Afghanistan vs Ireland 4th ODI Full Commentary

Welcome back, folks! The umpires punctually make their way out to the middle. And right after them, Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie, the two Irish openers, walk to the crease. The Afghan players now spring out from their dugout and scatter across the park. Azmatullah Omarzai will get us underway in the second innings. Can Ireland mount a serious fight here? Let's see. Alright, two slips in place and Balbirnie is on strike. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Everest to climb - So 344 is the magic number for Ireland if they are to scale this mammoth target down. Realistically, given Ireland's well-documented struggles against spin, and the sheer experience and variety the visitors possess with the ball, Afghanistan will fancy their chances of getting the job done rather comfortably. For Ireland to show any fight, a stable start is non-negotiable. Their batters have gotten the starts, but it's time to convert them into big numbers and put on a fight. Stay tuned as the run chase is on the other side.

Left chasing shadows - As for the Irish bowlers, misery would be putting it mildly. They looked utterly clueless in the face of that second-wicket onslaught, drained of all momentum and unable to create a single inroad through the middle overs, let alone fashion a genuine chance. But that drought was finally broken by Gavin Hoey, who orchestrated the backend fightback for Ireland. Byron McDonough, despite conceding 84 runs in his spell, starred with a three-wicket haul, while the likes of Adair and McCarthy also weren't spared from the onslaught.

Twin tons broke Ireland's back - Both batters found the gaps with real flair, ran hard between the wickets and stuck to the basics, resisting any urge to go big on every ball. That patience and trust in the process paid off handsomely, with both walking away with twin centuries. Together they put together a marathon 231-run stand, now the highest second-wicket partnership in ODIs for Afghanistan. Hoey did manage a couple of wickets along the way, and he did stop Atal short of a well-deserved 150. But by then the damage was already well and truly done. The likes of Rasooli, Rashid and Omarzai chipped in with quickfire cameos towards the end to help push the total further, but they slipped big time from being comfortably placed 285/2 to all the way down to 343/9.

A massive cost of inconsistency - Ireland did strike early, with McDonough removing the big fish himself, sending back Gurbaz. There was movement on offer, with a bit of unpredictable bounce thrown in for good measure, but the Irish pacers couldn't quite nail those testing lines and lengths consistently enough to make full use of it. That let a partnership blossom between Ibrahim Zadran, who became the third fastest batter in ODI history to reach 2000 runs, and Sediqullah Atal, who fortified the other end brick-by-brick.

Damage done - A late comeback of sorts from Ireland, picking up seven wickets in the last ten overs to claw back some control in the closing stages. Psychologically, they might feel a bit better to have restricted the Afghans below 350. But still, they will be tasked with hunting a total they have never ever chased in this format. From Afghanistan's point of view, yes, they did suffer a dramatic collapse towards the end, with the middle and lower order managing only flashes rather than substance. But overall, they will be mighty pleased with the total they have managed to post. This is now Afghanistan's highest ever ODI score, to boot.

This is turning out to be a big collapse for Afghanistan now. Yamin Ahmadzai is in at number 10.

Excellent last couple of overs for the hosts. Just 6 runs and 2 wickets from the last two overs for Afghanistan. Mark Adair (9-0-55-1) will bowl the final over of the innings. Will Afghanistan get to 350?

Captain caught by the opposite captain. Ireland continue to make late inroads. AM Ghazanfar is in at number 9.

A flurry of wickets for Ireland towards the backend, but there is hardly any celebration from them. In walks captain Rahmat Shah at number 8.

This is turning out to be a decent over from Adair. Just 3 runs so far and he will look to finish out well.

One more to go - That brings us to the end of this contest, with Afghanistan taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. They will now be eyeing a clean sweep in the final game, while Ireland will be playing for pride and looking to give their fans something to cheer about. The fifth ODI will be played right here in Belfast on Saturday, August 15, starting at 9.45 am GMT. As always, you can join us early for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of Afghanistan - On Afghanistan posting their highest-ever ODI total, Rahmat Shah credits Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran for reading the conditions early and playing beautifully. He mentions the team had walked in with a target of crossing 300 or more, and he's pleased they managed to get there in the end. About batting down at number 8, Shah explains that while he usually comes in higher up the order, the move down was based on what the team needed on the day. The plan, he says, was simply to keep the momentum flowing right through to the end, which is why his own number came in lower than usual. About the second-wicket stand, he reiterates that Atal and Zadran read the conditions superbly, never forcing anything, just playing their natural games, waiting patiently for the loose deliveries and steadily building their partnership from there. When he asked about Ireland's fightback to 301 despite losing early wickets, Shah points to Balbirnie's fine innings and his partnership with Curtis Campher as the turning point. He notes that Afghanistan had picked up early wickets in the middle overs, which temporarily disrupted Ireland's momentum, but from there Ireland kept pushing the rate up to around 10 to 11 an over. He underlines that sustaining that kind of scoring on this pitch is difficult, especially without wickets in hand, which made the closing stages tougher for his side to manage.

