Paul Stirling admitted that the rain interruption and reduced overs target helped Ireland get closer than they would have if the first T20 international against Bangladesh in Chattogram had gone the full distance.

The final margin was a flattering 22 runs (DLS) after the Tigers had posted 207 for five and Ireland finished on 81 for five in the eight overs available to them.

“The rain definitely helped us and brought us into the game more,” said Stirling, who has replaced the rested Andrew Balbirnie as captain for this three-match series. “The fewer overs we had the better chance we had and the rain helped the wicket and it became easier to bat on.

“We had the best of the conditions, especially in the first hour, which was why it was so disappointing (that they got such a strong start).”

That strong start yielded Bangladesh’s best ever powerplay score of 81 for no-wicket, including 12 boundaries, and at halfway, they were 116 for one, with Craig Young in his comeback match taking the wicket.

Ireland’s best period was the remaining 9.2 overs, when Harry Tector, Graham Hume, birthday boy Mark Adair and Young added further wickets and restricted them to 91 runs, and then the first two overs of the reply when Stirling and Ross Adair srored 32 including six fours.

But next over, Hasan Ahmed, the five-wicket hero of the third one-day international last week, wrecked Adair’s stumps – the middle stump camera had to be replaced - and in the exceptional Taskin Ahmed’s first over, he bowled Lorcan Tucker and Stirling before having George Dockrell caught first ball. At 40 for four, Ireland’s charge was over.