Ireland finished their preparations for the forthcoming One Day International against New Zealand in Aberdeen with a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh A at Uprichard Park in Bangor. The win came at a cost, though, as Clontarf all-rounder Alex Cusack broke a finger attempting a catch and will miss the Tri-Nation series that also includes a game against Scotland. Coach Phil Simmons is expected to name his replacement this morning before the team fly out to Aberdeen. In truth, Simmons's side could have done with a more rigorous workout yesterday, the tourists crawling to 110 for nine off the 44 overs, six overs having been lost to the weather-delayed start.

Bangladesh "A" won the toss and got off to a steady start. They reached 33 without loss after 10 overs. Thinus Fourie made the breakthrough for Ireland when Junaid Sadiqque nicked behind to wicketkeeper Gary Wilson after making 23, Bangladesh's highest score. Andre Botha bowled Farhad Hossain for three to leave the Bangladeshis on 48-2 in the 15th over. At a time when they would have been expected to up the scoring rate, the visitors went into their shells, scoring just 62 runs off the remaining 29 overs.

Much of the credit went to the Irish bowling attack, with skipper Kyle McCallan giving another brilliant display with the ball. After taking three wickets in Friday's 2020 clash at Eglinton, the Waringstown player repeated the dose yesterday, bowling his nine overs for just 10 runs and taking the scalps of Imrul Kayes, Nadif Chowdhuey and Dhinan Ghosh. Other bowling highlights included a first senior international wicket for Peter Connell, while Andy White picked up Nazmul Hossain with his first delivery, Andrew Poynter taking the catch.

Ireland suffered an early blow in their reply, Paul Stirling going for one off the first ball of the second over. Reinhardt Strydom and White put on 47 for the second wicket before White was trapped LBW by Arafat Sunny for 11. Strydom went soon after, bowled by Rubel Hossain for 40 but Botha settled things down, and despite losing Poynter, 8, and Wilson, 10, hit the winning boundary off the last ball of the 28th over to finish on 30 not out.

Cusack's injury means Ireland will be without six of their top players and face a massive task against a Black Caps side that wrapped up a 3-1 series win over England at Lord's on Saturday. Ireland's three top batsman had decided to stay with their counties, with Middlesex's Eoin Morgan and Gloucestershire's William Porterfield both making half centuries in yesterday's County Championship clashes. On the bowling front, Simmons is without the injured duo of Kevin O'Brien and Boyd Rankin, as well as Cusack, with New Zealand-born Peter Connell in line to face the country of his birth in his first One Day International.