Current Match Report - Afghanistan vs Eire Solely Take a look at 2023/24

Eire 100 for 4 (Campher 49, Tector 32*, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-13, Naveed 2-32) path Afghanistan 155 (Ibrahim 53, Janat 41*, Adair 5-39, Campher 2-13, Younger 2-31) by 55 runs

A Take a look at match had by no means been performed at Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi earlier than, so the situations have been a little bit of an unknown for each Afghanistan and Eire. Even then, neither facet may have anticipated a lot sharp, typical swing, till a stage when reverse swing turned a much bigger issue. There was motion on provide off the pitch, too. Add to that the accuracy of Eire’s fast bowlers, led by Mark Adair, and all ten Afghanistan wickets fell inside 55 overs.

Hashmatullah Shahidi had opted to bat beneath a shiny and sunny sky, hoping for spin to play an element after they would bowl within the fourth innings of the Take a look at. However, by the top of day one, Afghanistan have been solely 55 forward, with six Eire wickets remaining.

Eire’s third-wicket pair of Curtis Campher and Harry Tector added 60 after they have been 32 for two within the tenth over. Afghanistan themselves have been 11 for two after seven overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Shahidi had repaired their innings with a 55-run stand, which was damaged when Shahidi tickled one down leg off certainly one of Eire’s three debutants, Brian McCarthy.

Ibrahim and Afghanistan’s solely debutant, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, then added 22 extra.

However at 86 for 3 simply after lunch, the wheels began to come back off for Afghanistan. And the set off was pressed by Adair, who had already picked up two out of the three wickets till then. The primary of these had come within the third ball of the seventh over when Adair had Noor Ali Zadran nicking to second slip.

Two deliveries later, Eire reviewed when an lbw shout by Adair towards Rahmat Shah went towards them, just for replays to point out the ball lacking leg. However subsequent ball, Adair cleaned Rahmat up for a duck, when a size ball angled in and straightened to seek out the hole between bat and pad. Adair additionally struck within the second over after lunch, having Gurbaz backside edge one to the wicketkeeper.

Two of Adair’s different victims have been Zia-ur-Rehman, who flashed one to second slip to finish a keep of extra misses than hits, and Zahir Khan, for whom Adair maybe reserved his better of the lot. Coming from across the wicket to the left-hander, Adair landed one on a size round off, and bought the ball to straighten to hit the highest of off.

Ibrahim Zadran was the brightest spot for Afghanistan with the bat•ACB

Adair’s five-for apart, debutant Craig Younger and Campher picked up two wickets every. An important of these was that of Ibrahim, who, like his captain Shahidi, ended up clipping down the leg facet for a catch to the wicketkeeper. Till then, he had scored 53 of the 90 runs on the board. His departure gave Younger his second wicket after he had bowled Nasir Jamal for a duck.

Campher, in the meantime, helped clear the tail up, putting twice within the fiftieth over after Naveed Zadran had pissed off Eire for 42 balls.

Andy Balbirnie bought a life within the second over when Rahmat dropped a easy catch off Naveed at gully. However Naveed ended his keep in his subsequent over, pinning him in entrance. Balbirnie’s evaluate proved to be futile as ball-tracking confirmed that the ball would have hit the center of leg. Campher got here in at No. 3 after that early blow and had an enormous position to play in how the day panned out.

Extra luck was due for Eire besides that they could not capitalise. Peter Moor, Eire’s different opening batter, was enjoying solely his second Take a look at for his adopted nation. He had managed solely 10 and 11 in his first, and when on 10 within the sixth over, he was cleaned up by Naveed by one which got here again in sharply from exterior off. However midway to the pavilion, he was known as again as a result of Naveed’s entrance foot had crossed the road.

And off the ultimate authorized supply of the sixth over, Moor – nonetheless on 10 – was dominated out lbw however he used the DRS to reverse the choice. However he could not make it rely as he chopped Naveen on to his stumps for 12 within the tenth over.

That’s when Campher and Tector joined palms. Runs got here at a gentle tempo for Eire, with Campher main the best way. He hit 25 off his first 17 balls, together with 5 boundaries. Tector was calmer on the different finish, ticking off singles.

However in a late twist to the day, left-arm spinner Zia bought Campher to nick behind to Gurbaz for 49. Two overs later, nightwatcher and the third of Eire’s first-timers, Theo van Woerkom, was bowled for 1 with what was a classical supply that drifted in and turned away.

Nevertheless, Tector and Paul Stirling took Eire to the top of the day with out additional harm.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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