Three defeats, two totals under 210, and a series already lost before the final ball is bowled. That is the grim arithmetic facing Ireland as they walk out at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont for the fifth and final ODI against Afghanistan. Bundled out for 206 and then 207 in consecutive games earlier in the series, Ireland’s batting looked brittle and rusty in a side returning to ODI cricket after more than 15 months away. Afghanistan should still take note of one number: 301. Ireland reached that mark in the fourth ODI, chasing a mammoth target and finally showing some of the fight missing earlier in the series.
Afghanistan still won by a wide margin, their third such victory and fourth win in as many attempts, but Ireland’s innings offered a foothold. Andy Balbirnie’s century anchored the chase of 344, while Curtis Campher supplied the support that carried Ireland past 300 for the first time in the series. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal had already done the damage for Afghanistan, both scoring centuries as the visitors piled up 343 for 9, a total that always felt beyond reach even with Balbirnie in that kind of form.
| Centurion | Team | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 4th ODI |
| Sediqullah Atal | Afghanistan | 4th ODI |
| Andy Balbirnie | Ireland | 4th ODI |
Two Afghan centuries against one Irish one goes a long way toward explaining the gap between a 4-0 series win and a contest that might have unfolded differently. Ireland’s issue has not been a lack of quality, but consistency. Paul Stirling and Harry Tector have both struggled to fire through the series, and a side building toward the 2027 World Cup cycle, likely via the Qualifier route rather than automatic entry, needed more from its senior names.
Carmichael’s audition at No. 3 and Ziaur’s costly afternoon
Cade Carmichael’s battle for the No. 3 spot will be one of Saturday’s key subplots. Stirling and Balbirnie are a settled opening pair, while Tector is locked in at four, leaving the middle-order slot up for grabs. Carmichael has made a strong case with scores that included 62 off 66 balls. Ireland need a top-order platform that extends beyond Balbirnie if they are to take any consolation from the series.
Afghanistan have the freedom to experiment. Ziaur Rahman replaced Fazalhaq Farooqi in the last game and finished with figures of 0 for 71 from his nine overs, expensive enough numbers for Afghanistan to reverse that call and recall Farooqi for the decider. Rashid Khan has been amongst the wickets throughout the tour, and Afghanistan are chasing a clean sweep, a 4-0 finish that would put an emphatic full stop on the tour.
Ireland’s recent form line reads LLLLW across their last five completed ODIs, suggesting fragility rather than freefall. Saturday in Belfast will not alter the series result. Afghanistan have already taken that. For an Ireland side searching for signs of progress under a new head coach, a win at Stormont would show that the 301 in the last game was more than a one-off.
