Afghanistan beat Ireland in 2nd T20I, level series: Key stats
Afghanistan took down Ireland in the second T20I match held in Sharjah. Riding on Mohammad Nabi's excellent half-century, the Afghans posted 152/9 in 20 overs after a horrific start. Mark Adair bowled well for Ireland and forced an early collapse. Andrew Balbirnie managed 45 as Ireland were 95/7 with his dismissal. Gareth Delany then smashed a whirlwind 39 but it wasn't enough (142/8).
Here's the match summary
Afghanistan were off to a poor start and lost four wickets for 14 runs. A 79-run stand between Sediqullah Atal (35) and Nabi steadied the ship. Nabi (59) and Rashid (25) helped the side surpass 150 runs in the end. For Ireland, Adair was the pick of the bowlers. In response, Ireland were off to a strong start but lost their way.
Mohammad Nabi scores a 38-ball 59
Nabi was the lone half-centurion of Afghanistan. His 59 from 38 balls was laced with six fours and three sixes (SR: 155.26). As per ESPNcricinfo, Nabi raced to 2,103 runs at 23.10. He slammed his sixth half-century. In 25 matches versus Ireland, the veteran all-rounder owns 508 runs at 26.73. He registered his third fifty versus Ireland.
Adair races to 106 wickets
Playing his 76th match, Adair was exceptional, taking 3/27 from his four overs. He owns 106 scalps at an average of 19.47. Meanwhile, in seven matches versus Afghanistan, Adair has claimed 11 scalps at 16.81. In 33 matches across neutral venues, the pacer has 46 scalps under his belt, averaging 17.58. Overall, in the 20-over format, he has claimed 145 wickets.
Little shines for Ireland once again
Pacer Joshua Little took 2/20 from his four overs. He owns 77 scalps at 23.2 from 65 matches. He owns 18 scalps against the Afghans. Notably, Little took a three-wicket haul in the first encounter. Barry McCarthy managed 2/33 from his four overs.
Rashid shines for second successive match
Afghanistan's Rashid took a sensational 4/14 to win the match for his side. Rashid was superb after claiming a three-fer in the first match. He has now raced to 137 scalps at just 14.29. He managed his fifth four-wicket haul for the Afghans. In 20 matches versus Ireland, Rashid has 44 scalps at 10.04. He owns 99 scalps across neutral venues at 12.95.
Balbirnie scores 45 in his 100th match for Ireland
Balbirnie was the lone warrior for Ireland, scoring a neat 45 from 44 balls. He slammed three fours and two sixes. Notably, this was his 100th match in the format for Ireland. He owns 2,161 runs at 23.48. Versus Afghanistan, he has 335 runs.
Delany lights up Sharjah with a blinder
Delany walked in when Ireland were 95/5. He hung on, seeing wickets fall at the other end. In the 18th over, Delany dispatched Fazalhaq Farooqi for 22 runs, slamming three sixes and a four. He hit two fours in the 19th over bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq. Delany launched Farooqi for a six in the fourth ball of the final over but was eventually dismissed.
An 18-ball 39 for Delany
Delany smoked three fours and four sixes in a 39-run knock from 18 balls. He struck at 216.67. He has now surpassed 900 runs in the 20-over format for Ireland. He owns 935 runs at 20.32.
