Published: Jul 19, 2016, 03:10 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 30, 2016, 07:09 PM (IST)
Good Afternoon, ماسپېښين مو نېکمرغه, Tráthnóna maith! Hello and Welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of Afghanistan’s tour of Scotland, Ireland and Netherlands. Here you will get all the live updates of the fourth One-Day International (ODI) between Ireland and Afghanistan. The match is scheduled to be played at Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast. This is the final ODI of the series and this match will decide if the series ends up in a draw or Afghanistan take home the trophy. The visitors have played exceptionally well throughout the series and are currently leading the series 2-1. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Ireland vs Afghanistan 2016, 5th ODI at Belfast
Live Cricket Score Afghanistan 253/9 | Overs 50 | Ireland 256 | BATTING Dawlat Zadran 31 (15), Yamin Ahmadzai 3 (7): IRE WIN!!!! That’s it, the Irish have clinched the match interestingly by just 13 runs in the final ball, as they square the series, and the honours are shared by both the teams. Poor display by the bat form the Afghans, with Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan scoring 54 and 40, respectively.
Live Cricket Score Afghanistan 41/3 | Overs 14 | Ireland 256 | BATTING Rahmat Shah 15(40), Asghar Stanikzai 7(18): OUT! Two more gone, Afghanistan in deep trouble. Chase bags one, removes Naib in the 10th over. A fuller straight delivery and Naib misses and gets it off-stump blown. Earlier Murtagh struck, removing Ahmadi in the 5th over. It was a terrible wide delivery from Murtagh but a blind shot from Ahmadi is caught at the gully. OUT! Naib b Peter Chase 2(10) OUT! Javed Ahmadi c Paul Stirling b Tim Murtagh 3(10)
Live Cricket Score Afghanistan 13/1 | Overs 4 | Ireland 265 | BATTING Rahmat Shah 2(9), Javed Ahmadi 3(9): OUT! McCarthy blows away Afghan line-up in his very first over by dismissing Shehzad. The batsman misjudges the ball, goes for an early pull and the mid-off makes no mistake to finish the catch. Just three runs off the next 2 overs. OUT! Mohammad Shehzad c Peter Chase b Barry McCarthy 7(6)
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 265/5 in overs 50, Batting: Stuart Poynter 12(15), Ed Joyce 160(148): Finally, the Irish batting comes to an end. What a performance by Ed Joyce as he toys Afghanistan bowling. The player scored 160 not out to take his team’s score to become their highest at Belfast. Huge total to chase for Afghanistan. They need an innings like Joyce from one of their batsman, a big partnership.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 197/5 in overs 44, Batting: Stuart Poynter 0(2), Ed Joyce 107(125): Yet another 100 for Joyce. The player has been the lone warrior of the series with two centuries, but today he got great support from Wilson. Back to back success for Afghanistan but they came late as the score is already quite big.
OUT! Paul Stirling b Dawlat Zadran 2 (4)
OUT! Kevin O’Brien c Najibullah Zadran b Mohammad Nabi 1 (6)
OUT! Gary Wilson c Mohammad Nabi b Dawlat Zadran 58 (92)
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 171/2 in overs 39, Batting: Garry Wilson 51(83), Ed Joyce 82(110): The partnership looks unbreakable now. Though Afghanistan have a strong batting line-up with hard-hitters, the middle-order has not clicked as a unit so far and that’s where the problem lies. The home team is going steady, aiming at a total somewhere near 260. 50 up for Wilson, a terrific innings by the batsman.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 128/2 in overs 35, Batting: Garry Wilson 36(61), Ed Joyce 57(85): Boundaries in every over and a sixer, the first of the innings, from Wilson. The player looks to be perfectly fine after being assisted by the medical team. A total over 250 will be safe on this pitch and the way the two are going, it looks to go past over that score. A couple of wickets can change the course of the game here. Afghanistan has been exceptional with the ball so far in the series but today the bowlers have not been in their usual form.
