Najmul Hossein hit a maiden ODI century before Mushfiqur Rahim ensured Bangladesh chased down 320 with three balls left in a tense three-wicket win over Ireland on Friday despite Harry Tector’s career-best 140.

Najmul made 117 off just 93 balls at Chelmsford in front of a 4,000-strong crowd largely made up of Tigers fans.

Victory gave Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in a three-match series after Tuesday’s rain-marred no-result at English county Essex’s headquarters.

Bangladesh veteran Mushfiqur, with four runs required off four balls, hit a boundary and finished 36*.

Najmul, who eventually holed out off Curtis Campher, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 131 with Towhid Hridoy (68).

In a match reduced by rain to 45 overs per side, Tector’s fourth century in his last nine ODI innings took Ireland to 319-6.

The 23-year-old struck seven fours and 10 sixes in a mere 113 balls, with George Dockrell making 74.

Bangladesh paceman Shoriful Islam conceded 83 runs in nine overs during an innings where Ireland struck a national record 16 sixes.

This series concludes on Sunday.

Tuesday’s washout, something Ireland hoped to avoid by moving the series to England, denied the Irish the 3-0 series clean sweep they needed to secure automatic entry into this year’s World Cup in India.

Ireland will now have to compete in the 18 June to 9 July qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, that also includes former champions the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

© Agence France-Presse