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Afghanistan vs Ireland, 3rd ODI at Dehra Dun, AFG v IRE, Mar 05 2019 - Match Result

RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Dehradun, March 05, 2019, Afghanistan v Ireland
(49/50 ov, T:257) 260/6

Ireland won by 4 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
145* (136)
andy-balbirnie
Match centre 
Comms: Varun Shetty (@varunshetty)
Scorecard summary
Afghanistan 256/8(50 overs)
2/56 (10)
75 (109)
2/60 (10)
Ireland 260/6(49 overs)
145* (136)
2/52 (10)
end of over 4911 runs
IRE: 260/6CRR: 5.30 
Andy Balbirnie145 (136b 8x4 8x6)
Andy McBrine9 (15b)
Dawlat Zadran 10-1-52-2
Rashid Khan 9-0-44-1

8:33pm And that is all from our live coverage. Stick around for the report in a bit. Good night!

Andy Balbirnie: There was pressure. Just for a morale booster, to get that win against these guys, it's great for the team. I was in control. There was a couple of scary moments, but you have to take risks The last few days we've been watching videos of their main threats. You go and bat and dream of having that kind of a knock. We're a very close team at the moment, so just to be able to win that will be great for us.

Andy Balbirnie is the Man of the Match.

William Porterfield: Obviously didn't start great. I can't speak high enough about his knock. Not just getting a hundred but getting us over the line. Doing everything he speaks about doing. It's been a very tightly contested series. In Sharjah we beat them 2-1, in Ireland they beat us 2-1. We would love to take the lead.

Asghar Afghan: Our top order batsmen played some poor shots. That's why we were 74 for 5. I think 256 was good on this pitch. We dropped some catches and Balrbirinie played very well. We lost mainly because of our fielding.


Ashutosh Solse: "Balbirnine hit 8 sixes from his entire career of 52 matches.. now. 8 sixes from single game... Truly career setting innings for him"

Ahmad Sohrab Sa: "In cricket matches a single mistake can change the result, in today match Afghanistan did a very big mistake by given 10 overs bowling to Samiullah Shenwari. In 1st match Gulbadin bowled 7.2 for 20 runs today Sami bowled 10 overs for 60 runs."

Isaac Marshall: "Maybe Afghanistan should pay their respects to Balbirnie by inviting him to next year's Afghanistan Premier League?"

JackT: "A career defining knock, well played Balbirnie!!!"

Abhijato: "We take a bow, Mr Balbirnie! You have played like a sensation tonight, and proven that the Irish cricket team is far from done. The fightback this team has produced despite being against the wall and not in the favour of the critics throughout this tour so far would have crumbled lesser teams, but they've turned up more impressively every time they come out on the field. Here's to hoping this inspires the reignition of the Ireland Cricket Team!"

8:17pm Anyone who saw the early stages of this innings would not have believed either Balbirnie or Ireland themselves would make it to 8:17pm in the night, leave along as winners by four wickets. Balbirnie has got 55.7% of the runs, in the face of a collapse, in the face of a quality spin attack, and despite his own shakiness at the start. Just kept on batting, taking it long, building the pressure on Afghanistan with every over. And Afghanistan have buckled under the pressure. An indiivudal knock of 145, and a partnership of 143 that involved an invaluable knock from Dockrell has helped Ireland draw level.

48.6
4
Zadran to Balbirnie, FOUR runs

he's done it! Balbirnie backs away and slices this full ball over short third to clinch the most unlikely of wins for Ireland. What an absolute monster of a knock.

48.5
Zadran to Balbirnie, no run

finds cover point! That was an exquisite square drive but he couldn't pierce the infield on the off side, with all fielders in the circle

48.4
4
Zadran to Balbirnie, FOUR runs

past extra cover and past sweeper cover! Low full toss just outside off, backs away and drives into the gap. Zazai with the most laboured sprint at this. His despair is a picture of Afghanistan's despair. Run and run and run, but can't catch Balbirnie at the moment

Saoirse : "That six off Rashid Khan has surely sealed the match, though my Irish pessimism still has me worried!"

48.3
1
Zadran to McBrine, 1 run

short of a length and in at off stump, runs the defence into his foot. They steal a single pitch side

48.2
1
Zadran to Balbirnie, 1 run

dropped! Oh no no no no. That is poor from Afghanistan. Clearly feeling the pressure. Rahmat at short fine. Slower short all at the shoulder. Waits for it and lobs it straight to the fielder with the attempted hook. That was as simple as they'll come in the 49th over of a tight game

Does Dawlat have some magic left tonight?

