1st T20I, Sharjah, March 15, 2024, 09:30 PM
Ireland
149/6(20.0ov)
Afghanistan
111/10(18.4ov)
Ireland beat Afghanistan by 38 runs
Right then, that is it from this game. Ireland have taken an early lead in this series. The action continues as the second T20I between these two sides will be played on Sunday, the 17th of January. The game begins at 9.30 pm IST (4 pm GMT). Join us an hour early for the pre-match build-up. Until then, stay safe and enjoy your time. Cheers!
Paul Stirling, the skipper of Ireland, says that Afghanistan are a huge team and this is a massive win for them. Adds that they will keep on improving and keep giving their best. He says that they had a great game today and ends by saying that they performed well as a team.
Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan, speaks in his local language. He informs them where the game went wrong and ends by saying that they will bounce back in their next game.
Ben White, wins the Player of the Match award for his four-wicket haul. He is delighted to perform for his time. Informs that he is happy to be back with the boys. Informs it is nice to chip in for the team.
Stay tuned for the presentations...
Earlier in the game, Afghanistan's bowling unit, led by the talismanic Rashid Khan, performed exceptionally well in the middle overs of the match. Despite a strong start by Irish openers Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling in the powerplay, Rashid's impressive spell of 3/19 and debutant Nangeyalia Kharote's 2/16 in their 4 overs restricted the Irish side effectively. Although Ireland seemed headed for a below-par total, Harry Tector's aggressive batting in the final five overs helped them reach a good score of 149 runs!
To be honest, there is not much to write about the Afghanistan batters. They were under the pump from the word go. They kept on losing a wicket whenever a good partnership was brewing for them. Mohammad Ishaq and Mohammad Nabi showed some intent in the middle and scored 31 and 25 respectively, but that was it. They will look to leave this behind and bounce back in their following game.
A convincing victory for Ireland as they win the game by 38 runs! Their bowling performance was just exceptional! Mark Adair and Joshua Little spearheaded the attack, causing significant trouble for the opposition with the new ball, claiming three early wickets in the first two overs. Barry McCarthy made a crucial contribution by dismissing the dangerous Ibrahim Zadran. Ben White further consolidated Ireland's dominance by dismantling the middle order, ultimately finishing with a four-wicket haul. Their overall bowling and fielding efforts were exceptional, which helped them cruise towards victory and take an early lead in this T20I series.
In over# 19
0W
0
0
4
Barry McCarthy 14/2(3.4)
18.4
W
OUT! CAUGHT! Barry McCarthy picks up his second and bundles Afghanistan for 110. A commanding victory for Ireland in the first match of this series. It is very full, outside off. Naveen-ul-Haq throws the kitchen sink at it. The ball catches the outer half and flies towards sweeper cover. Gareth Delany there takes a sharp catch. Ireland win the match by 38 runs.
18.3
.
Slower bumper, wide of off. Naveen-ul-Haq leaves it alone.
18.2
.
A length ball, much straighter, on off. Naveen-ul-Haq drills it down the park but denies the single.
18.1
4
FOUR! Fine shot! Lands it outside off, Naveen-ul-Haq reaches out to it and slashes it over backward point as the ball finds the fence.
In over# 18
0
1
0
0
6
1
Mark Adair 26/1(3)
17.6
.
A full toss, on the body. Fazalhaq Farooqi defends it back to the bowler with a full face.
17.5
1
Full and on off. Naveen-ul-Haq drills it to long on for one.
17.4
.
Nails the wide yorker this time. Naveen-ul-Haq jams it out to backward point.
17.3
.
It is full, wide of off. Naveen-ul-Haq tries to scoop it away but misses.
17.2
6
SIX! BANG! Short ball, on off. Naveen-ul-Haq charges down the track, rides the bounce and smokes it over the mid-wicket fence for a biggie. Even Mark Adair is surprised to see what Naveen-ul-Haq is capable of.
17.1
1
A low full toss, on the pads. Fazalhaq Farooqi flicks it to deep square leg for one.