Ire vs AFG: Afghanistan win by 92 runs after rain-hit ODI
Afghanistan beat Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI at Bready, with Rashid Khan taking six wickets as the five-match series moved to 1-0. The match came…
BREADY — Ire vs AFG brought a quick shift in momentum on Friday, as Afghanistan beat Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI at Bready Cricket Club to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Rashid Khan did the damage with a six-wicket haul after the match was reduced to 47 overs per side because of rain.
The result followed a blank opening game, which was abandoned without a toss because of persistent wet weather at the County Tyrone ground. It also landed in the middle of a wider debate over Ireland’s decision to stage the series despite discomfort in some quarters over Afghanistan’s treatment of women.
Ire vs AFG shifts after washout
The first one-day international had been due to start at 10:45 BST, but a pitch inspection was called for 12:00 before the fixture was abandoned at 12:27. That meant what should have been new Ireland head coach Gary Wilson’s first match in charge never got underway.
Friday’s second ODI finally offered cricket, though not for long enough to spare Ireland trouble. Afghanistan, led by Ibrahim Zadran, posted 299 for 8 after batting first under overcast skies. Ireland were then bowled out for 207 in 33.4 overs.
Afghanistan initially found the new-ball movement awkward. Mark Adair opened with a maiden, while Jai Moondra struggled to contain Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Gurbaz hit a six and a four in Moondra’s third over, before the left-arm seamer had the last laugh when the opener holed out trying another big shot.
Sediqullah Atal kept the scoreboard moving and Ibrahim played with patience before the pair added 116 runs. Ibrahim reached his half-century from 52 balls and later anchored the innings alongside Rahmat Shah, before Azmatullah Omarzai and Darwish Rasooli added another useful stand. Hashmatullah Shahidi finished with a late burst, making 36 from 21 balls.
Rashid Khan turns the match
Ireland made a steady start in reply and reached 65 for 1, with Andy Balbirnie looking fluent and Cade Carmichael, in only his fourth ODI, pressing hard. Then Rashid changed everything.
He ripped through the middle and lower order, taking six wickets as Ireland’s chase unraveled. Only a brief counterattack threatened to slow Afghanistan’s surge, but the home side kept losing wickets and never recovered. The defeat left Ireland chasing the series after one abandonment and one heavy loss.
The fixture also sits against a political backdrop that has followed the series from the start. The BBC reported that Ireland are hosting Afghanistan despite what Cricket Ireland chief executive Sarah Keane called “moral discomfort” over the treatment of women in Afghanistan. The Guardian said the England and Wales Cricket Board is understood to be unhappy about the series and that Ireland could lose lucrative future fixtures against England.
That pressure matters beyond one result. Ireland have committed to five ODIs in Northern Ireland this month, with the teams then due to meet in the United Arab Emirates next March for one Test, three ODIs and three T20 fixtures. For now, though, Afghanistan hold the early edge, and Rashid’s six wickets have made the scoreboard hard to ignore.
