Moshrafe Mortaza helps Bangladesh whitewash Ireland in T20I series

By Meg Anderson

BELFAST (TheSportsNext) July 22, 2012: All-rounder Moshrafe Mortaza delivered the goods with both bat and ball to help Bangladesh to clinch a last-ball-thriller at Civil Service Cricket Club on Saturday as the tourists clean-swept the Twenty20 International series against Ireland.

The victory, third in a row, on foreign soil has helped Bangladesh jump in the Reliance ICC Twenty20 Rankings as they are now at the fourth position.

Moshrafe Mortaza first bagged four wickets for just 19 runs before striking 30 runs from just 13 balls with the help of four classy sixes which sealed the game for Bangladesh on final delivery of the match.

Batting first, Ireland made 140 for eight from their 20 overs as nobody could turn 20s into something big as four players got out in 20s.

Skipper William Porterfield scored 28 from 22 (2 fours, 1 six), Niall O’Brien hit 22 from 24 (2 fours), Gary Wilson struck 22 from 25 (1 six), and Trent Johnston hit 24 not out from 14 balls (1 four, 1 six) but lack of big innings played big role in the end as the home side made a moderate 140 runs.

Moshrafe Mortaza was the best bowler for Bangladesh as he captured four wickets for 19 runs while Abdur Razzak got two scalps for 33 runs. Man of the Match of the first T20I, Elias Sunny, also bowled well for figures of 4-0-23-1.

Bangladesh opening batsmen Tamim Iqbal (39 from 37 – 6 fours) and Mohammad Ashraful (24 from 25 – 4 fours) gave their team a rollicking start as the visitors raced to 62 without loss before a mild batting collapse reduced them to 6 down for just 87 runs on the board in 15.1 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan (3 from 5), skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (18 from 19 – 1 six), Mahmudullah (9 from 9 – 1 six), Ziaur Rehman (Duck), and Nasir Hossain (5 from 5 – 1 four) all perished in the blink of an eye as Bangladesh found themselves in a spot of bother.

Bangladesh needed a big effort from someone but they already had lost the firepower and the last man standing was Moshrafe Mortaza but he took the burden on his shoulders and played a massive innings to propel his side close to victory but he lost his wicket in the final over before Elias Sunny kept his cool to steer his side to a two-wicket victory on the final delivery of the match.