Third ODI, Stormont
Ireland 206 all out (46.3 overs): Carmichael 32 (52); Ghazanfar 3-29, Rashid 3-44
Afghanistan 207-7 (44.5 overs): Rahmanullah 71 (77); Hoey 4-34
Afghanistan win by three wickets
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 71 helped Afghanistan to victory over Ireland at Stormont to take a 2-0 lead in the five-game one-day international series.
After the first match fell victim to the weather, the visitors powered to victory in the second game of the series on Friday and while Ireland produced much better this time, Afghanistan extended their ODI winning streak between the nations to eight.
Gavin Hoey took four wickets for the hosts whose tally of 206 with the bat fell one run short of Friday’s total, but was not enough for Gary Wilson’s side as three wickets apiece from Rashid Khan and AM Ghazanfar helped set a manageable target for Afghanistan.
The visitors won the toss and put Ireland into bat.
Once again, Rashid proved a thorn in Ireland’s side with ball in hand, taking the wickets of captain Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector and Mark Adair with just 44 runs coughed up.
Ghazanfar would surpass Rashid with his three wickets coming at the cost of just 29 runs, but it was Fazalhaq Farooqi who made the first breakthrough with Andrew Balbirnie removed for just seven runs which immediately put the hosts on the back foot.
When Stirling [23] and Carmichael [32] fell to Yamin Ahmadzai and Rashid respectively, it was already looking ominous for the hosts with Ghazanfar then stepping up to take Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher in quick succession.
Tector and Adair were next to go thanks for Rashid, but Ireland managed to show some resistance with Ben Calitz chipping in with 20 before Gavin Hoey [36] and Jai Moondra [31] proved a fruitful partnership, finding the boundary seven times between them, but would ultimately fall before the end of the innings.
Afghanistan wasted little time in making inroads with Rahmanullah building his tally, although they would lose Ibrahim Zadran for 12 with Byron McDonagh taking the wicket.
Sediq Atal was next to go with 27 off 25, balls, while Adair struck early against visitors’ captain Rahmat Shah.
While Hashmatullah Shahidi chipped in with 22 before becoming Hoey’s second victim, Rahmanullah continued to lead the way for the visitors with five sixes and two fours before Hoey removed him and then Darwish for 13.
Ireland had a glimmer of hope when Adair removed Azmatullah Omarzai, but Rashid’s 37 helped the visitors home before the sides meet again at Stormont on Wednesday.
