Ireland are leading by 2-1 in the series
The Irishmen will clash with their Afghan counterparts in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in Belfast tomorrow at 8.00 PM IST.
After losing the first two games, Afghanistan made a remarkable comeback in the third T20I, thwacking the hosts by 22 runs. The visitors' batting unit, which let them down in the first two matches, fired to perfection in the third game, ensuring their thumping victory.
On the other hand, Ireland's batting unit had an off day last time. The experienced Paul Stirling and Harry Tector have had two horrible outings in the series and would therefore like to get some runs under their belt in this game.
Spotlight: George Dockrell
Although he rose to fame as an off-spinner, George Dockrell has gradually established himself as Ireland's premier all-rounder in the post-Kevin O'Brien era.
Dockrell played a heroic knock in the third T20I
In his last ten T20I outings, Dockrell has amassed 202 runs at an impressive average of 40.4 and a stupendous strike rate of 148.52. The right-hander top scored for the hosts in the last game, smashing his way through to a fantastic 37-ball 58* in the previous match. Considering his form and incredible all-round prowess, we choose Dockrell as the player to watch out for in tomorrow's encounter.
Key Players
- Lorcan Tucker has been Ireland's top scorer in the series, with 108 runs at a marvellous strike rate of 133.33.
- Ibrahim Zadran has been consistent with the bat, slamming 82 runs at a tremendous strike rate of 154.72.
- Joshua Little has emerged as Ireland's best bet with the ball in the series, scalping five wickets at a healthy average of 16.
- Naveen-ul-Haq got his mojo back in the last game, registering a spectacular three-fer for 38 runs.
Match Details
Venue: Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast
Live Streaming: FanCode App
Pitch Report: The venue has witnessed the 165-run mark being breached on four out of six occasions in this series. This suggests that the track has favoured the batters to the utmost extent. So, we expect a similar deck offering a little assistance to the bowlers. Further, as the pitch doesn't really slow down, the toss-winning team will likely decide to field first in tomorrow's game.
CREX 11 Fantasy Tips
Wicket-keepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Lorcan Tucker
Batters: Andrew Balbirnie, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran
All-rounders: Mohammad Nabi, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany
Bowlers: Joshua Little, Naveen ul Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Captain: George Dockrell
Vice Captain: Najibullah Zadran
Also Read: Top 5 memorable games from the Women's Hundred 2021