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Billed as the battle of the minnows, Bangladesh hold the upper hand as they have the advantage of playing at home. The Irish will definitely begin to feel the heat and pressure, as this is probably their best chance of a winning a game in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

London Start Time: 08:30

Venue and Pitch
Bangladesh will play in front of a packed stadium and the home crowd support will cause them to lift their game. The track at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka will favor the spinners and the Irish batsmen will find it hard to score against a quality spin attack. The team that wins the toss will most likely bat first as the dew factor will come into play during the second innings.

Bet on the Cricket World Cup

Team Strategy
The Irish will find it hard to adjust to the heat factor as well as the pace and bounce of the wicket. They will need to make sure they do not lose early wickets and bat out the full 50 overs, if they are going to pose any sort of challenge. Bangladesh on the other hand, will be fielding a quality spin line up that will look to curtail runs and induce the Irishmen to go for the big shots.

Match Odds
Bangladesh have played more international cricket than Ireland and that experience will hold them in good stead if the match does go down to the wire. They are the favourites to win, having match odds of 2/7.

Top Batsman
For Ireland, Niall Obrien is expected to score most of the runs and has odds of 9/2. However, do not forget former England cap, Ed Joyce, who is now playing for Ireland. He has played under pressure before and is sure to step up and perform during this game.

For Bangladesh, left handed batsmen Tamim Iqbal has odds of 11/4 and is expected to get his team off to a quick start.

Featured Bet
While most matches in the sub continent are heavy scoring affairs, this match could turn out to a bowler’s game. The Bangladeshi spinners will be looking to control the scoring rate and their top spinner Abdur Razzaq will be in the spotlight to not only take wickets but to also bowl economically.

Match Predictions
If Bangladesh bat first, they will put up a total in excess of 250. If the Irish bat first, you can expect it to be a low scoring game, with Bangladesh winning the match with overs to spare.

Best Bet: Bangladesh 2/7