48.1
1
Zadran to McBrine, 1 run

full and in at middle stump, steps across and flicks to deep square

Dawlat around the wicket

end of over 489 runs
IRE: 249/6CRR: 5.18 RRR: 4.00
Andy McBrine7 (13b)
Andy Balbirnie136 (132b 6x4 8x6)
Rashid Khan 9-0-44-1
Dawlat Zadran 9-1-41-2

Eight runs off 12 balls. Will they be tempted to go after it this over and give Rashid not even an outside chance?

47.6
1
Rashid Khan to McBrine, 1 run

googly outside off, gets low and sweeps straight to short fine...where Mujeeb misfields and gives them another

47.5
Rashid Khan to McBrine, no run

length on off stump, defended off the inside edge on the front foot

Jon : "If Balbirnie can find some consistency, he will go some way towards filling the void left by the retirement of Ed Joyce and that would play a big role in bringing Ireland back up to their best."

47.4
1
Rashid Khan to Balbirnie, 1 run

length on leg stump, nudged into the midwicket region off the back foot

47.3
6
Rashid Khan to Balbirnie, SIX runs

see ya! Eighth six for Balbirnie and now he doesn't even care if it's Rashid bowling. Full and flat at middle stump, gets right under it and sweeps it over the square leg boundary. Tremendous

47.2
1
Rashid Khan to McBrine, 1 run

dropped. Big edge as he plays inside the line of another googly. On the back foot. Shahzad can only deflect this towards short third

47.1
Rashid Khan to McBrine, no run

googly beats him. Another length ball outside, beats the forward block

end of over 4710 runs
IRE: 240/6CRR: 5.10 RRR: 5.66
Andy McBrine5 (9b)
Andy Balbirnie129 (130b 6x4 7x6)
Dawlat Zadran 9-1-41-2
Rashid Khan 8-0-35-1

Isaac Marshall: "I've just been popping in and out but I fell bad for Dawlat being the only pacer, they'll get used to him easily now and he's done remarkably well considering this."

46.6
1
Zadran to McBrine, 1 run

nice shot but won't pierce the field. Overpitched outside off, leans into the drive, won't beat mid-off to the right

46.5
1
Zadran to Balbirnie, 1 run

short slower ball outside off, backs away and chops to sweeper's left

46.4
Zadran to Balbirnie, no run

oh well bowled. Slower bouncer at an off stump line. Backs away for the upper cut but decides to let it pass

46.3
6
Zadran to Balbirnie, SIX runs

clears midwicket! Again. What a hit. Supremely clean. Length ball at middle stump. Drags it off the front foot and just gets it over the rope. Ireland below run a ball again

Anton: "Cameron-Dow can hold a bat. Scored a 70 against Sri Lanka A 2 months ago on the Irish A tour. Probably be he who's in next"

46.2
Zadran to Balbirnie, no run

length on off stump, tapped to extra cover on the up

46.1
2
Zadran to Balbirnie, 2 runs

past the bowler and mid-off. Long-on cleans up to his left. Wants to loft this over the infield but it comes off the toe-end

end of over 464 runs
IRE: 230/6CRR: 5.00 RRR: 6.75
Andy McBrine4 (8b)
Andy Balbirnie120 (125b 6x4 6x6)
Rashid Khan 8-0-35-1
Mujeeb Ur Rahman 10-0-55-1
45.6
Rashid Khan to McBrine, no run

beats outside edge and off stump! Gosh that was close. Googly on middle stump, makes him defend inside the line and nearly has him

45.5
1
Rashid Khan to Balbirnie, 1 run

googly that he hasn't picked. But the stride is big and he gets a thick inside edge into safety as he tries to push through cover

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
A Balbirnie
145 runs (136)
8 fours8 sixes
Productive shot
sweep shot
31 runs
0 four4 sixes
Control
77%
Najibullah Zadran
104 runs (98)
5 fours5 sixes
Productive shot
cover drive
21 runs
2 fours0 six
Control
82%
Best performances - bowlers
Dawlat Zadran
O
10
M
1
R
52
W
2
ECO
5.2
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
WB Rankin
O
10
M
0
R
56
W
2
ECO
5.6
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
Match details
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
TossAfghanistan, elected to bat first
Series
Season2018/19
Player Of The Match
Series result5-match series level 1-1
Match numberODI no. 4105
Hours of play (local time)13.00 start, First Session 13.00-16.30, Interval 16.30-17.15, Second Session 17.15-20.45
Match days05 March 2019 - daynight (50-over match)
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
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Instant answers to T20 questions
Ireland Innings
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