Belfast, August 13: Afghanistan secured a 42-run victory against Ireland in the fourth match of the ODI series held at the Civil Service Cricket Club on Wednesday. With this win, the visiting team has taken a 3-1 lead in the series.
The first match of the series ended in a no-result due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back to win the second match by 92 runs. They followed this with a three-wicket victory in the third match, ultimately clinching the series. The final match is scheduled for August 14 at the same venue.
Batting first after losing the toss, Afghanistan scored 343 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. They lost their first wicket at a score of 16, when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for 12 runs. However, Sedikullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran formed a remarkable partnership, adding 231 runs for the second wicket off 220 balls, taking the team to a total of 247.
Ibrahim scored 107 runs off 118 balls, hitting 12 boundaries, while Sedikullah played a stellar innings of 143 runs off 120 balls, including 4 sixes and 17 fours. Darwish Rasooli contributed 24 runs to the total. For Ireland, Byron McDonough took the most wickets with 3, while Mark Adair and Gavin Hoey claimed 2 wickets each.
In response, Ireland was bowled out for 301 runs in 48 overs. Captain Paul Stirling provided a steady start with a partnership of 48 runs with Andrew Balbirnie before being dismissed for 27. The hosts lost Ked Carmichael for just 5 runs at a score of 53.
Balbirnie then partnered with Harry Tector to add 76 runs for the third wicket. He also formed a 73-run partnership with Curtis Campher for the fifth wicket. Curtis scored 84 runs off 46 balls, hitting 5 sixes and 8 fours, while Balbirnie managed to score 109 runs off 119 balls, including 3 sixes and 9 fours.
For Afghanistan, Yameen Ahmadzai took 4 wickets for 71 runs, while Rashid Khan claimed 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai took 2 wickets, and one wicket was taken by A.M. Gazanfir.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.