Taskin, Ebadot, Nasum too hot to handle as Ireland cornered at halfway

Bangladesh bowling have well complemented their batting on the day as Ireland are left with no momentum as the first ODI of the three-match series approaches the final quarter at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The visitors are 118 for eight after 26 overs, in reply to Bangladesh's 338 for eight.  

It was Shakib Al Hasan who got the Tigers the breakthrough following a cautious start by the visitors till the 11th over, but a fiery spell of pace bowling by Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed completely ripped apart the Ireland top and middle order. Bangladesh quicks got the ball to talk with pace, swing and bounce, time and again, and Ebdaot and Taskin were too hot to handle for the likes of experienced campaigners in Paul Stirling and skipper Andy Balbirnie, respectively.

Five wickets fell inside six overs from the 12th and Lorcan Tucker was the last to be dismissed in that period as the wicket-keeper batter gave a simple catch to Yasir Ali at first slip off to become Taskin's second victim.

With Ireland's deep batting line-up exposed early, Curtis Campher and George Dockrell tried to consolidate for a while but the 33-run stand ended with Nasum trapping Campher in front. 

Nasum picked two more wickets in his next over, with another leg-before dismissal to remove Gareth Delany before Andy Mcbrine was caught behind to Mushfiqur Rahim.