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U19 World Cup Qualifier: Ireland v Afghanistan at Inch (North County CC) - 29th July

Once again the U19 World Cup qualifying tournament threw up a cracker at the Inch, home of North County CC, on Friday.  Afghanistan, surprisingly beaten by Nepal on Thursday, won the toss and asked Ireland to set a target.  Ireland stayed with the eleven who squeaked home against the USA the day before, so Hugh McDonnell and Ryan Hunter opened the batting forty-five minutes after the scheduled start with no loss of overs.

Hugh's dad on the boundary saw more of the first delivery from Alam than did Hugh, who was on the Bakerloo line while the ball was on the Picadilly, and flicked the off stump.  Jason van der Merwe joined Hunter and the two dug in against the lively Alam and the slightly wayward Shirzad.  After three overs from the Knockbrack end, the tall Ahmadzai replaced Shirzad and put in a decent shift.

First he had van der Merwe caught at slip by Ahmadi for 13, then trapped Hunter lbw for 18.  Off-spinner Zadran then had Adam Berry caught at slip for a duck, and Ireland were in doo-dah at 43-4.  George Dockrell and Andy McBrine steered Ireland to 79 in the 20th over, when a loose drive from the skipper was comfortably taken at mid off by Shirzad.

Graeme McCarter went without scoring, bowled by Ahmadi, leaving McBrine and Adam Coughlan to wear the squeaky pants for a while.  They manoeuvred the ball around well, took their ones and twos, and they both like a drive to the boundary now and again.  It was a surprise when Coughlan bottom-edged a drive onto his stumps off the bowling of Alam for 28 out of 143-7 in the 37th over.

Barry McCarthy is as combative as his father, but gets his brains and his good looks from his mother.  When he lost McBrine for 50 in the 44th over, and Josh Hall caught behind without scoring in the same over, there was a lot to do.  Niall Hodgins repelled all boarders while Barry went about his business.

He walloped the returning Ahmadzai for a four and a six – Hodgins joined in the fun with a four – and then hit successive sixes off Shirzi.  He was run out going for a second for 47 off the last ball,  having put on 53 in five and a bit overs with Hodgins to get Ireland to 212, respectable, but nowhere near safe.  Ahmadzai took 3/41.

After the mandatory Ruby Murray (except for Ian Callender, who only eats an Ulster Fry), Ahmadi and keeper Zazai opened up against pace man Graeme McCarter and off spinner Adam Coughlan.  Ahmadi hit Coughlan just over George Dockrell at mid off, but next ball singled out Barry McCarthy at squarish drag and Bazza pouched the catch.

Zazai went 6, 4, W, lbw to McCarter, Shirzi was taken at slip by van der Merwe off Coughlan, and Afghanistan were in the pond slime at 37-3.  It could have been worse – Shaidi was missed at slip when on 6, whereafter he and Sahaq took the score into three figures.  Then he mis-hit McBrine to van der Merwe for a very good 46 in the 30th over.

112 were needed off the last 20 overs with six wickets in hand.  Sahaq  and Nasir were in no trouble, and began to find the boundary far too frequently for Ireland's comfort.  After 42 overs they called for the batting power play at 156-4 – 57 needed off 8 overs (for those readers arithmetically challenged – to the vast majority, sorry).  Dockrell immediately callled up McCarter to bowl his remaining three overs, and bowled the other two himself.

Bingo!  Dockrell  bowled Sahaq with a quicker one for 46 out of 162 in the 44th over.  Alam flogged McCarter high to Dockrell on the mid off boundary, then Dockers did for Nasir, again bowled by the quicker one for 42.  The batting power play finished on 185-7, leaving 28 off three.  Zadran found the boundary a couple of times to leave 11 required off the last over, to be bowled by Josh Hall, with two wickets in hand.

First ball, Zadran refused a long single.  Second ball, Zadran thought he had a boundary, but an excellent save and throw ran out Ahmadzai, over-enthusiastically backing up.  Another easy single was refused, then a two galloped and a boundary struck.  Four to tie off the last ball: Zadran (28) swung and Hall hit.

Ireland won by four runs.  Coughlan took 2/27, Dockrell 2/32 and McCarter 2/53.  Andy McBrine was given MotM for his 50 and 1/34: I would have given it to Barry McCarthy for 47 and 1/41.  But, then, I've known Barry's dad for years and always enjoyed his company.  Hang on, I've known Andy's dad for years, and always enjoyed his company.  Good decision, Phil Simmons.