Poor batting in the second half of their chase cost Bangladesh women's cricket team the opening WT20I of the three-match series against Ireland, as the hosts lost the game by 12 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Chasing 170, openers Dilara Akter (49 off 41 balls) and Sobhana Mostary (46 off 35 balls) set up a solid base with a 103-run partnership – Bangladesh's highest opening stand in WT20Is – in 12 overs, assisted by the Irish fielders who dropped a few sitters.

Once the partnership ended with Sobhana's dismissal, the scoring rate dipped with only 15 runs being scored in the next three overs.

But Sharmin Akhter and Taj Nehar (19 off 14 balls) put the chase back on track, as 34 runs came off the following three overs.

Bangladesh needed 18 runs in the last two overs with six wickets intact to complete their highest ever chase in WT20Is.

But the batters made a mess of it in the last two over as the penultimate over from Orla Prendergast (3-24) ended up being a maiden double wicket over and only five came of the 20th from Arlene Kelly. Set batter Sharmin, who remained not out on 23 off 13, faced only one out of the last 12 deliveries.

After the match, Mostary lamented for on the missed opportunity.

"If the 19th over hadn't been a maiden and if we required 10 to 12 runs in the last over, we could have chased the target," Mostary told reporters after the match.

"I think if we scored six to 10 runs more in between 11 to 15 overs, it could be an easy game for us," she added.

Meanwhile, Irish skipper Gaby Lewis, who scored a brilliant 60 off 42 balls and shared a 107-run stand with player-of-the-match Leah Paul (79 not out off 45 balls) for the third wicket, said they always believed they could win the contest.

"Obviously we dropped few chances in the first 10 overs. But the message at the halfway stage was we have enough runs on the board. Despite dropping the catches, we knew we could defend if we got one or two wickets," said Gaby.

"We put the pressure back on them and that's all T20's about as one wicket changes everything," she concluded.

The second match of the series will be held at the same venue on Saturday.