Hamstring can’t halt O’Brien’s charge

KEVIN O’BRIEN shook off a hamstring injury as Ireland battled back from 2-0 down to take the ODI series to a decider.

All-rounder O’Brien took four wickets and then hit an unbeaten 72 despite having to retire hurt earlier on in his innings as Ireland took a three-wicket win in the fourth clash.

O’Brien, who had missed both the second and third matches with the injury, resumed on nine to hit an unbeaten 72 as the tourists chased down the 221 target with three wickets and three overs to spare.

Ireland were set to make a late call on his fitness ahead of today’s decider in Greater Noida, but his runs and wickets were vital in that last win, with the Emerald Isle’s reply in some trouble at 130-6, but O’Brien hit two sixes and eight fours and shared an important seventh-wicket partnership of 66 with Gary Wilson.

The series had been pulled back to 2-1 thanks to brilliant knocks by Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie. Chasing 265, which Afghanistan made thanks to lower order half-centuries from Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan and Shafiqullah, Stirling fell one short of his century.

This after the tourists had been 24-2 with Ed Joyce (12) and William Porterfield falling cheaply (1). Niall O’Brien hit 30 before being clean bowled but Balbirnie kept up the good work, ending unbeaten on 85 as Ireland reached their target with nine balls to spare. Gary Wilson was also there on 28.

When the nomadic Cricketers Club of London finally ran out of venues and closed its doors for the final time in 2009, members formed a new club.

Cricket Friends held its first lunch that year and the speaker was Bob ‘the Cat’ Bevan MBE.Bevan is now a Past President of Kent CCC and he will be back for the Cricket Friends Century Lunch at the National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1 on Wednesday April 26, 2017.Tickets are available from Chris Hogg on 07710 464907 or email cricket friends@ntlworld.