Player of the Match
Player of the Match

These two teams look to be matching up well, so this could be a closely contested series. The ebby-flowiness of this game was enjoyable. Let's hope there's more coming. On that note, it's goodbye from me, Ekanth, my co-commentator Ashish Pant, and our scorer, Ranjith P.

Andy Balbirnie, Ireland Captain and POTM: It's a lot more fun when you are scoring runs. We have been hurting after recent losses, but this win is great. (On his batting) When you're out of form, you can over-analyse, but I kept it simple. I watched the ball closely and did well, I hope my form will continue. (From the team's pov) We have played well this summer so far without getting over the line. We bowled well, we had wickets in hand with the bat. That meant we could go harder. We need to learn to balance aggression and caution early on. Not losing wickets in the first six is important, we navigated through that well. We had defined roles and stuck to them. Our bowlers did well. Gareth is in good rhythm, we have good options. (On the score) The target was chaseable, we bowled to good plans. We ask our bowlers to be clear mentally and they did it well today.

Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan Captain: We haven't played a game since a month. It was a good game, we were 10-15 runs short. It was a good pitch. Ireland batted well. Usman played really well, he's scored a lot in the domestic games and thus got a chance today. We need to work on our lines and lengths, we missed it in the first six and at the death too.

Dave: "Been following this Afghan team right from the beginning. The only problem that seem to me with this team is except Nabi as soon as players get good experience they are dropped for young blood. Shahzad, Afghan, Shinwari, Dawlat, Shapoor, Hamid, Naib and the list goes on. All the momentum for achieving greater feat is killed. I mean why?"

Dipanjan Show: "Finally, I can sleep well tonight. Also this ends the 11 match losing streak for Ireland across formats that began on 24 February."

6:56 pm: Ireland finally make it over the line. They started well in the chase, Balbirnie and Stirling were great. But Nabi and Rashid were good in drying up the runs after the powerplay. There were a few quiet overs towards the end, particularly from Fazal Farooqi, who seemed to have an on-demand subscription to the ability to nail yorkers. After the settled batters were dismissed, Tector could not get going. In the end, that changed and he managed to pull through, Dockrell iced his bowling excellence by finishing on a high with the bat allowing Ireland a 1-0 lead.

Azweer : "Atlast.... Ireland crosses the line..!!"

Albert Mawonde: "Phew, tight ending, but, as l expected, the Irish crossed the line by a whisker"

19.5
4
Naveen-ul-Haq to Dockrell, FOUR, Pulled, it's in the gap and goes to the midwicket fence! Dockrell and Tector share a bear-hug mid-pitch. It was a full-paced shortish ball and he swung across. It dissected the fielders on its merry way to the fence.

Two needed off two. Archit Athani: "Surely, not gonna choke this one now!!"

19.4
4
Naveen-ul-Haq to Dockrell, FOUR, Long-on does well to get to it, Zadran dives but parries it and it meets to the cushion! It was a slow, length ball outside off. Driven into the ground, it went straight and somehow goes for four.
19.3
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, 1 run, Makes room, gets followed by a pitch-perfect yorker, Tector opens his bat face just a bit and tries to jam it. But it goes off the edge to short fine.

Pugi: "Can Tector hold his nerve and cross the line for Ireland? "

19.2
4
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, FOUR, Makes room, gets a full slower one on the stumps. Tector waited and slapped it over cover, long-off cannot cut it off. Seven needed off four now.

Both Tector and Naveen look to have had picked up niggles on the way. Tector's seems to be a wrist issue. But both are okay.

19.1
2
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, 2 runs, Length ball follows Tector as he's on the move trying to make room. Goes for the pull, the bottom-hand loses the grip. It loses pace and goes to the gap behind square. Comes back with a dive and makes it.

13 needed, 12 for a super over

END OF OVER:
19 | 10 Runs | IRE: 156/3 (13 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.21, RRR: 13.00)

  • Harry Tector18 (12b)
  • George Dockrell2 (3b)
  • Fazalhaq Farooqi4-0-32-0
  • Naveen-ul-Haq3-1-24-1
18.6
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tector, 1 run, Yorker just outside off, tries to whack it but gets it off the bottom. Goes along the ground to long-on.
18.5
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dockrell, 1 run, Full outside off, driven hard but finds long-off.
18.4
0
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dockrell, no run, Yorker outside off goes below the bat to beat the drive
18.3
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tector, 1 run, Full outside off, driven hard but it's straight to deep cover, all along the ground.

That leads to some time-off as the captain and bowler have a conference.

Naseer Sadiq: "Such an intersting match Afghanistan alweays produces close encounters "

18.2
6
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tector, SIX, Length, Tector moves across and slogs it. Sails away over cow corner for six! It was a slower one but sat up, Tector finally middles one.
18.1
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dockrell, 1 run, Length outside off, driven on the up to long-off.

Farooqi starts from around the wicket

END OF OVER:
18 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | IRE: 146/3 (23 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.11, RRR: 11.50)

  • Harry Tector10 (9b)
  • Naveen-ul-Haq3-1-24-1
  • Fazalhaq Farooqi3-0-22-0

David : "This will be yet another irish choke in a long line of chokes this summer. " It is premonition o'clock.

17.6
W
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tucker, OUT, Slog swept, it's a skier and taken by Rashid at deep midwicket! It was a length ball, the slower one was in Tucker's reach. He swung through, Rashid ran to his left as the ball eased down and took it well.

LJ Tucker c Rashid Khan b Naveen-ul-Haq 50 (42m 32b 6x4 1x6) SR: 156.25

17.5
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, 1 run, Goes across, gets a very low full toss. Flicks it off the middle but finds short fine leg.
17.4
2
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, 2 runs, Down the track, yorks himself. It's outside off, he tries to jam it. Goes off the inside-half of the bottom of the bat to the acreage at midwicket. The lack of timing means it fizzles there, allowing a couple.
17.3
2
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tector, 2 runs, Slower length ball just wide of leg but the batter had made room. He tries to whack it, gets it off the bottom to midwicket. They hurry and manage to steal two.
17.2
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tucker, 1 run, Full ball is swept to short fine for a single, fifty for Tucker. He raises his bat and gets applauded.
17.1
4
Naveen-ul-Haq to Tucker, FOUR, Edge, it's past the right of the keeper for four! It was a length ball, Tucker made room and tried to guide it fine. It went too straight but not in the reach of the diving keeper.

END OF OVER:
17 | 8 Runs | IRE: 136/2 (33 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.00, RRR: 11.00)

  • Lorcan Tucker45 (29b)
  • Harry Tector5 (6b)
  • Fazalhaq Farooqi3-0-22-0
  • Rashid Khan4-0-25-0

Three quiet overs takes the required rate up to 11. Tector has tried to go big but hasn't been successful.

16.6
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tucker, 1 run, Yorker at fifth stump, digs out a drive to cover.
16.5
2
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tucker, 2 runs, Low, wide full toss. Driven with an open bat-face to the right of deep third, who stops it well with a dive.
16.4
1lb
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tector, 1 leg bye, Shuffles wide and gets on one knee, he's followed by a full ball. Beaten on the slog sweep, it goes off the body to the off side.
16.3
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tucker, 1 run, Full and wide, driven to cover at the edge of the ring.
16.2
1
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tector, 1 run, Goes across, gets a full ball outside off. Driven hard, it hovers before going to long-off along the turf.

Ireland 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st61A BalbirniePR Stirling
2nd62A BalbirnieLJ Tucker
3rd23LJ TuckerHT Tector
4th25GH DockrellHT Tector