The second One-Day International between Afghanistan and Ireland was abandoned due to persistent rain in Sharjah, UAE Saturday. The match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium was scheduled to start at 3:30 PM local time (5:00 PM IST). (More Cricket New)
The officials called it off, a decision forced by the evident puddles of water in the outfield, some one hour before the start time, and without a toss. "Unfortunately, today’s second ODI has been abandoned,” Cricket Ireland wrote in an X post.
Afghanistan, the designated hosts, won the first ODI match by 35 runs. In a high-scoring match, the Afghans scored 310/5 with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 121 runs off 117 balls. He was ably supported by fellow opener Ibrahim Zadran (60 off 93), veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi (40 off 27) and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (50 not out off 33).
For Ireland, left-arm spinner Theo van Woerkom took three wickets (3/55), while pacers Graham Hume and Craig Young claimed one each.
Later in the match, Harry Tector (138) and Lorcan Tucker (85) stitched a run-a-ball 173-run stand, but in a fraught chase, their epic fourth-wicket stand failed to change the course. Ireland were 34/3 in 10.1 overs after Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi's opening burst.
Then the fall of Tucker in the 39th over triggered another collapse even as Tector continued to wage a lone battle. His 147-ball knock featured nine fours and three sixes, and he left the pitch with three balls remaining and 40 runs adrift. Ireland managed 275/8.
The third and final ODI at the same venue is scheduled for March 12. The two teams will then clash in a three-match T20I series, starting March 15. In the preceding one-off Test, Ireland beat Afghanistan by six wickets for a historic first win.
