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Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Adair and Little share five as Ireland take rain-hit series decider

Ireland players celebrate a wicket Sportsfile/Getty Images

Ireland 56 for 3 beat Afghanistan 95 for 5 (Ghani 44*, Adair 3-16) by seven wickets (DLS method)

George Dockrell edged Ireland to a T20I series victory over Afghanistan in a tense conclusion to a rain-affected decider in Belfast.

Dockrell hit the decisive run as the home side clinched a 3-2 win by seven wickets after reaching a reduced target of 56 with two balls of their seven allotted overs to spare.

Having won the toss and put the Afghans in, Ireland got off to a good start when Mark Adair removed openers Hazratullah Zazai, who had dispatched the two previous balls to the boundary, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in his first over.

When Adair had Ibrahim Zadran caught by Barry McCarthy, he had 3 for 16 and the tourists had been reduced to 26 for 3 inside four overs.

Usman Ghani steadied the ship, but Josh Little had Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi caught behind by Lorcan Tucker off successive deliveries in his second spell, but with Ghani unbeaten on 44 and his side having reached 95 for five from 15 overs, rain intervened.

Paul Stirling needed just five runs to reach 3000 in T20Is as Ireland's reply got under way, and he made it within three balls, cutting Naveen ul Haq for four off the first and taking a single from the third.

Fellow opener Andrew Balbirnie was trapped in front for 9 attempting to sweep Mujeeb Ur Rahman with the score on 17, Mujeeb had Stirling caught at deep midwicket for 16 to give his side hope, and Tucker soon followed for 14.

However, Harry Tector and Dockrell saw their side home for the loss of three wickets.

Ireland 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st17A BalbirniePR Stirling
2nd21PR StirlingLJ Tucker
3rd7LJ TuckerHT Tector
4th11GH DockrellHT Tector