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Afghanistan sealed the 2026 ODI series against Ireland with a commanding 42-run victory in Belfast on August 12, clinching a 3-0 lead with one match to play. Sediqullah Atal’s magnificent birthday 143 off 120 balls and Ibrahim Zadran’s century — combined in a record-breaking 231-run second-wicket stand — powered Afghanistan to 343 for 9. Despite valiant contributions from Andy Balbirnie and a devastating Curtis Campher cameo, Ireland were bowled out for 301 in 48 overs.
Belfast, Northern Ireland: Under a solar eclipse that cast an otherworldly glow over the Civil Service Cricket Club at Stormont, Afghanistan batted Ireland into submission. Ireland chose to field, hoping the Belfast conditions — historically kind to seamers — might provide early purchase. Instead, what unfolded was a batting exhibition that produced the highest ever match aggregate between these two nations in ODI cricket: 644 runs across 98 overs of relentless, absorbing cricket.
Afghanistan’s chase for 300-plus runs began with intent. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell inside the powerplay, but his departure only brought together two batters who would go on to make history.
A Record Rewritten on His Birthday
Sediqullah Atal walked in early and never looked back. Alongside Ibrahim Zadran, the left-hander constructed a second-wicket partnership of 231 — the highest Afghanistan have ever managed for that wicket in ODI cricket, surpassing the previous record of 218 set by Karim Sadiq and Shahzad. Zadran, measured and methodical, brought up his century off 107 balls. Atal, more expansive and authoritative, went past three figures off 96 — and then kept accelerating. He finished with 143 off 120 balls, a knock of sustained brilliance that dismantled every Irish bowling plan.
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For Atal, a man celebrating his birthday on the field, it was an innings he described afterwards as one he will “remember for a long, long time.” He spoke of the role Zadran’s experience played — reminding him to stay present, ball by ball, without dwelling on what came before or worrying about what was to come. Ireland’s bowlers — Adair, McCarthy, and Campher — pulled things back somewhat in the death overs to restrict Afghanistan to 343 for 9, but the damage was already done.
Balbirnie’s Defiance and Campher’s Explosion
Chasing 344 against this bowling attack was always going to require something extraordinary. For a time, it looked possible. Andy Balbirnie anchored Ireland’s reply with a composed and elegant century, providing the chase with its backbone. Paul Stirling departed early — as did Cade Carmichael cheaply — but Balbirnie held firm, and then Curtis Campher arrived.
What Campher produced was a cameo of spectacular ferocity: 84 off 46 balls, with eight fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 182. The required rate tumbled. The impossible started to feel negotiable. But Afghanistan’s bowling depth ultimately told. With the solar eclipse dimming the sky over Stormont and wickets falling at the other end, Ireland ran out of partners. Yamin Ahmadzai — impressive throughout — removed Campher, caught by Rahmat Shah, to extinguish the last real hope. Ahmadzai finished with 4 for 71, and Rashid Khan and AM Ghazanfar provided the spin menace that prevented Ireland from ever truly running away with the chase. Ireland were bowled out for 301 in 48 overs, falling 42 runs short.
In a personal milestone woven into a team defeat, Paul Stirling claimed his 69th catch as a fielder in ODIs, surpassing William Porterfield’s long-standing Ireland record of 68.
Aftermath: 3-0 and a World Cup Secured
Afghanistan’s series victory here is a continuation of a dominant tour. Their third-ODI win had already sealed their place as the eighth and final direct qualifier for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. This win confirms the series 3-0, with one match remaining on August 15.
Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan’s captain, credited his batters’ calmness — noting that the plan before arriving in Belfast was simple: post 300-plus runs. Atal and Zadran executed it to perfection. Ireland’s captain Paul Stirling acknowledged the gulf plainly, pointing to the Atal-Zadran second-wicket partnership as the passage that decided the contest.
For Ireland, the road to the 2027 World Cup now runs through the Qualifier — their third consecutive attempt via that route. There is fight in this side, as Balbirnie and Campher proved, but the gap against Afghanistan’s best remains a real and present challenge.
Score: Afghanistan 343/9 (50 overs) beat Ireland 301 all out (48 overs) by 42 runs
Player of the Match: Sediqullah Atal (Afghanistan) — 143 off 120 balls; 231-run record second-wicket partnership with Zadran
