Ireland marginally ahead after wickets tumble on day one vs Afghanistan

One-off Test Day One: Ireland (100-4) (Curtis Campher 49; Zia-ur-Rehman 2-13) trail Afghanistan (155 all out) (Ibrahim Zadran 53; Mark Adair 5-39) by 55 runs.

Ireland’s Test match with Afghanistan is finely poised at the end of day one, the tourists closing 55 runs behind their hosts with six wickets in hand at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.

Some 14 wickets fell throughout a day which favoured the seam bowlers. Ireland’s Mark Adair led the way, moving the ball in both directions, both in the air and off the pitch as he recorded his maiden Test five-wicket haul. Craig Young and Curtis Campher both chipped in with a pair of wickets while Barry McCarthy notched his first Test scalp.

After bowling Afghanistan out for 155, Ireland were left with two hours in the day to bat. The openers struggled in an eventful opening which saw PJ Moor bowled off a no-ball, Andrew Balbirnie depart leg before wicket before Moor overturned an on-field decision when he too was given out after the ball hit his pad.

Curtis Campher led the Ireland fightback, hitting eight boundaries before being dismissed for 49. At the close, Harry Tector (32) and Paul Stirling (2) remained unbeaten, looking to guide Ireland into a first innings lead once play resumes on Thursday morning.

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