Kevin O'Brien the hero as Ireland end hoodoo

CricketEurope

Kevin O'Brien's last gasp six sealed Ireland's first win in a T20I against Afghanistan for seven years in a Super Over thriller in Greater Noida. With three needed from the final ball, O'Brien hit Rashid Khan over long-off to spark celebrations in the Irish camp.

Rashid's last over heroics in the main match had taken the game to the extra over, as he hit Josh Little for a six from the fourth ball and a four from the last. Defending what looked a below par 142, Gareth Delany and Simi Singh each took two wickets in an over, while Barry McCarthy, Josh Little and Craig Young all bowled well to keep the Irish in the contest.

Delany earlier top scored with 37 in the Irish innings, sharing a stand of 62 in 41 balls with O'Brien (26) who pipped the Leinster all-rounder to the Man of the Match award. They rebuilt the Irish innings after the loss of Paul Stirling in the first over and skipper Andy Balbirnie fell cheaply too.

YMCA's Harry Tector continued his decent run on tour as he hit 31 from 22 balls, including two sixes. Debutant Qais Ahmed and Naveen Ul-Haq each picked up three wickets for the hosts.

Afghanistan looked in control as openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (42 off 29 balls) and Usman Ghani (18 off 24 balls) shared an opening stand of 60 and at that stage the Asian side were 1/33 on with the bookies. The contest turned as Delany accounted for both in the space of three balls with identical dismissals - holing out to Harry Tector at deep midwicket.

The recalled McCarthy (1-21) dismissed Janat, and with Simi Singh coming back well from early tap, Ireland were suddenly right back in it. Young impressed and Little almost got Ireland over the line in the last over before Rashid's lusty blows.

North Down's Craig Young was entrusted with the Super Over and did well to concede just 8, which looked very gettable, and even more so when a single and boundary off the first two balls reduced the equation to 4 off 4. It swung back as Stirling was trapped lbw, followed by a single from the next two balls. However, O'Brien had the final say to end the Irish woes and finish the tour on a winning note.

It was a fitting farewell to stand-in coach Rob Cassell, who is leaving Ireland for a role in the IPL. Ireland were scheduled to be in action again in March 2020 when they planned to travel to Zimbabwe for a six match white-ball tour. However the tour was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lucky 13 for Ireland

Irish Independent

Kevin O'Brien ended a seven-year winless run against Afghanistan in dramatic style with a six from the last ball of a Super Over as Ireland squeezed to victory in the third and final T20 international in Greater Noida, India. Afghanistan had already secured the best-of-three series and looked on course for a whitewash that would have extended their winning run to 13 games when they restricted the Boys in Green to a below par 142-8 on another good batting pitch.

But Ireland fought back tenaciously with the ball and excellent spells from Gareth Delany, Simi Singh and Craig Young left the hosts needing Rashid Khan to clear the ropes in the final over and then hit the last ball to the cover boundary to tie the scores. Ireland chose Young to bowl their Super Over and the Tyrone seamer allowed Afghanistan only eight runs, a total that Rashid did not look likely to defend when Paul Stirling smashed his second ball to the mid-wicket boundary.

Stirling went for glory again next ball and was lbw to the world’s best leggie, Harry Tector could only find a single from the next two but, with three needed, O’Brien sparked scenes of jubilation on the Ireland bench as he lofted Rashid back over his head and cleared the ropes. “A lot of people would have thought we were dead and buried after our innings,” captain Andy Balbirnie said. ‘But we showed the bit of fight and character that I want to see every time we go out to play. To defend 142 – and go again in the Super Over - was a great effort.

“Craig Young bowled a brilliant Super Over. The guys can take a lot from that, we may have lost the series but in the last few months we’ve beaten West Indies away and now Afghanistan, so that’s a big plus. They are an excellent team.” Youngsters Delany, who top-scored with 37, and Tector were the stand-out performers in the series for Ireland who gave popular assistant coach Rob Cassell a fitting send-off in his last game before taking up a post in the Indian Premier League.

Cricket Europe & Irish Independent