Andrew Balbirnie: Harry Tector can grow to be ‘one of many greats of Irish cricket’
Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, stated that Harry Tector has all of the attributes to grow to be “one of the greats of Irish cricket”, after lighting up a humid afternoon in Chelmsford with a career-best 140 from 113 balls in opposition to Bangladesh.
Tector’s innings was not fairly sufficient to set his group up for victory, with Najmul Hossain Shanto‘s century setting the stage for Bangladesh’s thrilling three-wicket win within the last over of the match.
Nevertheless, after arriving on the crease with Ireland on a dicey 16 for two within the seventh over of the match, into the tooth of Hasan Mahmud’s very good new-ball spell, Tector turned on the facility to startling impact, crashing an Ireland-record ten sixes together with three in an over off Taijul Islam to carry up his half-century from 52 balls.
Thereafter he climbed by way of the gears, specifically throughout a sixth-wicket stand of 115 from 68 balls with George Dockrell (74 not out from 47). In a match lowered to 45-overs-a-side by persistent morning drizzle, it took all of Mushfiqur Rahim’s poise on the demise to information Bangladesh to a taxing goal of 320 – solely two runs shy of their highest successful chase in ODIs.
At the age of 23, it was Tector’s fourth ODI hundred in his previous 9 innings, relationship again to New Zealand’s tour of Ireland in July 2022, whereas final month – on Test debut against Bangladesh in Mirpur, he additionally produced a brace of half-centuries, together with a second-innings 56 after his group had slumped to 13 for 4.
“His performances in the last 12 to 18 months have been so good for us, and particularly in 50-over cricket,” Balbirnie stated. “I think that was as good a knock as I’ve seen in Irish colours for a 50-over game. He’s just got all the attributes to go on and be one of the greats of Irish cricket and I hope that we can help him on his way, and he continues to put in scores for us. The more runs he gets for us, the better place we’re going to be.”
Tector’s efforts got here inside a whisker of securing the win, which was accomplished below the complete beam of Chelmsford’s floodlights as Mushfiqur ramped a free hit for 4 off Mark Adair, moments after surviving being caught at backward sq. leg off because of a no-ball being known as on top.
The outcome was greeted with glee by one other passionate gathering of Bangladesh followers, a handful of whom rushed out to the center to congratulate Mushfiqur amid chaotic scenes. And regardless of the loss, Balbirnie admitted his disappointment was tempered by the data that they’d already missed out on their slender hopes of automated qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup, because of the wash-out within the opening match that had assured South Africa’s eighth-place finish within the Super League desk.
“Bangladesh entertained the crowd who braced the elements, as it was very cold out there, but I think if we were still able to qualify and we had a result like that, it would really hurt us,” Balbirnie stated. “I thought we played pretty good cricket, which is a good sign going into the qualifiers [in Zimbabwe] later on in the summer. It’s just a shame we couldn’t really get over the line.”
Nevertheless, having performed in entrance of equally passionate followers on Ireland’s current tour of Bangladesh, Balbirnie took loads of coronary heart from the truth that the competition had as soon as once more drawn such an enthusiastic following regardless of it being staged in a impartial venue for logistical causes.
“It was amazing, and when that last boundary went, I just wanted some headphones because it was so loud,” he stated. “There were people running on the pitch, but I think it’s just really great for the game. It’s enjoyable for all the players to play in front of passionate fans and that brings out the best in our players.
“As I stated earlier than, as Irish cricketers, we wish to play as a lot as we are able to in entrance of our personal followers as a result of we’re making an attempt to develop the game in our nation, and that is the one means we are able to do it. But in the mean time, it’s what it’s, and for us to be enjoying at a impartial floor and get a crowd like we did as we speak, that is type of what it is about.
“We got a taste for it in Bangladesh. They beat us very comfortably there, but it was nice to show ourselves that if we play good cricket, we can beat a team like this. At the end of the day, we haven’t won the game but it’s been a good day out, and I’m pretty proud of the group.”
Although there’s one other ODI to return on Sunday, Balbirnie admitted that Ireland’s focus was already starting to shift additional down the road, with the 50-over World Cup qualifier looming in June and July, in addition to the T20 model in Abu Dhabi in September.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead but, naturally that 50-over qualifier and T20 qualifier post-Zim are the two most important schedules in our calendar at the moment,” he stated. “But we want to enjoy ourselves. We want to enjoy the challenges that are coming over the next few weeks and hopefully we can embrace them and play a certain way that people want to watch us.
And more immediately still, he added, there’s the “small matter” of a Test match against England, which gets underway at Lord’s on June 1.
“It’s very thrilling for a variety of us who have not performed at Lord’s,” Balbirnie said. “But it is a particular occasion within the English cricket calendar, by no means thoughts our personal calendar. So we’re very lucky and privileged to have the ability to play there.
“We know the type of cricket England are playing is amazing to watch, so it’ll be nice to come up against it and try to find our own way of competing against it. Hopefully we can play good cricket and try to match them as best we can.”
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket