Balbirnie’s ton helps Ireland defeat Afghanistan by four wickets

Dehradun: Making a comeback into the series,

Ireland

defeated Afghanistan by four wickets in the third one-day international match of the five match cricket series between the two nations.

Andy Balbirnie’s ton helped the Irish cruise to a comfortable victory at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Dehradun, on Tuesday. Balbirnie played a 145-run knock battling 136-balls. The batsman smashed eight sixes and eight boundaries in his innings. Balbirnie’s partnership with G Dockrell, who scored 54 runs playing 77 balls, put Ireland on the winning track. The Irish team achieved the 257-run target with one over remaining.

On the other hand, Afghanistan had a shaky start with wickets falling in quick succession. Najibullah Zadran’s ton helped the team put a respectable target on the scoreboard. Afghan captain Asghar Afghan also made 75 crucial runs for his team.

Restricting the Afghani batsmen to a run-rate of just 2 runs-per-over for the first 20 overs of their innings, the Irish bowlers held the chains of the game since the very first ball of the innings. With this victory, Ireland has leveled the game tally with each team winning one game.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss yearly career horoscopes 2025 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.