Sport

Afghanistan take opener against Ireland after rain stops play

Paul Stirling starred with the bat in Ireland’s 1,000 match

Paul Stirling hit his 18th half-century in T20 internationals in Ireland’s defeat to Afghanistan in India. Photograph: Rowland White/Inpho

Fri Mar 6 2020 - 14:40

Ireland 172-6 (20 ovs) (P Stirling 60, K O'Brien 35; R Khan 3-22), Afghanistan 133-5 (15 ovs) (N Zadran 42no; S Singh 2-18). Rain stopped play. Afghanistan won by 11 runs (D/L method).

Ireland lost their opening game of the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan in India on Friday after rain cut short an entertaining match at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida.

In what represented the 1,000th match for an Irish men's team, captain Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and elected to make first use of a decent batting wicket.

Opening pair Paul Stirling (60 from 41 balls) and Kevin O'Brien (35 from 17 balls) put on a 63-run opening stand from the first six overs to give the visitors a good launch pad. Stirling's half-century was his 18th in T20I cricket – and his 10th since the start of 2019 – and came from 38 balls, including eight fours and two sixes.

READ MORE

Balbirnie (29) and Stirling then contributed a busy 48-run partnership, before a cluster of middle-order wickets slowed the Irish progression.

A late knock of 29 not out from 17 balls from Harry Tector helped Ireland post a defendable total of 172 for six.

For Afghanistan, the world’s number one ranked T20I bowler Rashid Khan finished with three for 22 from his four overs.

In response, the Afghan openers came quickly out of the gates. Hazratullah Zazai (23 off 15 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (28 off 13 balls) brought up their sides first 50 in four overs, before Simi Singh struck twice in the fifth over - and followed it up with a run out in the sixth to leave Afghanistan on 55 for three.

A fourth wicket fell – another run out – shortly after and the momentum of the game had swung back to Ireland.

However, the middle-order pair of Samiullah Shinwari (28) and Najibullah Zadran (42 not out) rescued the Afghan batting line-up and pushed the score on with counterattacking play. Zadran was particularly aggressive with three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball unbeaten innings.

On the last ball of the 15th over Boyd Rankin struck by removing Shinwari, leaving the game poised at the Afghans requiring 40 from 30 balls with five wickets in hand. However, Rankin's wicket was the last action seen on the field as rain then ensued and the match was abandoned. The Afghan side was narrowly ahead of the DLS par score and were declared victors by 11 runs.

The second match of the series takes place on Sunday.

Andrew BalbirnieBoyd RankinHarry TectorKevin O’BrienPaul StirlingSimi Singh