The captain of Ireland - Paul Stirling gives full credit to Afghanistan, admitting that the second-wicket partnership in the first innings had taken the game away from Ireland. He felt Afghanistan had the opportunity to bat them out of the game and effectively did that. Stirling also points to the positives, noting that Afghanistan were 270-280 for one before they clawed their way back strongly after taking two wickets. He feels they showed at the backend of their innings how quickly runs could be scored, but ultimately fell short. He admits it is frustrating that they have performed well in patches across all three games without putting together a complete performance. On chasing a big total, Stirling says it was about adapting to the situation, whether the target was 200 or 350. He explains that he generally liked taking the positive option and putting pressure on the bowlers, but felt the wicket had offered something to the bowlers and was not as flat as a typical 350-chase surface. He therefore felt he had to take some risks, and while that approach had started to work, he got out at a crucial stage.

Presentation Time...

Not clinical, but got the job done - Afghanistan would have wanted a more clinical effort with the ball, while their fielding also left plenty to be desired, perhaps a touch complacent with such a healthy total on the board. Rashid Khan once again led the way with 3/49, with Azmatullah Omarzai adding two, while AM Ghazanfar chipped in with one. But it was Yamin Ahmadzai who stole the show, producing an excellent four-wicket haul to wrap up Ireland's innings.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Sediqullah Atal wins the award for his outstanding knock of 143 off 120 balls. On being asked whether he dreamt of scoring a century on his birthday, to which, Atal says he is simply happy with the way he performed, and feels delighted that Afghanistan have gone on to win the series. He mentions he had a feeling he would make a strong start across these two games, and says it happened on this particularly special day for him. He adds that it is a moment he will carry with him for a long, long time, a lifetime even, and admits he is thoroughly pleased with how things unfolded. On his partnership with Ibrahim Zadran, Atal shares that the two spoke through their approach together out in the middle. He notes that everyone knows the experience Zadran carries, having played plenty of cricket over the years, and that Zadran advised him the ball would seam and swing around quite a bit. The message from him (Ibrahim), he says, was simple - to stay positive, stay in the present, and not get caught up thinking about the previous ball or the next one. He credits that mindset for helping him enormously through the innings. When he is asked about Afghanistan's recent run of success in ODIs, Atal points to the hard work put in over the last couple of years, stemming from a strong 2023 World Cup campaign. He observes that expectations from fans and the team management alike have grown considerably since then, and the squad has been working to match those expectations, putting in the effort required to beat the bigger teams on the bigger stages. He finishes by saying the focus now is on staying sharper than before and continuing to grow more professional as a unit.

Record total for Afghanistan - Earlier in the game, Afghanistan smashed their way to their highest ODI total, with twin tons from Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran taking centre stage. They stitched up a massive 231-run partnership, looking simply imperious as they toyed with the hosts. Atal top-scored with a stunning 143, but the lower order could not provide the desired finish, losing six wickets for just 33 runs. Ireland struggled for answers for much of the innings, though they did stage a mini fightback at the death. By then, however, the damage was already done, with Byron McDonough claiming a three-fer, while Mark Adair and Gavin Hoey picked up a couple each, and Liam McCarthy chipped in with one.

Ireland fight not enough - Ireland needed a flying start but Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie opted for caution, reaching 47/0 in the first Powerplay before two quick wickets left them at 53/2. Balbirnie then dug in, adding 76 with Harry Tector and 73 with Curtis Campher, but Ireland were always playing catch-up with the asking rate. He brought up a superb hundred, shifting through the gears, only to fall soon after and trigger a mini-collapse. Campher refused to give up, launching a counter-attack with a brilliant 84 off 46, but with little support at the other end, Ireland’s chase eventually slipped beyond their reach.

Blue rules Green - Afghanistan have made it a hat-trick of wins in the series, sealing it in emphatic fashion. Ireland deserve credit for fighting despite being set such a daunting chase, but it has been that kind of series for the hosts - they have shown glimpses, yet in the last two games, the Afghans have consistently had that extra edge when it mattered most.

Byron McDonough is the last man in.

Yamin Ahmadzai comes back into the attack.

It has started to look a lot gloomier here now.

Ziaur Rahman is back on.