Afghanistan have won the 5th ODI from Ireland by 6 wickets and just 7 balls to remain in their innings. Afghanistan produced a remarkable batting display to complete a historic ODI series sweep over Ireland.
The visitors chased down a challenging target with ease and rewrote several records along the way. Their success came through patience, smart shot selection and a huge third-wicket partnership.
Ireland initially struggled to accelerate after a cautious beginning. However, they exploded during the final 10 overs and added 101 runs to finish close to 300.
Curtis Campher led the charge with 96, while Harry Tector contributed a valuable 53. The pair gave Ireland the platform for a competitive total.
Afghanistan’s bowlers performed well for much of the innings. Azmatullah Omarzai claimed three wickets, while AM Ghazanfar, Nangeyalia Kharote and Hashmatullah Shahidi controlled the middle overs. However, Afghanistan lost some discipline at the death. Ireland capitalised and added valuable runs late in the innings.
The chase began badly for Afghanistan. Liam McCarthy removed both openers before the sixth over, leaving the visitors under early pressure. Yet Ireland could not maintain that momentum.
Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah joined forces and completely changed the contest. They initially focused on survival. After 15 overs, Afghanistan had reached only 49/2.
Then the pair gradually increased the tempo. By the end of the 40th over, Afghanistan had raced to 222/2. Their approach was simple. They respected the difficult conditions early and attacked once the pitch became easier for batting.
The turning point came through a massive 201-run partnership. Rahmat Shah and Atal targeted Ireland’s bowling and kept the scoreboard moving without taking unnecessary risks.
Gavin Hoey came under particular pressure as Afghanistan shifted gears.
Atal fell just two runs short of his century.
Rahmat, however, remained until the end.
The Afghanistan captain finished unbeaten on 143, his highest ODI score.
It was also a timely return to form after a difficult run with the bat.
Ireland’s bowling options were further reduced when George Dockrell left the field with back spasms.
McCarthy continued to fight and finished with 3/47 from his 10 overs.
Nevertheless, Ireland could not find another breakthrough to stop the chase.
## Afghanistan Rewrite the Record Books
The victory delivered several historic milestones.
Afghanistan successfully chased a target beyond their previous ODI record of 283.
They also surpassed the previous highest successful ODI chase in Belfast, which stood at 243.
Most importantly, Afghanistan completed their first bilateral ODI series sweep in a contest involving four or more matches.
The result also marked their 10th consecutive ODI victory over Ireland.
Ireland’s last ODI win against Afghanistan came in 2019. Since then, Afghanistan have established complete dominance in this rivalry.
The series sweep underlines Afghanistan’s growing strength in ODI cricket. They showed patience when conditions demanded caution and aggression when the opportunity arrived. Ireland produced a strong batting effort and threatened to set a difficult target.
However, Afghanistan’s top order responded with a remarkable display of control. Rahmat and Atal in 5th and last ODI from Afghanistan ultimately took the game away from Ireland.
With another record-breaking chase completed, Afghanistan leave Belfast with plenty of confidence and a memorable place in their ODI history.