Recent Match Report – Afghanistan vs Ireland 2nd T20I 2023/24

Afghanistan 152 for 9 (Nabi 59, Adair 3-27, Little 2-20) beat Ireland 142 for 8 (Balbirnie 45, Rashid 4-14, Kharote 2-23) by 10 runs

Little, Adair land early blows

Almost every ball bowled by Little and Adair in the first two overs swung considerably, but they were accurate with line and length. However, a lack of luck meant only one Afghanistan wicket had fallen. Little got one to skid through to clean up Rahmanullah Gurbaz after Adair hit Atal’s off stump only for the bail to remain unmoved.

But Adair then struck back-to-back to end the third over. He had Ibrahim Zadran get a leading edge to mid-off before trapping Mohammad Ishaq in front. Replays indicated that the impact might have been outside off, as some luck seemed to even out. Adair also removed Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai in the death overs and finished with 3 for 27. Before that, Little had Azmatullah Omarzai caught behind for what was the batter’s second successive first-ball duck.

Nabi counters to revive Afghanistan

He came in at No. 6, and punched his fourth ball for four to get off the mark. One over of the powerplay was still left, and Nabi pulled Little for six to keep going. But the boundaries kept coming even after the field spread. Nabi hacked Ben White, drove Gareth Delany and slashed Curtis Campher for four, leading Afghanistan’s rebuilding. They had pushed their way to 68 for 4 at the halfway stage.

But just after the drinks break, Nabi launched White for a six which went 90 degrees over the umpire’s head, while also calmly ticking over singles off the spinners. Atal was run out in the 14th over, but even that didn’t stop Nabi. He hit Campher for four in the same over, before smashing four and six off consecutive deliveries against White in the 15th. White had him caught two balls later, but by then, Nabi, who ended the day as Afghanistan’s leading run-scorer in T20Is, had laid the platform for Rashid.

Rashid’s impact: Part I

Having demoted himself to No. 9, Rashid arrived with 21 balls left and the score at 119. He crashed Adair first ball for four to deep backward point, before attacking Barry McCarthy next over. Both the four and the six stood out in their own ways: the first was a swat wide of long-off after he made room and jumped down the pitch to a shortish ball, while the next was a no-look swipe over fine leg off a full toss, with the ball flying over the Sachin Tendulkar stand. Another four followed in the penultimate over, but more action from Rashid was due.

Rashid’s impact: Part II

Ireland were sitting pretty at 68 for 1 halfway into the ninth over, when Rashid struck. He was on a hat-trick for the second game in a row after his return to action, as Lorcan Tucker paddle swept to short fine leg, and Harry Tector was bowled by the wrong ‘un. Rashid returned to bowl the 16th over, by which time Kharote had got rid of both set openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie.

The googly also got George Dockrell to start Rashid’s final over, and cleaned Adair up too two balls after. Ireland were seven down, and staring at defeat, which was delayed only by Delany’s late entertainment with the bat.