Ibrahim Zadran’s 84 and Rashid Khan’s stunning six-wicket haul help Afghanistan dominate rain-shortened second ODI.
Afghanistan produced a dominant all-round display to defeat Ireland by 92 runs in the rain-affected second One-Day International at Bready Cricket Club on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.
A composed innings from Ibrahim Zadran and a match-winning bowling performance by Rashid Khan proved decisive after the contest was reduced to 47 overs per side due to weather interruptions.
After winning the toss, Ireland captain Paul Stirling opted to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of the conditions. However, Afghanistan’s batters responded confidently, posting an imposing total of 299/8 from their allotted overs.
Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with an impressive 84 from 97 deliveries, striking eight boundaries and two sixes.
His knock provided stability at the top of the order and laid the platform for a competitive total. Zadran also shared a valuable century partnership with Sediqullah Atal, who contributed a fluent 45 off just 50 balls.
Afghanistan received useful contributions throughout the batting lineup. Hashmatullah Shahidi added 36 runs, Azmatullah Omarzai scored 33, wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz chipped in with 32, while captain Rahmat Shah made 30 to ensure the visitors maintained momentum.
For Ireland, Jai Moondra and Mark Adair claimed two wickets each, while Gavin Hoey, Curtis Campher and Harry Tector picked up one wicket apiece.
Chasing a challenging target of 300, Ireland struggled to build lasting partnerships and were eventually bowled out for 207 in just 33.4 overs.
Cade Carmichael fought hard with a determined 62 off 66 deliveries, but lacked support from the rest of the batting order. Veteran opener Andy Balbirnie was the only other Irish batter to cross the 30-run mark with an innings of 36.
Rashid Khan turned the match firmly in Afghanistan’s favour with a sensational spell, finishing with outstanding figures of 6/34 in 7.4 overs.
His brilliant leg-spin dismantled Ireland’s batting lineup and earned him the Player of the Match award. Azmatullah Omarzai supported the attack with two wickets, while Fazalhaq Farooqi added one scalp.
The victory handed Afghanistan a 1-0 advantage in the five-match ODI series after the opening fixture at Bready was abandoned without a result because of persistent rain.
Both teams will now move to Belfast, where the remaining three ODIs are scheduled to be played at the Civil Service Cricket Club on August 10, 12 and 15.