My concern about Ireland was that they always lose close matches and fail to perform under pressure. But yesterday they did well and managed to win the match against one of the toughest tier-2 opponents. I thought that they almost lost the match, when Mark Adair conceded 21 runs during the last over of first innings. And for some unknown reason, Paul Stirling was very slow yesterday, scoring around a run per ball. This put a lot of pressure on the other batsmen, especially Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector. Congrats to Tucker. This is his second T20I fifty in last three matches.
Basically, Ireland lost against New Zealand and South Africa by playing tight matches especially because they couldn't handle the pressure. But Afghanistan are basically against them as they are relatively less strong than New Zealand and South Africa They snatched the win after beating Ireland. Anyway, after watching Ireland's game yesterday, I realized that they can basically perform well against weaker teams in their own venue. 
Topic: T20 and T20I cricket prediction and discussion - page 1132. (Read 243921 times)
My concern about Ireland was that they always lose close matches and fail to perform under pressure. But yesterday they did well and managed to win the match against one of the toughest tier-2 opponents. I thought that they almost lost the match, when Mark Adair conceded 21 runs during the last over of first innings. And for some unknown reason, Paul Stirling was very slow yesterday, scoring around a run per ball. This put a lot of pressure on the other batsmen, especially Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector. Congrats to Tucker. This is his second T20I fifty in last three matches.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland is likely to win the first T20 match against Afghanistan. The pitch is basically batting-friendly. So Afghanistan could have been in the safe zone if they batted first and set a target of 200. A target of 169 runs is not enough on such a pitch. Ireland collected 53 runs in 6 overs without losing any wicket. Ireland needs 116 runs from 84 balls to win. As Ireland's batting line-up is strong, Ireland's chances of winning now seem more.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland is likely to win the first T20 match against Afghanistan. The pitch is basically batting-friendly. So Afghanistan could have been in the safe zone if they batted first and set a target of 200. A target of 169 runs is not enough on such a pitch. Ireland collected 53 runs in 6 overs without losing any wicket. Ireland needs 116 runs from 84 balls to win. As Ireland's batting line-up is strong, Ireland's chances of winning now seem more.
Ireland got a great win in the first match. It was an incredible victory. Afghanistan lost even after giving a target of 169 runs. Openers Stirling and Balbirnie scored 31 and 51 respectively. Tucker was dismissed after collecting 50 runs. And finally, Tector scored 25 off 15 balls and Dockrell scored 10 runs off 5 balls to give Ireland victory. All of Ireland's batsmen were outstanding. If Afghanistan's bowlers fail to improve their performance then Afghanistan will lose this series.
It was a really close match even though the scoreboard looks like Ireland won with plenty of wickets in hand, in the last over, there was a missed fielding when one of the fielder dived to save them but instead dragged the ball over the boundary and if that one was saved, the results might be different. Good to see that Ireland winning a match after getting close to a win in many matches but ended up loosing.
Ireland Vs Afghanistan
Afghanistan 168 runs scored in 20 overs and 7 wickets fell.
Ireland 19.5The ball scored 171 wickets and there were three bottles. From other aspects if we can see some mistakes of Afghanistan they could not win this match. Afghanistan's wicket fell more in the beginning and they lost the most wickets in the first 6th over, which is where Afghanistan's weak point lies.
Afghanistan 168 runs scored in 20 overs and 7 wickets fell.
Ireland 19.5The ball scored 171 wickets and there were three bottles. From other aspects if we can see some mistakes of Afghanistan they could not win this match. Afghanistan's wicket fell more in the beginning and they lost the most wickets in the first 6th over, which is where Afghanistan's weak point lies.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland is likely to win the first T20 match against Afghanistan. The pitch is basically batting-friendly. So Afghanistan could have been in the safe zone if they batted first and set a target of 200. A target of 169 runs is not enough on such a pitch. Ireland collected 53 runs in 6 overs without losing any wicket. Ireland needs 116 runs from 84 balls to win. As Ireland's batting line-up is strong, Ireland's chances of winning now seem more.
Ireland got a great win in the first match. It was an incredible victory. Afghanistan lost even after giving a target of 169 runs. Openers Stirling and Balbirnie scored 31 and 51 respectively. Tucker was dismissed after collecting 50 runs. And finally, Tector scored 25 off 15 balls and Dockrell scored 10 runs off 5 balls to give Ireland victory. All of Ireland's batsmen were outstanding. If Afghanistan's bowlers fail to improve their performance then Afghanistan will lose this series.
Why do you think that India can't win any major ICC tournament in the coming days? We have the Asia cup lined up in a few days' time and I thought India will be the favorite here.
If not India then whom do you think will win this Asia Cup
Pakistan's team is not consistent while the rest of the teams are too weak to lift the Asia cup.
Honestly, I have never heard of the Asia Cup even though I have been a Cricket fan for a long time now. I was actually referring to the major ICC tournaments like the T-20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup etc.If not India then whom do you think will win this Asia Cup
Pakistan's team is not consistent while the rest of the teams are too weak to lift the Asia cup.
