Ireland eyeing maiden Test victory against battling Afghanistan

ABU DHABI: Ireland put themselves in a strong position to claim their first Test victory at the eighth attempt despite a late fightback from Afghanistan on day two of their one-off Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Resuming their first innings on 100-4, 55 runs behind Afghanistan’s opening effort, Ireland’s middle and lower order dragged them to 263 all out and a 108-run lead.

When Afghanistan were reduced to 38-2 a two-day finish looked possible, but despite losing Noor Ali Zadran for 32, an unbroken 41-run stand between captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz took the nominal hosts to 134-3.

“There was pressure but I kept it calm and simple... Because as a captain you have to lead by example,” Shahidi said after ending the day 53 not out, his second Test fifty. “Last two Tests my performance was not good but today I felt good... Tomorrow is a big day for us. We have to win the first session to be in the mix.” Any first-innings lead for Ireland looked a way off when Harry Tector was dismissed by Naveed Zadran to leave them 106-5.

But Paul Stirling made 52, putting on 80 runs with wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker, who later fell to Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar for 46. A useful 38, though, from Andy McBrine, who was last man out, put Ireland in a strong position.

Left-arm spinner Akbar finished with 5-64 from his 30 overs. Irish seamer Mark Adair followed up his first-innings five-wicket haul by taking the crucial wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah.

Ibrahim Zadran was brilliantly taken in the gully by Peter Moor before Shah nicked behind to Tucker. Noor Ali Zadran and Shahidi rebuilt steadily before the veteran opener was bounced out by Barry McCarthy. But Rahmanullah, making his Test debut, counter-attacked, hitting two sixes in his unbeaten 23.

Afghanistan won the toss

Ireland 1st Innings

Moor b Naveed 12

Balbirnie (c) lbw b Naveed 2

Campher c Rahmanullah b Rehman 49

Tector lbw b Naveed 32

Woerkom b Rehman 1

Stirling b Zahir 52

Tucker c Rahmat b Rehman 46

McBrine c Zadran b Nijat 38

Adair lbw b Rehman 15

McCarthy lbw b Rehman 5

Craig Young not out 1

Extras: (b 4, lb 3, nb 3) 10

Total: 83.4 Ov (RR: 3.14) 263

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-32, 3-92, 4-94, 5-106, 6-186, 7-216, 8-242, 9-256, 10-263

Bowling: Nijat Masood 12.4-2-38-1, Naveed Zadran 18-4-59-3, Karim Janat 6-0-24-0, Zia-ur-Rehman 30-7-64-5,

Zahir Khan 14-0-67-1, Hashmatullah Shahidi 3-0-4-0

Afghanistan 2nd Innings

Zadran c Moor b Adair 12

Zadran c Adair b McCarthy 32

Shah c Tucker b Adair 9

Shahidi (c) not out 53

Gurbaz not out 23

Extras: (b 5) 5

Total: 37 Ov (RR: 3.62) 134/3

Yet to bat: Nasir Jamal, Karim Janat, Zia-ur-Rehman, Nijat Masood, Naveed Zadran, Zahir Khan

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-38, 3-93

Bowling: Mark Adair 7-2-23-2, Barry McCarthy 5-0-25-1, Theo van Woerkom 9-2-38-0, Andy McBrine 11-2-24-0, Craig Young 4-0-17-0, Harry Tector 1-0-2-0

Umpires: Adrian Holdstock, Richard Kettleborough