AFG v IRE, 4th ODI Review: Kevin O'Brien's all around performance takes Ireland over the line

The momentum clearly was with the Irish team after their performance earned them a win to pull back the series 2-1. However, the toss did not go in their favour as Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch which seemed dry and monotonous.

Both the sides made two changes to their teams from the last game, with Usman Ghani and Hashmatullah back in the team for Afghanistan and Kevin O’Brien and Jacob Mulder returning for the Irish.

Out walked Usman Ghani and Mohammad Shahzad to open the innings for the Tigers’. Surprisingly, Kevin O’Brien opened the bowling for William Porterfield’s side. O’Brien trapped the flamboyant opener Shahzad plumb in front when the batsman was on 1, giving the Irish their first wicket of the match.

Rahmat Shah joined Usman Ghani when the Tigers’ were in six runs for the loss of one wicket. Tim Murtagh’s over set-up the pace for the Irish bowlers with a testing over to the opener Usman. Rahmat, could not handle the swing that O’Brien was getting outside off-stump poking the ball straight into the hands of the keeper Gary Wilson.

Afghanistan was in trouble at 8/2, when the captain Asghar Stanikzai walked out to bat. O’Brien was on fire for Ireland picking up another wicket, that of the opener Usman in the 5th over of the innings. The Tigers’ slumped further at 11/3. The left-handed Hashmatullah Shahidi was the next batsman to walk out to bat for the Tigers’.

The brief partnership between the two provided crucial runs for the side with Shahidi picking up 23 runs before Jacob Mulder dismissed him with a flighted delivery. The Tigers’ were reeling at 57 runs with the loss of 4 wickets. Gulbadin Naib walked out to bat with the team struggling. The duo had added 18 runs before Naib was dismissed by a straighter delivery from the offie Mulder.

At 80-5, the former captain Mohammed Nabi joined the captain Stanikzai for an eight-run partnership before Andy McBrine struck twice in two balls to leave Afghanistan gasping for breath at 87-7.

Shafiqullah and Nabi added 59 crucial runs for the Tigers’ which helped the Tigers’ cross the elusive total of 100 runs. The pair went on to help the score reach 142 runs before Shafiqullah was trapped right in front with another straight delivery by Mulder. Dawalat Zadran and Nabi added 57 runs for the 9th wicket before O’Brien dismissed the latter.

Afghanistan finished the innings at 220 runs for the loss of 10 wickets, leaving an easy target behind for the Irish to chase. Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling walked out in a bid to repeat their performance last match. The pair added 49 runs when a straight delivery from Nabi dismissed the in-form Stirling for 28 runs.

Ireland’s skipper William Porterfield joined the opener Joyce in their chase, forming a short partnership of 11 runs before Naib castled Joyce with the score reading 59 for the loss of two wickets. An over later, the Irish captain was dismissed by Nabi leaving Ireland struggling at 59/3.

O’Brien and Andy Balbirnie added 14 runs before the former retired hurt at 73/3. Gary Wilson had joined Balbirnie before the latter got dismissed to a straight delivery from Nabi. There were no signs of an O’Brien return, with Stuart Thompson walking out to the middle of the park. The Tigers’ vice-captain and leg-spinner dismissed Thompson with a leg-break that turned past his bat to take the stump to walk.

McBrine and Wilson had added nine runs before Nabi dismissed McBrine for five runs from 6 balls. O’Brien returned to bat with Ireland at 130/6. The pair added 66 runs before a loose shot from Wilson was caught by Nabi at the boundary to dismiss him for a well made 41 runs. O’Brien and young George Dockrell helped Ireland cross the line with 3.1 overs remaining. O’Brien who remained unbeaten at 72 with eight boundaries and two sixes was declared as the Man of the Match for his significant contributions.

Brief Scores:

Afghanistan 220 in 49.5 overs (Shafiqullah 42 runs, Kevin O’Brien 4/26)

Ireland 224/7 in 46.5 overs (Kevin O’Brien 72 runs, Mohammad Nabi 4/30)

Ireland won by three wickets with 19 balls remaining