Other cups and tournaments are decent and all, but they pale in comparison to the World Cups which are the ultimate goals for any team in my opinion.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Ireland is likely to win the first T20 match against Afghanistan. The pitch is basically batting-friendly. So Afghanistan could have been in the safe zone if they batted first and set a target of 200. A target of 169 runs is not enough on such a pitch. Ireland collected 53 runs in 6 overs without losing any wicket. Ireland needs 116 runs from 84 balls to win. As Ireland's batting line-up is strong, Ireland's chances of winning now seem more.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.The last over went for 21 runs and i think this can be a momentum shift for the Afghanistan team. Ibrahim Zadran scored 2 sixes and 1 four in the last over and it was a treat to watch
The target of 169 runs is not a big target. But since Afghanistan's bowling line-up is strong, I think it should be enough to win. But if the bowlers fail to do their duty there is a possibility of defeat. Afghanistan mostly rely on their spin bowlers. Afghanistan's bowlers will struggle to perform well if the pitch is not spin-friendly. In this case, the result is also likely to go in Ireland's favour.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.The last over went for 21 runs and i think this can be a momentum shift for the Afghanistan team. Ibrahim Zadran scored 2 sixes and 1 four in the last over and it was a treat to watch
The target of 169 runs is not a big target. But since Afghanistan's bowling line-up is strong, I think it should be enough to win. But if the bowlers fail to do their duty there is a possibility of defeat. Afghanistan mostly rely on their spin bowlers. Afghanistan's bowlers will struggle to perform well if the pitch is not spin-friendly. In this case, the result is also likely to go in Ireland's favour.
So far things are going good for Ireland. Both the openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie have given a solid start to the Ireland innings and they have scored 40 runs without any wicket loss. The required run rate at the moment is little over 8.5 but with wickets in hand, this is achievable.
Ireland would want this partnership to stay and make the target more within their reach.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.
Afghanistan did score 150 runs, rather they end up scoring 168 runs in their 20 overs which is quite a tough target for the team like Ireland.
The last over went for 21 runs and i think this can be a momentum shift for the Afghanistan team. Ibrahim Zadran scored 2 sixes and 1 four in the last over and it was a treat to watch
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.The last over went for 21 runs and i think this can be a momentum shift for the Afghanistan team. Ibrahim Zadran scored 2 sixes and 1 four in the last over and it was a treat to watch
The target of 169 runs is not a big target. But since Afghanistan's bowling line-up is strong, I think it should be enough to win. But if the bowlers fail to do their duty there is a possibility of defeat. Afghanistan mostly rely on their spin bowlers. Afghanistan's bowlers will struggle to perform well if the pitch is not spin-friendly. In this case, the result is also likely to go in Ireland's favour.
It will be a good competition between Ireland and Afghanistan cricket team. Since the match is being played at Belfast, this would mean that Ireland will have added home advantage.
In the previous matches between these two teams, Afghanistan had the advantage but this will be a different game in a different environment so results may differ.
Ireland bowling is really weak at this point, in both pace and spin departments. I really don't know whether they will be able to make use of the home advantage. In all probability they will create a very flat surface, which will be beneficial for their batsmen such as Balbirnie and Stirling. But it can backfire. If Afghanistan bats first, then they will attempt to set up a total of more than 200. Players such as Rashid Khan and Nabi have the experience of being a part of IPL franchises for many years. In the previous matches between these two teams, Afghanistan had the advantage but this will be a different game in a different environment so results may differ.
If we look at the bowling department of both Ireland and Afghanistan we all have to agree that Afghanistan is way better compared to Ireland. In my opinion, both teams have quite similar batting departments. Another thing is they are going to play T20 matches. In the T20 format, Afghanistan is the better team overall than Ireland. Rashid Khan is a wonderful bowler and we all know how critical leg spinners are for T20. All the bowlers of Afghanistan are variation bowlers. They are going to be very difficult to read for Ireland. I also don't think that preparing a track only for batting is going to work.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.
Afghanistan did score 150 runs, rather they end up scoring 168 runs in their 20 overs which is quite a tough target for the team like Ireland.
The last over went for 21 runs and i think this can be a momentum shift for the Afghanistan team. Ibrahim Zadran scored 2 sixes and 1 four in the last over and it was a treat to watch
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
I would say Afghanistan's decision to bat after winning the toss was correct. Afghanistan managed to collect 113 runs in 14 overs. Afghanistan's bowling line-up is very strong. If they are able to give a target of more than 170 then maybe the match will be under the control of Afghanistan. But if the target is like 150 then there is a possibility for Ireland to win.
Afghanistan won the toss in the first Twenty20I and opted to bat first. It is always a good idea to consider Afghanistan as good candidate for this short format, as they have hitters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Their complete T20 squad can beat any opponent. As of now, everything is going well. At the end of 8 overs, they are at 63/1. In terms of batting attack, Ireland has a good one. It was a disappointing summer for Ireland, despite their performances at times. Anyway, It should be an interesting match.
Does anyone think that Ireland got a chance for today's match? They have lost their last 5 T20I matches, while Afghanistan has won 4 out of their last 5 (including one against Bangladesh and three against Zimbabwe). Most of Ireland's key players are available including Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andy McBrine and Harry Tector. Afghanistan has also sent a very strong side including Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. I won't be surprised if Afghans sweep the series 5-0.
I'm not sure whether Afghanistan will be able to win the series by 5-0 or not, but they will win the series for sure. Afghanistan players are more experienced than the Ireland players. The first T20 has started. Afghanistan batsman started slowly, still they scored 47 runs by losing 1 wickets in 6 overs. I have placed a pre-match bet on Afghanistan, the odds was 1.35 for their win. I have lost most of my recent bets on cricket by placing them on Bangladesh, but I'm expecting to win this one today. Jump to: