BELFAST – A high quality bowling efficiency set Eire up for a five-wicket win over Afghanistan to take a 2-0 lead within the five-match T20I collection.
The hosts restricted to the guests to 122-8 after 20 overs, with 4 bowlers taking two wickets apiece to make sure Afghanistan’s batting effort by no means gathered any critical momentum.
Whereas Eire briefly tumbled within the center overs of their chase, falling from 72-1 to 86-4, George Dockrell held his nerve with an unbeaten 19-ball 25 to safe victory.
Mark Adair obtained the ball rolling after Afghanistan selected to bat first, taking a wicket with the primary ball of the second over; Rahmanullah Gurbaz discovered the fingers of Barry McCarthy to depart for 1. Josh Little then bowled Usman Ghani within the subsequent over to go away Afghanistan 20-2.
Ibrahim Zadran was getting going within the powerplay, taking three boundaries off McCarthy’s first over, however Curtis Campher struck from the ultimate ball of the sixth over – Zadran’s flick to the leg-side noticed Andrew McBrine dash in from deep midwicket to take a wonderful catch.
Campher switched ends and struck from his subsequent over, accounting for Najibullah Zadran, and Mohammad Nabi was the following man to go – making an attempt to go large off Gareth Delany’s leg-spin, the Afghanistan captain holed out to Dockrell at long-on for 9.
Afghanistan’s greatest partnership of the innings adopted, when Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai placed on 30, however Delany struck once more – Shahidi’s reverse sweep discovered McBrine at backward level.
Afghanistan failed to search out a lot firepower on the finish of their innings – simply 26 runs got here off the final 5 overs as Little (2-18 off 4 overs), Adair (2-12 off three) and Delany (2-19 off 4) put the ending touches to a high quality show.
A complete effort by the Irish batting unit after bowlers did their job
Paul Stirling departed early within the chase for 4 to Naveen-ul-Haq, however Andrew Balbirnie – who discovered kind within the first T20I of the collection with a half-century – rattled alongside, driving Rashid Khan via the covers for to maneuver to 18 within the fifth over of the innings. He later swept Mujeeb Ur Rahman for six, however the Afghanistan spinner ultimately obtained his revenge, dismissing Balbirnie for 46 off 36 balls to go away Eire 72-2.
Then got here a little bit of bother for the Irish, with Mohammad Nabi placing twice within the 14th over, Harry Tector (5) and Lorcan Tucker (27) each despatched on their approach.
However Dockrell eased any nerves, retaining calm at the same time as Campher was dismissed for 7 within the seventeenth over. Victory was sealed with the ultimate ball of the nineteenth over, Fazalhaq Farooqi deposited for six to provide Eire their second win of the week.
MATCH SUMMARY
Eire v Afghanistan, 2nd T20I, Stormont, 11 August 2022
Afghanistan 122-8 (20 overs; H Shahidi 36; M Adair 2-12, C Campher 2-13)
Eire 125-5 (19 overs; A Balbirnie 46, G Dockrell 25*; M Nabi 2-15)
Eire received by 5 wickets
