Afghanistan secured a convincing 6-wicket victory against Ireland on Saturday at the Civil Service Cricket Club. This win allowed the visiting team to claim the five-match ODI series with a remarkable 4-0 scoreline.
After losing the toss, Ireland batted first and managed to score 298 runs, losing 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. The team faced an early setback when Andrew Balbirnie (13) fell, contributing only 34 runs with captain Paul Stirling before departing. Shortly after, they lost Stirling (20) as well, with just 5 more runs added to the total.
Kade Carmichael then partnered with Harry Tector to add 40 runs for the third wicket. Carmichael was dismissed for 22 runs. Tector, alongside Curtis Campher, formed a solid fifth-wicket partnership, scoring 55 runs. Tector finished his innings with 53 runs off 80 balls, including 4 boundaries, before Campher took charge.
Campher played a crucial role, scoring 96 runs off 84 balls with 4 sixes and 7 fours. He built significant partnerships, including 72 runs with George Dockrell for the sixth wicket and 64 runs with Neil for the seventh. Dockrell contributed 31 runs, while Jordan remained unbeaten with 23 runs. For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai took the most wickets, claiming 3, while MM Gaznifar secured 2 wickets. Mohammad Saleem and Nangeliya Kharoti each took 1 wicket.
In response, Afghanistan chased down the target in 48.5 overs. They lost Ibrahim Zadran (5) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (14) early, leaving them at 22 runs. However, captain Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal steadied the innings with a remarkable 201-run partnership for the third wicket, putting Afghanistan on the path to victory.
Atal scored 98 runs off 112 balls, hitting 3 sixes and 7 fours before returning to the pavilion. Rahmat Shah continued the momentum, adding 56 runs with Azmatullah Omarzai and finishing with an unbeaten 143 runs off 133 balls, featuring 2 sixes and 13 fours. Omarzai contributed 24 runs off 14 balls before getting out. Liam McCarthy was the standout bowler for the hosts, taking 3 wickets, while Jay Mudda claimed 1.