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Tigers lose last warm-up

BlSHWAJIT Roy from Colombo
Bangladesh lost their final warm-up match by five runs against Ireland at the Moors Sports Club Ground in Colombo yesterday — a timely wake-up call just before their challenge in the tournament proper of the ICC World IWenty20.
A brilliant all-round performance from Shakib Al Hasan, who hit a sublime half-century after taking two wickets, went in vain in the end due to senseless middle-order batting.
One can say that the result of warm-up games do not really matter, but the truth remains that there is reason to be concerned by the manner of the Tigers' defeat from a very comfortable position after winning the first warm-up match against Zimbabwe by five wickets. The team management, especially Richard Pybus, the head coach of the
team, should take a long look at the team's preparation ahead of their big challenge, which begins with their first match against New Zealand on September 21.
The spinners' effort helped Bangladesh make up for their initial poor bowling and fielding after captain Mushfiqur Rahim decided to bowl first when the match started one and a half hours later than scheduled due to a wet pitch following the early morning rain.
Ireland posted a competitive 164 in 20 overs in the small ground. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan then displayed their obvious talent by hitting the Irish bowlers all around the park after Mohammad Ashraful's early exit. The two batsmen provided a perfect example of how one should respond in a challenging situation.
The match was in the Tigers' clutches when Shakib walked back to the pavilion with the scoreboard reading 105-3, leaving his team to score only 60 from the last 9.3 overs with seven wickets in hand. There was no question of any pressure from the required run rate but skipper Mushfiqur, his deputy Mahmudullah Riyad and Nasir Hossain seemed in a hurry to return to the pavilion. The quick dismissals of the three batsmen saw the Irish team fight their way back into the match and finally win it by five runs as Bangladesh finished their 20-over quota at 159 for nine.
Mashrafe and the dashing Ziaur Rahman revived hopes
after the middle-order hiccup. Bangladesh needed only 12 runs from the last two overs but Alex Cusak brought his team back into the game again, removing Mashrafe for 14.
Finally Bangladesh required ten runs from the last over but experienced pacer Trent Johnston denied them, taking the wicket of Zia in the third ball of the over.
There were many reasons for Bangladesh's loss -- Riyad conceding 24 in one over to Paul Stirling, the highest scorerFROM PAGE 16
in the match with a 41 -ball 71 that featured five fours and as many sixes, Bangladesh's poor fielding — but in the end the most pointed questions will be about the Tigers' poor approach with the bat. One cannot hope for a Bangladesh win against New Zealand or Pakistan with the sort of batting performance they putin yesterday.
Shakib Al Hasan was looked shaking his head in the middle after he was dismissed for a 23-ball 52 that
contained three fours and five big sixes. The left-hander might have been frustrated as he could not finish the match but the blame should go to the other recognised batsmen.
Much has been made of the Tigers' ample preparation for the showpiece event, but it may all amount to nothing if they do not find the answers to the questions raised by yesterday's warmup.
SCORES IN BRIEF
IRELAND: 164-6 in 20 overs
(Porterfield 17, Stirling 71, Joyce 39, Wilson 13, Johnston 10 not out, extras 11; Mashrafe 2-33, Shakib 2-21, Sunny 1-21)
BANGLADESH: 159-9 in 20 overs (Tamim 35, Ashraful 7, Shakib 52, Mushfiqur 7, Riyad 7, Nasir 1, Zia 26, Mashrafe 14, Sunny 1 not out, Razzak 1, Shafiul 1 not out, extras 8; Johnston 2-25, Cusack 2-28, Jones 1-25, Kevin O'Brien 3-24).
Result: Ireland won by five runs.