END OF OVER:
11 | 10 Runs | IRE: 93/9 (18 runs required, RR: 8.45)

  • Jacob Mulder5 (5b)
  • George Dockrell5 (2b)
  • Mohammad Nabi2-0-14-0
  • Rashid Khan2-1-3-5

6.30 pm That's all we have for you. Thanks for joining us. Goodnight.

"Very important that we won the series. When the rain came, we could have lost the match, but it stopped and thankfully we were able to pull it off. Congratulations to Tarakai for his 90," says Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai, "On this ground 111 in 11 overs was a very easy total. Rashid and the boys defended it very very well"

"It was frustrating when the rain came down. We had momentum before it, and it was quite a large break as well and we didn't have the 20 overs to play with," Ireland captain William Porterfield says,"I was pleased with how we had set the game up, but we couldn't do it as wel after the rain. We didn't set it up well in the first 10-12 balls after the break. It was always going to be difficult, 40 odd off four overs."

6.20 pm The Man of the Match award is shared between Najeeb Tarakai and Rashid Khan. "Match was in their hands before the rain. It was difficult to come back, but the coach and skipper told me that we had to do it and I had the confidence that I could do it as well. In the first over, it was difficult to grip the ball, but later on, I got used to it," says Rashid.

Najeeb spoke about how he paced his innings on a slow pitch, taking his time early and then hitting out in the end.

6.10 pm Afghanistan have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and have moved onto their 10th straight win in T20Is. The streak is alive and 18-year of Rashid Khan with his remarkable 5 wickets for 3 runs is to be praised for that. Joint fourth-best figures in all T20Is and the best ever for Afghanistan.

Two hours ago, this result didn't seem likely. When the rain poured down and forced the players off the field, Ireland were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score. They had 65 for 2 on the board in 6.1 overs. They lost seven wickets in the next 4.5 overs to crash out of the series.

Kapil: "Ireland were robbed off the momentum and they don't seem to have the power game to hit big runs by going big against spinners. And honestly 49 off 29 was chaseable on this ground with short boundaries and more importantly they had 8 wickets in hand"

10.6
2
Mohammad Nabi to Mulder, 2 runs, steps down, Nabi throws it wide of his reach, slogs it to the right of long-on, who sends in another direct hit. Mulder's safe, but Ireland are not.

Sajish: "Rashid Khan is touching Gold everywhere. What a class player he is. Got an IPL Deal last month and now bowling his heart out to a fine spell of 5 Wkts. Great future ahead for this 18 year old. Welldone. an Indian Fan"

10.5
1
Mohammad Nabi to Dockrell, 1 run, length ball outside off, slugs it to long-on
10.4
4
Mohammad Nabi to Dockrell, FOUR, bludgeons a half-volley down the ground, and its got enough power to beat the man at long-off, to his right
10.3
1
Mohammad Nabi to Mulder, 1 run, comes down and flicks a straight delivery to short fine leg
10.2
0
Mohammad Nabi to Mulder, no run, tosses it up outside off, because the batsman is making room outside leg, and Nabi essentially one-ups him. The ball is too wide for Mulder to make any connection
10.1
2
Mohammad Nabi to Mulder, 2 runs, down the track, but he ends up yorking himself. Nudge to long-on for a couple. There's a direct hit at the non-strikers'. A quick check on if the run has been complete. And it is.

Ireland need 28 off six balls. This is basically done. Mohammad Nabi to get the formalities over with

END OF OVER:
10 | 1 Run 3 Wkts | IRE: 83/9 (28 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.30, RRR: 28.00)

  • Jacob Mulder0 (1b)
  • George Dockrell0 (0b)
  • Rashid Khan2-1-3-5
  • Karim Janat3-0-24-3
9.6
1b
Rashid Khan to Mulder, 1 bye, wanders outside off stump for a sweep, Rashid bowling a loopy legbreak, exactly where the batsman is, still beats him. That's a triple-wicket maiden
9.5
W
Rashid Khan to McCarthy, OUT, appeal for lbw and it's given. Rashid has five wickets in 10 balls - on he is a hat-trick as well. Although this one seems to be a bit lucky. The debutant McCarthy goes for a sweep and is struck on the back pad. Appears to be outside the line of off stump

BJ McCarthy lbw b Rashid Khan 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

9.4
W
Rashid Khan to GJ Thompson, OUT, now the frustrated batsman loses his head, comes down the track and is done in by the googly. Superb bowling from Rashid. He ladled all the pressure on Thompson and then gave him a way out - the tossed up ball, but it spins in, skittles through bat and pad as he slogs, and Shahzad does the rest

GJ Thompson st †Mohammad Shahzad b Rashid Khan 1 (7m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00

9.3
0
Rashid Khan to GJ Thompson, no run, goes for the conventional sweep this time and still fails to connect
9.2
0
Rashid Khan to GJ Thompson, no run, looks for the reverse sweep again, but the length ball is a little too wide for him to make proper connection
9.1
W
Rashid Khan to Tucker, OUT, third wicket in seven balls for the leggie. He's changed the game. Of course, having a target that forces the batsman to look for the big hits help. Here Tucker comes dancing down and pops a catch to the man at long-off

LJ Tucker c Najibullah Zadran b Rashid Khan 9 (9m 6b 2x4 0x6) SR: 150.00

Ireland need 29 off 12 balls to win. Rashid Khan to bowl the penultimate over.

END OF OVER:
9 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | IRE: 82/6 (29 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.11, RRR: 14.50)

  • Lorcan Tucker9 (5b)
  • Greg Thompson1 (1b)
  • Karim Janat3-0-24-3
  • Rashid Khan1-0-3-2
8.6
1
Karim Janat to Tucker, 1 run, slices a full delivery, swinging into him rather late, to long-off, who comes running in off the boundary
8.5
1
Karim Janat to GJ Thompson, 1 run, plants a shortish delivery on leg stump into the captain's hands at extra cover
8.4
1lb
Karim Janat to Tucker, 1 leg bye, cramps the batsman up with a fuller delivery on middle and leg. Tucker swings from the hip, only makes contact off the thigh pad
8.3
4
Karim Janat to Tucker, FOUR, races down the pitch, gets a thick outside edge to a short delivery outside off and with third man up, Sadiq pays the price for bowling his normal pace. This is a field set for the slower ball
8.2
4
Karim Janat to Tucker, FOUR, they've been trying so very very hard and finally Tucker picks up a slower ball and slogs it between deep midwicket and long-on. It's all high-risk cricket

Four wickets in 12 balls since the resumption. Afghanistan are back big time

8.1
W
Karim Janat to McBrine, OUT, another Irishman goes out swinging. It's a length ball on middle, McBrine wants to smack it out of the ground. There is no time to get yourself in. Not even the time to steady this awful wobble. He has to go, and the slog to cow corner only goes as far as the fielder in the deep

AR McBrine c Mohammad Nabi b Karim Janat 1 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

IRE tour of AE and India 2016-17 News

Ireland 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st7PR StirlingSR Thompson
2nd53WTS PorterfieldPR Stirling
3rd8KJ O'BrienWTS Porterfield
4th2KJ O'BrienGC Wilson
5th1GC WilsonAR McBrine
6th0AR McBrineLJ Tucker
7th11GJ ThompsonLJ Tucker
8th0GJ ThompsonGH Dockrell
9th0GH DockrellBJ McCarthy
10th11GH DockrellJ Mulder