Afghan cricket team in Ireland in 2018

The Afghanistan cricket team toured Ireland in August 2018 to play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) matches against the Ireland cricket team.[1][2][3] Afghanistan won the T20I series 2–0, after the third match was abandoned due to overnight rain and a wet outfield.[4] Afghanistan won the ODI series 2–1.[5]

Afghanistan cricket team in Ireland in 2018
 
 IrelandAfghanistan
Dates20 – 31 August 2018
CaptainsWilliam Porterfield (ODIs)
Gary Wilson (T20Is)
Asghar Afghan
One Day International series
ResultsAfghanistan won the 3-match series 2–1
Most runsAndrew Balbirnie (132)Rahmat Shah (94)
Most wicketsTim Murtagh (9)Rashid Khan (8)
Player of the seriesRashid Khan (Afg)
Twenty20 International series
ResultsAfghanistan won the 3-match series 2–0
Most runsGary Wilson (56)Hazratullah Zazai (156)
Most wicketsPeter Chase (4)Rashid Khan (7)
Player of the seriesHazratullah Zazai (Afg)

The second match of the ODI series was the 100th ODI to be played by Afghanistan.[6] In the same match, Mohammad Nabi became the first cricketer for Afghanistan to play in 100 ODIs.[7]

Squads

ODIsT20Is
 Ireland[8]  Afghanistan[9]  Ireland[8]  Afghanistan[9]

After the initial players were selected, Tyrone Kane was added to Ireland's squads as bowling cover.[10] Josh Little replaced David Delany in Ireland's squad for the third ODI.[11]

T20I Series

1st T20I

20 August 2018
16:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
160/7 (18 overs)
v
 Ireland
144/9 (18 overs)
Hazratullah Zazai 74 (33)
Josh Little 2/20 (4 overs)
Gary Wilson 34 (23)
Rashid Khan 3/35 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 16 runs
Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason
Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Alan Neill (Ire)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
  • The match was reduced to 18 overs per side due to rain.
  • Hazratullah Zazai scored the fastest fifty for Afghanistan in T20Is (22 balls).[12]
  • Mohammad Nabi (Afg) became the sixth player to score 1,000 runs and take 50 wickets in T20Is.[13]

2nd T20I

22 August 2018
16:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
160/8 (20 overs)
v
 Ireland
79 (15 overs)
Hazratullah Zazai 82 (54)
Peter Chase 3/35 (4 overs)
William Porterfield 33 (23)
Rashid Khan 4/17 (3 overs)
Afghanistan won by 81 runs
Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason
Umpires: Mark Hawthorne (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire)

3rd T20I

24 August 2018
16:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
v
Match abandoned
Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason
Umpires: Mark Hawthorne (Ire) and Alan Neill (Ire)
  • No toss.
  • No play was possible due to rain and a wet outfield.

ODI Series

1st ODI

27 August 2018
10:45
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
227/9 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
198 (48.3 overs)
Gulbadin Naib 64 (98)
Tim Murtagh 4/31 (10 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 55 (82)
Aftab Alam 2/34 (9 overs)
Afghanistan won by 29 runs
Stormont, Belfast
Umpires: Ian Gould (Eng) and Mark Hawthorne (Ire)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
  • Hazratullah Zazai (Afg) made his ODI debut.

2nd ODI

29 August 2018
10:45
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
182/9 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
183/7 (43.5 overs)
Najibullah Zadran 42 (52)
Tim Murtagh 4/30 (10 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 60 (92)
Rashid Khan 3/37 (10 overs)
Ireland won by 3 wickets
Stormont, Belfast
Umpires: Ian Gould (Eng) and Paul Reynolds (Ire)
  • Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat.
  • This was Afghanistan's 100th ODI.[7]
  • Mohammad Nabi became the first cricketer for Afghanistan to play in 100 ODIs.[7]
  • Najibullah Zadran (Afg) scored his 1,000th run in ODIs.[16]

3rd ODI

31 August 2018
10:45
Scorecard
Ireland 
124 (36.1 overs)
v
 Afghanistan
127/2 (23.5 overs)
Gary Wilson 23 (36)
Rashid Khan 3/18 (8 overs)
Ihsanullah 57* (62)
Boyd Rankin 1/30 (7 overs)
Afghanistan won by 8 wickets
Stormont, Belfast
Umpires: Ian Gould (Eng) and Alan Neill (Ire)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to bat.

References