overnight.

Jordan Neill again batted bravely – his 30 in the first innings was surpassed by an, at times, unorthodox batting display today of 38.

Barry McCarthy looked solid for his 25 as Ireland pushed into the second session of the day – but were eventually bowled out for 254 in 70.2 overs.

The skipper Balbirnie acknowledged “we showed what we could do in bursts”, but those bursts needed to be sustained longer in this format.

Both sides now move to Dhaka for the second Test which starts on 19 November.

Report courtesy of Cricket Ireland.