
Sharmin Akter made a splendid comeback as Bangladesh sealed a crushing 154-run win over their Irish counterparts in the first of the three-match women鈥檚 ODI series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.聽
Batting first, Bangladesh posted 252-4, their highest-ever total in ODIs, where Sharmin scored 96 off 89, with Fargana Haque also hitting 61.聽
Two spinners, Nahida Akter and Sultana Khatun, each took three wickets as Bangladesh skittled Ireland for 98 in 28.5 runs.聽
The winning margin of 154 runs is the biggest for Bangladesh in terms of runs. The previous one came when they beat South Africa by 119 runs in East London in 2023.聽
Bangladesh came into the match with a concern over the recent performance of their top-order batting as their last eight partnerships didn鈥檛 reach fifty for the first-third wickets.聽
But Murshida Khatun and Fargana started things smoothly as they added 59 off 112. Murshida couldn鈥檛 reach fifty, but a second wicket partnership of 104 off 105 runs between Fargana and Sharmin put Bangladesh in a commanding position.聽
This is only the fifth hundred partnership for Bangladesh in ODIs and second quickest in terms of ball faced.聽
Sharmin, who was playing her first international since July 2023, started scoring by hitting two consecutive boundaries off Laura Delany and didn鈥檛 look back. She reached fifty off 41 balls鈥攖he quickest ever by a Bangladeshi.聽
After Fargana fell, Sharmin continued with captain Nigar Sultana Joty as they added 61 off 64.聽
Sharmin was within touching distance of becoming the third Bangladeshi woman to hit an ODI ton but fell short four runs with six balls remaining in the innings.聽
However, she hit a record number of 14 boundaries in her innings. Her strike rate of 107.87 is also the highest, where at least 60 runs were made by the Bangladeshi batters in an innings.聽
Off-spinner Sultana was full of praise for Sharmin鈥檚 innings.
鈥楽he played so well. I鈥檝e seen her for the second time play like this. But I think she could do even better,鈥� said Sultana after the match.聽
Sharna Akter鈥檚 cameo of 13 off nine ensured that Bangladesh reached their highest total.聽
But the bowlers were confident to defend the total even before their innings had ended.聽
鈥榃hen I saw that our score crossed 200, I thought there was a good opportunity for the bowlers鈥�, said Sultana.
鈥榃e could get over the line if we just bowl well. Our plan was to bowl wicket to wicket.鈥櫬�
In reply, Ireland lost their key wicket of captain Gaby Lewis in the third over of the innings.
She was trapped lbw off Marufa Akter. The visitors鈥� innings never got going from that phase, and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.聽
Irish opener Sarah Forbes tried to survive, but when she got runout, Ireland couldn鈥檛 keep Bangladesh at bay for long.聽
Bangladesh鈥檚 only scare came when Sharmin injured herself while fielding. She didn鈥檛 come to attend the press conference as intended. But the team management said that her injury was not serious and she was under physio鈥檚 observation.聽
The second ODI match of the series is scheduled to be held at the same venue on November 30.聽