*Wilson up on his feet. Apart from getting hit on head by ball, there seems to be a collision with Mohammad Shahzad as well*
*Garry Wilson struck by ball on helmet, down with pain, medical staff to the rescue*
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 128/2 in overs 31, Batting: Garry Wilson 36(61), Ed Joyce 57(85): The momentum of the game has totally shifted in favour of Ireland, courtesy: Wilson and Joyce’s partnership. The partnership has already added around 80 runs and they look strong to go. 20 overs have been bowled till the last wicket fell and Afghanistan in urgent need of wicket.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 100/2 in overs 26, Batting: Garry Wilson 21 (44), Ed Joyce 52(77): Joyce has set the benchmark very high for his teammates in this series. The batsman once again stands against the odds as he scores a much-needed 50. Wilson, coming up in the order, is also doing well from the other end. Afghanistan bowlers must break this partnership in order to restrict the hosts within a gettable total. Meanwhile, 100 comes up for Ireland and the total is surely heading towards a good one from here.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 87/2 in overs 22, Batting: Garry Wilson 17(35), Ed Joyce 43(62): After a shaky start, Ireland have finally got the push they wanted. Joyce and Wilson look to be building the first steady partnership of the day. Afghanistan bowlers are trying their bit and need a wicket here to get the command back in their hands. The batsmen are now taking their time and taking lesser risks.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 72/2 in overs 17, Batting: Garry Wilson 10(23), Ed Joyce 35(44): Joyce is gradually moving towards his 50. He has done it before single-handedly and is expected to replicate a similar performance. Joyce needs to make his score big. Garry Wilson needs to give Joyce most of the chances looking at the fact that he has been at the crease for a longer time and will also have to build his own innings slowly and steadily.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 56/2 in overs 13, Batting: Garry Wilson 2(7), Ed Joyce 28(36): Big wicket for Afghanistan as Sean Terry departs for 4 only. Yet another par performance from the player. A change in the batting order and it’s Garry Wilson who comes out to bat. Joyce is still there and Kevin O’Brien is yet to come. Some hopes still alive for Ireland there. Meanwhile, Afghanistan bowlers are totally dominating the match.
OUT! Sean Terry c & b Yamin Ahmadzai 4 (15)
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 43/1 in overs 9, Batting: Sean Terry 4(12), Ed Joyce 20(22): A big responsibility on Sean Terry today. So far, he has not been able to produce any heroics so far and this is the time of need. The skipper is out and pressure is building over the two players. Both Terry and Joyce are experienced and need to build up a partnership here.
OUT! William Porterfield c Rahmat Shah b Mirwais Ashraf 8(20)
LIVE CRICKET SCORE, Ireland 23/0 in overs 4, Batting: William Porterfield 4(15), Ed Joyce 9(9): Big appeal on the first ball by Yamin Ahmadzai, umpire not interested. Ireland off the mark with a single. A swing and a miss by Joyce. Wide down the leg, umpire has declared it wide. Blocked the next. Very good over by Ahmadzai. Dawlat Zadran to the attack and starts off with a wide and a four down the leg. A couple of dot balls. The Irish batsmen steal 2 runs off the next. Ahmadzai handed the ball for the third over. Ed Joyce goes through the covers, four runs. Beautiful shot. Swing and a miss now. Yet another beautiful shot from the batsman through covers. Four runs. Brilliant comeback by Dawlat Zadran, as he gives away just a single run. Brilliant bowling, terrific line.
TOSS: Afghanistan elect to bowl first.
Bowlers like Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan will surely be the names to watch out for. Rahmat Shah and of course, Mohammad Shahzad at the top-order will be the pillars of the batting. Najibullah Zadran has also done very well throughout the tour which makes him one of the most dependable middle-order batsmen. As for Stanikzai, this will be his last chance in Ireland to get his form back and pull off some heroics to hand his team the victory they want.
Ireland have a very good bowling line-up including names like Tim Murtagh, Barry McCarthy, Andy McBrine and Kevin O’Brien who can turn things around for the team. One department that the team definitely need improvement is the batting. Names like William Porterfield, Ed Joyce, Kevin O’Brien are members of the squad which adds a lot of talent to the side. The players need to keep their calm and play on their on strengths to put up a tough competition to the Afghanistan team.
Squads:
Ireland: Max Sorensen, John Anderson, William Porterfield (c), George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson (wk).
Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Asghar Stanikzai (c), Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Amir Hamza Hotak, Yamin Ahmadzai.
