Balbirnie knock inspires Irish victory

ANDY BALBIRNIE scored his second half century in three days at Stormont as Ireland beat Afghanistan by three wickets to square their three-match one-day international series at 1-1 in a nervy low-scoring encounter.

Tim Murtagh took 4-30 - a new ODI career-best two days after his 4-31 – but Afghanistan recovered from 16-4 to post a viable 182-9 and the veteran seam bowler found himself back in the middle, tickling the winning runs past slip as the Boys in Green stumbled over the line.

The Ireland chase had begun confidently and with no hint of the troubles ahead as Paul Stirling and Balbirnie (above) adding 69 for the second wicket after skipper William Porterfield had succumbed to a grubber in the first over.

The rot set in after Stirling charged off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, looking for a second six, and was stumped for 39, quickly to be followed by the O’Brien brothers, Niall and Kevin.

Balbirnie found a reliable fifth-wicket partner in Simi Singh, as the pair added 47, but it needed Murtagh to deliver the win with 37 balls to spare and Singh not out on 36.

“The way the boys stuck at it for 50 overs was great – we asked for a bit more today and we got that,” said Porterfield, whose side has the momentum going into tomorrow’s decider. — DAVID TOWNSEND