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AFP
Sharjah
Opener Paul Stirling cracked a brilliant half century while medium pacer Barry McCarthy took a maiden five wicket haul to guide Ireland to a 51-run win over Afghanistan in Sharjah on Thursday.
Stirling's 96-ball 82 and 62 not out by George Dockrell helped Ireland put a figthing 271-9 in their 50 overs before they bowled out Afghanistan for 220 in 45.2 overs in the second One-Day International.
Medium pacer Barry McCarthy finished with a career best 5-46 as only opener Javed Ahmadi could offer any resistance with a patient 67-ball 48.
Afghanistan won the first match by 138 runs. The third and final match is also in Sharjah on Sunday.
The series serves as a preparation for both the teams for the Wold Cup 2019 qualifiers to be held in Zimbabwe in March next year.
Chasing a big total none of the Afghanistan batsmen capitalised on good starts with Rahmat Shah (32), Mohammad Nabi (29) and Nasir Jamal (25) also losing wickets after getting well set.
McCarthy, whose previous best of 4-59 also came against Afghanistan at Belfast last year, sparked a collapse which saw Afghanistan lose their last six wickets for a mere 38 runs.
Ireland were put on the track of a solid total by Stirling who put 115 for the opening stand with skipper William Porterfield (47) -- a new record against Afghanistan, beating 113 Stirling and Ed Joyce put in Noida (Delhi, India) earlier this year.
Stirling hit eight boundaries and a six. Dockrell gave the late order lift to the innings with a 48-ball 62 not out spiced with seven fours and a six.
Scoreboard
Ireland
W. Porterfield c Stanikzai b Naib 47
P. Stirling lbw b Rashid 82
A. Balbirine lbw b Mujeeb 4
N. O’Brien st Shafiq b Mujeeb 13
G. Wilson b Rashid 0
K. O’Brien lbw b Dawlat 11
S. Poynter c and b Nabi 18
G. Dockrell not out 62
B. McCarthy b Dawlat 7
T. Murtagh b Nabi 3
P. Chase not out 0
Extras: (b 13, lb 6, w 5) 24
Total: (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 271
Fall of wickets: 1-115 (Porterfield), 2-120 (Balbirnie), 3-160 (Stirling), 4-160 (Wilson), 5-160 (N. O’Brien), 6-188 (K. O’Brien), 7-217 (Poynter), 8-244 (McCarthy), 9-271 (Murtagh)
Bowling: Mujeeb 10-0-50-2 (w5), Dawlat 10-0-65-2, Naib 10-0-36-1, Nabi 10-0-61-2, Rashid 10-0-40-2
Afghanistan
Javed Ahmadi c Dockrell b McCarthy 48
Ihsanullah Janat b McCarthy 20
Rahmat Shah st N. O’Brien b Dockrell 32
Asghar Stanizkai c Wilson b Murtagh 12
Nasir Jamal c Porterfield b McCarthy 25
Mohammad Nabi b Chase 29
Gulbadin Naib c Poynter b Chase 3
Rashid Khan not out 16
Shafiqullah Shafiq b McCarthy 0
Dawlat Zadran lbw b McCarthy 12
Mujeeb Zadran run out 0
Extras: (b3, lb5, nb1, w14) 23
Total: (all out; 45.2 overs) 220
Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Ihsanullah), 2-97 (Ahmadi), 3-114, (Shah), 4-130 (Stanikzai), 5-182 (Nabi), 6-187 (Naib), 7-201 (Jamal), 8-201 (Shafiq), 9-215 (Dawlat)
Bowling: Murtagh 9-1-28-1, Dockrell 9-0-42-1 (9w), Chase 8.2-0-45-2 (1nb, 2w), McCarthy 9-1-46-5 (1w) K. O’Brien 3-0-20-0 (1w), Stirling 7-0-31-0 (1w).
