A magnificent 145 not out from Andrew Balbirnie, his highest one day international score and a belligerent 52 from George Dockrell, was the platform upon which Ireland built to beat Afghanistan in the third one-day international in Dehradun.
The victory by four wickets ties the series at one game each with one match abandoned. The penultimate tie of the five-game series takes place this Friday.
Dockrell’s support to Balbirnie was crucial to Ireland’s morale boosting win, having lost the toss with the Afghanistan Asghar Afghan deciding to bat on a slow turning pitch.
Ireland started well in the bowling department and had Afghanistan at 74 for the loss of five wickets at one stage
But the Irish were unable to cash in on that early success as Afghan (75) and Najibullah Zadran (104 not out) added 117 for the sixth wicket helping Afghanistan to a fighting total of 256 for 8 off their allotted 50 overs
Ireland's reply started poorly.
7 - @balbo90 now holds the Irish record for the most sixes in an ODI innings. Incredible knock.
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) March 5, 2019
17 needed off 3 overs.
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Captain William Porterfield, painfully short of runs was out lbw in the third over and Simi Singh followed soon after
A lot rested on the in-form Paul Stirling, who however went for a brisk 20 and were 29 for three and in trouble.
However after Kevin O’Brien departed for 21 and with Ireland on 73 for 4 in the 16th over, a quite brilliant partnership of 143 for the fifth wicket between the improving Dockrell who scored a half-century and Balbirnie's stunning century put Ireland in control.
The loss of Dockrell and Stuart Poynter shortly afterwards wobbled the Irish but nothing could to stop Balbirnie's charge to victory and he finished on 145 not out off 136 balls with eight 4’s and eight 6’s.
His winning 4 in the penultimate over was off Rashid Khan, currently ranked as the world’s number two bowler.
Afghanistan 256-8 (50 overs: N Zadran 104*, A Afghan 75, H Zazai 34; B Rankin 2-56, T Murtagh 2-60)
Ireland 260-6 (49 overs: A Balbirnie 145*, G Dockrell 54; D Zadran 2-52)
Ireland won by 4 wickets.
