BAN vs IRE 3rd T20: Ireland Stun Bangladesh, Claim First Ever Win

Ireland secured their first-ever victory over Bangladesh on home soil in the third and final T20I match, thanks to the outstanding performances of Paul Stirling and Matthew Humphreys. Humphreys took two wickets in his first three balls on his T20I debut, and all seven of Ireland's bowlers contributed to Bangladesh's demise, bundling them out for 124 in 19.2 overs. In contrast, Ireland chased down the target of 125 with six overs to spare, with Stirling playing a crucial role, scoring 77 off 41.

A commanding victory for Ireland in the third and final T20I _

Bangladesh win the three-match series 2-1.#BANvIRE | Scorecard: https://t.co/9Mi8DHN09V pic.twitter.com/BYhrwx7XON — ICC (@ICC) March 31, 2023

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Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first but faltered during the powerplay, losing four out of the first five wickets to be caught in the deep on the leg side while attempting to clear the fence. However, a short boundary blitz from Towhid Hridoy could not save the hosts from their fate. Humphreys stole the bowling show in his T20I debut, dismissing two batters in his first over, finishing with figures of 2-10, and leaving Bangladesh in tatters at 64-7.

Shamim Hossain scored a steady maiden T20I half-century off 40 balls to lead Bangladesh past the three-figure mark. But it was not enough, as all seven of Ireland's bowlers had a mark in the wickets column, and the hosts were all out for 124 in 19.2 overs.

Ireland's chase got off to a rocky start, losing Ross Adair and Lorcan Tucker in the powerplay. However, Stirling led the march to victory, hitting five boundaries in the first six overs of the innings. He reached his 22nd T20I half-century off 31 balls and then accelerated towards the target, hitting four consecutive boundaries off Shoriful Islam after reaching his fifty.

Stirling was dismissed going for another maximum down the ground, caught in the deep off Rishad Hossain, but his work was done, and Ireland had secured a seven-wicket victory with six overs to spare. Curtis Campher finished the match with a six. Although Ireland lost the T20I series 2-1, they will have an opportunity to redeem themselves in the only Test of the tour starting from April 4 in Dhaka.