• Ireland defeated Afghanistan by a margin of 38 runs in the first T20I of the three-match series.

  • Harry Tector scored a match-winning fifty for the Irish team.

Twitter reactions: Harry Tector, Benjamin White shine in Ireland’s emphatic win over Afghanistan in 1st T20I
Harry Tector and Benjamin White (Inage Source: Twitter)

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Ireland clinched a convincing victory over Afghanistan in the inaugural encounter of the three-match series against the Afghan side at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday (March 15). The clash saw several brilliant performances and treated fans to a riveting encounter. Harry Tector and Benjamin White emerged as the star performers for the Irish side.

Harry Tector’s stellar innings

Asked to bat first, Ireland posted a total of 149/6 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to notable contributions from Tector, Paul Stirling, and Andy Balbirnie. Tector’s aggressive innings of 56 runs off 34 deliveries propelled Ireland’s innings, while Stirling and Balbirnie also provided valuable contributions with the bat.

Rashid Khan stars with the ball for Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s bowling effort was spearheaded by Rashid Khan, who claimed three crucial wickets, supported by Nangeyalia Kharote and Azmatullah Omarzai, who chipped in with two wickets each. However, despite their efforts, Afghanistan struggled to contain the Irish batters completely.

Mohammad Ishaq’s efforts in vain as Ben White stuns with the ball

Chasing a target of 150 runs for victory, Afghanistan faltered in their batting pursuit and were bundled out for 111 runs in 18.4 overs. Mohammad Ishaq showed resilience with the bat, scoring 32 runs, while Mohammad Nabi contributed 25 runs to the total. However, Ireland’s bowlers, led by White’s exceptional four-wicket haul, dominated the proceedings and restricted Afghanistan’s batting lineup.

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Ireland take the lead in the series

White’s impressive bowling performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning contribution with the ball. With this victory, Ireland takes a 1-0 lead in the series, setting the stage for an exciting contest in the upcoming matches. The next match of the series is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 17, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where Afghanistan will look to bounce back and level the series.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.