Captain Andrew Balbirnie guided Ireland to their first ever Test-match victory when they defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Set a victory target of just 111, after Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in their second innings, the Irish made a disastrous start to the chase when they fell to 13-3 at the Tolerance Oval.
Naveed Zadran bowled both Peter Moor and Curtis Campher for ducks in successive balls in the second over, while Harry Tector feathered one from Nijat Masood to the keeper as he was out for nine.
Afghanistan's hopes of pulling off a highly unlikely victory were given a further boost when Paul Stirling was out for 19, after steadying the ship in a 36-run partnership with Balbirnie, to spinner Zia ur Rehman leaving Ireland wobbling again on 39-4.
But that was to be as close as Afghanistan were going to get to a win as unbeaten pair Balbirnie (58) and Lorcan Tucker (27) guided their team to a first red-ball victory in eight attempts.
“To win our first Test match – we are absolutely ecstatic,” said Balbirnie, whose knock came off 96 balls and contained five fours.
“We started the Test match really well having lost the toss and the bowling was really disciplined – we showed again in the second innings the way we bowled our lengths when it got a bit flatter for the batters against our seamers.
“To take 20 wickets in any Test match is a big achievement and it's only the second time we've done it so it's pretty special.
“With a score like 13-3 you're one partnership away. When Lorcan came in, the more time we spent out there the easier it got although there's obviously a bit of nerves when you're chasing a first Test win. Bit I knew if I stayed in there for long I could see us home.
“It's right up there [in the history of Irish cricket] – for me I've played a lot of cricket for Ireland but certainly that's as big a moment for me.
“A lot of players before us didn't get a chance to play Test cricket so fortunately we're part of that history now. We got to play and got to win.”
It was a chastening match for the Afghans who were grateful to captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (55) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) for helping them pass the 200 mark in their second innings, after being bowled out for 155 in the first.
Mark Adair followed up his 5-39 on Day 1 with 3-56 in the second innings, which also saw Barry McCarthy and Craig Young claim three scalps each as Afghanistan folded miserably after starting out on 134-3.
“We let ourselves down,” said Shahidi. “Ireland’s seamers were very good but our batters didn’t handle the pressure. We threw away our wickets.
“The condition for batting wasn’t so good. The ball was seaming from day one and their bowling was also very disciplined. We can still take some positives from this defeat.
"Gurbaz was very positive on debut. Naveed had had a good Test against Sri Lanka, and in this match also he did very well.
“My congratulations to Ireland’s first Test win. For us, we must learn from this loss. We have to work harder and move forward in Test cricket.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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On racial profiling at airports
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
