AFTER dominating yet another day in the Test and the series against Ireland, Bangladesh find themselves four wickets away from a 2-0 sweep.
Starting the fourth day with an overnight lead of 367, Bangladesh lost opener Shadman Islam and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto early. Islam was trapped in front by Andy McBrine whereas Shanto fell five balls later, edging a lifter from Jordan Neill to gully. That’s when Mominul Haque (87) and Mushfiqur Rahim (53*) got together to add 123 runs for the fourth wicket.
Mominul looked steady during his knock, completing his 25th half-century in Tests and his third in the series to hand Bangladesh complete control. Mushfiqur at the other end chanced his arm and even registered a six over deep midwicket against McBrine. By Lunch, Bangladesh had added another 124 runs to the total, ballooning the lead to 491.
Mushfiqur got to his 28th fifth early in the afternoon session but saw his partner Mominul perish to a catch at cover. Bangladesh declared immediately, setting Ireland a near impossible 509 to chase and draw the series.
Ireland’s chase started with some early promise, with Paul Striling hitting back-to-back boundaries against Ebadot Hossain but soon found himself walking back to the pavilion after edging a Taijul Islam ball to short leg. His opening partner Andrew Balbirnie was the first wicket to fall, trapped in front by Taijul who went on to become Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker with that scalp.
There was a fifty-run stand between Cade Carmichael and Harry Tector but it was broken as soon as Hasan Murad came into the attack, striking first ball to pin Carmichael lbw with a slider.
Tector scored a fighty fifty but fell to a loose out, running down the pitch and mistiming the Mural delivery to deep midwicket. Khaled Ahmed accounted for Lorcan Tucker with tight lines that ensued an outside edge behind the wicket.
Stephen Doheny, dropped by Ebadot in the deep early on, then became Taijul’s third wicket of the innings but the play had to be called off with two overs to go due to poor light. (Cricbuzz)