After completing the main part of the job on Friday, Ireland Women put up another superb fight in their bid to win the World T20 qualifying final, but Bangladesh confirmed their role as favourites to lift the trophy in Abu Dhabi last night.

Both teams will be at the finals in South Africa in February, but Ireland failed to narrow the gap between ninth and 11th in the rankings as the Tigers completed their second victory of the tournament against Laura Delany’s side, by seven runs.

In the opening game, the margin was 14 runs, after Bangladesh had scored 143 for four, but a much improved bowling performance saw Ireland take eight wickets in the final while restricting their opponents to 120.

So a repeat of Ireland’s batting in that first game would have been enough to win the final, but they were always up against it after losing their top three in the powerplay with just 24 runs on the board and five wickets were down at halfway.

When Delany fell to a stunning catch at short mid-wicket, Ireland were 58 for seven and it looked for all the world that it was game over, even though there were more than seven overs left. But, after the loss of Mary Waldron, Arlene Kelly and Cara Murray put on 34 for the ninth wicket, getting the target down to 15 off the last over.

Murray, however, was stumped off a ball she could have left as it was called a wide outside the off stump with three balls to go and although No 11 Jane Maguire scrambled a single off the fourth, Kelly left the fifth ball expecting the umpire to call another wide. This time he didn’t.

It was Kelly who had put Ireland in early control with her first two overs going for just one run and also taking a wicket and when Murray held a return catch to dismiss Niger Joty, top scorer in the opening game with 67, for 61 runs fewer, Bangladesh were 51 for two at halfway.

Hopes of accelerating in the second half, however, were thwarted by more tight Irish bowling with Kelly, who conceded just 13 runs from her first 23 balls, Murray and Maguire all going for less than a run a ball.

With Delany taking three wickets in the final over, Ireland with left with a very gettable target of 121 but Gaby Lewis (4) and Orla Prendergast (9) were both bowled and Hunter (7), was stumped for the second successive match.

Eimear Richardson followed in the ninth over for 18 and Rebecca Stokell did not get the chance to repeat her big hitting heroics from Friday’s semi-final win over Zimbabwe, this time failing to survive her third ball.

Shauna Kavanagh’s disappointing tour ended with a first ball dismissal and Delany, although taking 22 balls over her 12 runs, would have been a huge asset in the ultimately exciting chase.

The Ireland captain admitted the lack of partnerships in the top order cost them the game.

“We were happy restricting Bangladesh to 120, but we struggled to put partnerships together at the start and I thought the girls in the lower order did a brilliant job to get us so close,” said Delany.

Asked what Ireland would look to improve ahead of the World Cup, she identified the fielding and putting in more consistent scores with the bat.

The Women’s next action is a first ever visit to Pakistan for a six-match white-ball tour in November.

Scores: Bangladesh Women 120-8 (F Hoque 61; L Delany 3-27, A Kelly 2-17, C Murray 2-21, E Richardson 1-21) Ireland Women 113-9 (A Kelly 28 not out, M Waldron 19, E Richardson 18, C Murray 13; R Ahmed 3-24). Bangladesh won by 7 runs.