ABU DHABI // Afghanistan laid down a marker on the opening night of the first Desert T20, as they soundly beat Ireland at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Mohammed Nabi, who took two wickets then struck an unbeaten 26, rushed the top-ranked side to a five-wicket win against the team who have been their closest rivals for most of the recent past.
The victory, secured with eight balls to spare, thrilled the thousands of Afghan supporters that had made it to the stadium.
Afghanistan called the UAE their adopted home until recently, and they are used to being well supported here. Even by their standards, though, this was an impressive turnout on a bracing night in the capital.
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Those bearing Afghan tricolours delighted in what they saw on the field.
Leg-spin bowling is a sought after currency in T20 cricket. Both teams had impressive wrist-spinners.
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s one, is well known about, having shone on the global stage at the World T20 last year. He showed his class by dismissing Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson, two of Ireland’s senior batsmen, and proved parsimonious despite bowling the last four overs from the pavilion end.
Jacob Mulder was less heralded. The 21-year-old slow-bowler was playing just his second match for Ireland at this level. Even though the crowd was vast, and the opposition were top ranked, he looked entirely unflustered.
The Afghans were cruising until Mulder removed Mohammed Shahzad and Asghar Stanikzai in quick succession. Being hit for six, by Nabi, off his penultimate delivery was the only blemish in an otherwise sparkling spell.
Although he put the breaks on the Afghans, it was only temporary. On this evidence, they are going to be tough to stop from being the first name inscribed on the Desert T20 trophy.
John Bracewell, the Ireland coach, said the match had been defined by the two legspinners. He labelled Rashid as the best going around Associate cricket “by quite some distance,” but also praised his own young charge.
“The two defining characters in the match were the two leg spinners,” said Bracewell, a former New Zealand spin-bowler. “One [Rashid] won the game for his side, while the other [Mulder] nearly stole it for his.”
Earlier in the day, Scotland had been comfortable winners in the opening match of the competition, as they beat Hong Kong by 24 runs.
Calum MacLeod was named man of the match for his 60, while he also shared in a Scottish-record partnership worth 127 with Richie Berrington, as they amassed 189 for three.
Hong Kong never threatened, although Ehsan Khan provided them with some late light relief as he made 42 not out in 22 balls.
pradley@thenational.ae
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