Where cricket is a family language

Cricket runs in the Tector family's veins. From their father to all four siblings, the sport has shaped their lives, and their dinner-table conversations. Now, Harry and Tim Tector are carrying Ireland's men's batting on their shoulders, while their sister Alice represents the women's team, and eldest brother Jack captained Ireland's age-group sides.

Irish cricket has long revolved around a handful of families, so it is not uncommon to see multiple members of the same family representing the national side. At one point, brothers Kevin and Niall O'Brien were both key figures for Ireland. The Joyce family was equally prominent: Ed Joyce enjoyed a long international career, while his sister Isobel Joyce represented the women's team and is currently in Bangladesh as a commentator.

In the current setup, Mark Adair's brother, Ross Adair, was initially part of this series' squad before withdrawing. And now it is the Tector brothers -- Harry and Tim -- lighting up the ongoing T20I series.

With just two T20Is under his belt before arriving in Bangladesh, Tim showcased his batting flair in both matches. He struck 32 off 19 in the first game and followed up with 38 off 25 in the second, giving Ireland aggressive starts. The Bangladesh tour is already beginning to feel like a turning point in his T20 career. In the opening match, his elder brother Harry starred with a superb 69 off 45 to help Ireland to victory.

On the eve of Tuesday's series decider, Tim shared the story of his cricket-soaked family at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram -- a family that breathes cricket.

"I mean, we've all played for quite a while now," Tim said. "Obviously, our eldest brother, Jack, captained the Under-19 World Cup -- I think it was out here, actually, in Bangladesh. Then Harry did the same in his one World Cup, and I did the same.

"We have a little sister, Alice, as well, who's broken into the women's team. We've all grown up; our dad played a little bit. We've all played in the same club throughout our journey, and we all love it. It's rare that every family member loves playing the same sport, but it's great that we all get along with it and we all love playing it."

Tim has enjoyed batting with Harry in both matches. The brothers added 31 off 24 balls in the first game and 31 off 21 in the second. Batting alongside his elder brother -- three years older -- on the international stage is something he relishes.

"Look, it's obviously very cool batting with Harry out there. We've done it for quite a while now in our club stuff and in our domestic stuff at home, so it didn't feel that different batting with him. Obviously, it's a slightly bigger occasion out here, but it's not something I'm not used to. It didn't feel too different from normal."

Harry is already an established name in Irish cricket, a dependable performer across formats. Tim is only at the beginning of his journey, but the early signs are promising. His stroke-making in the powerplay -- stepping out to spinners, picking up short-of-a-length balls from pacers and sending them into the stands -- has highlighted his natural ability.

He says his style is rooted in positivity and putting pressure on the bowlers:

"I think powerplay batting for me, anyway, is you're trying to take the game to the bowlers pretty much.

"I know I've gotten a couple of starts, but I think I'd rather be getting out looking to keep that momentum going outside the powerplay instead of trying to bat a score. I think that's the way this team wants to play. We want to keep that momentum going outside the powerplay and keep looking to put big totals on the board. Obviously, it's disappointing getting out after getting a couple of starts, but I don't mind if it's taking the aggressive option. I don't mind doing it."