Ireland holds nerve in last-over thriller to snap winless streak
Ireland holds nerve in last-over thriller to snap winless streak: Finally, after losing seven T20Is, three ODIs, and failing to win a game all summer, Ireland finally recorded a victory.
Harry Tector and George Dockrell both kept their cool as Ireland beat Afghanistan by seven wickets on the penultimate ball in the first Twenty20 International in Belfast. It was, however, a chase that the hosts nearly blew off the rails on.
Ireland appeared to be in control, needing 48 runs off six overs with nine wickets in hand and chasing 169, but a couple of tight overs allowed Afghanistan a sniff once more. He held his nerve and hit two consecutive fours off Naveen-ul-Haq to give Ireland the victory with one ball to spare in the last over.
After only five T20Is in 2022, and no international cricket since June 14, Afghanistan’s inability to establish their rhythm on a somewhat two-paced Belfast pitch was obviously evident. Usman Ghani’s fourth T20I half-century and Ibrahim Zadran’s fast 18-ball 29* in the last overs helped the visitors reach 168 for 7 in their 20 overs.
The second fifty in three T20I innings from Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker ensured Ireland’s comfortable victory. While the bulk of the race appeared to be a straightforward chase, Balbirnie and Tucker both succumbed to injury in quick succession. However, the powerful hits by Tector and Dockrell came just in time to help Ireland cross the finish line.
Ghani comes to the rescue.
Ghani was aware that he had to get going after scoring just eight runs from seven balls in the first five overs of the powerplay. Ghani’s shoulders opened up after Rahmanullah Gurbaz was replaced in the fifth inning. Fast bowler Mark Adair was hit for two consecutive fours at the start of the sixth over, followed by an inside-out six from offspinner Andy McBrine.
With Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Najibullah Zadran, Ghani was able to form some of the most crucial partnerships in the game. He scored a half-century off 35 balls to lead a sluggish Afghanistan batting line-up to victory in the one-day international. In the 15th over, Ghani had created the groundwork for the bottom order to take off.
It was a roller coaster of a bowling performance!
Ireland’s day on the field was uneventful. Regular boundary balls were wonderful in some areas, but they discharged the majority of the pressure. Several of Ireland’s bowling adjustments were also ineffective. In their first three overs, Joshua Little and Adair dominated Afghanistan on a surface with some carry and high bounce. Gurbaz, in particular, was in a lot of trouble as a result of their aggressive bowling.
Balbirnie then threw in the McBrine twist for no apparent reason. For the Afghan openers, this was just what they were looking for Gurbaz, who had reached 4 off 12 balls, hit three fours off McBrine in an over to free himself. With just 34 runs scored between overs 13 and 18, Ireland was able to restrict the Afghan batsmen in the middle overs and struck four times.
However, Adair’s final out swung the tide back in Afghanistan’s favor. In an attempt to try something new, he strayed too far from the path, and Ibrahim was able to carry him for four two-sixes, a four, and two doubles to help Afghanistan to a score that was just above par.
Ireland is buoyed by Balbirnie’s and Tector.
In his last five T20I innings, Balbirnie’s best score was 14, and he’d been under scrutiny for a time. In the end, he stood up for his squad when it mattered the most. From the start, Ireland’s captain seemed like he was ready to lead the team. Before Fazalhaq Farooqi was hit for two fours, Mujeeb Ur Rahman was smashed over fine leg for a six by him in the third over.
It didn’t bother Balbirnie that Paul Stirling was playing a maiden. Even his singles had an air of authority about them, and he found boundaries at regular intervals. The spotlight fell on Tucker when Stirling succumbed. Through the middle innings, both hitters appeared unfazed. As Rashid Khan was being eviscerated, the team made sure to keep the attack fresh by rotating the strikers. Balbirnie took 34 balls to reach his seventh T20I half-century, while Tucker needed 31 balls to get his fourth. Second-wicket pair added 62 runs.
Again, Ireland comes close to losing a game.
Ireland has spent the entire summer feeling like it is so close yet so far away. They have been unable to close out games despite having put up the effort. They found themselves in a similar predicament once again..
At 121 for 1 in 14 overs, most bettors would have assumed Ireland would chase down the mark. However, the Afghan bowlers fought back. In the end, Ireland needed 23 runs off the final two overs. Despite Tector’s six off the second ball, Farooqi’s 19th over went for just ten runs.
The final over was given to Naveen, who had performed admirably throughout the day. While his lengths were lacking, Tector initially carted him over extra cover before Dockrell completed the chase with a straight down-the-wicket and a cross-batted heave between deep mid-wicket and long-on. Ireland deserved to win this game after the two months they’ve experienced.