Ireland ended a run of eight successive Twenty20 International (T20I) defeats after beating Afghanistan with just one ball remaining in a seven-wicket win in Belfast on Tuesday. George Dockrell struck the match-clinching boundary off the penultimate ball as Ireland, chasing 169, finished on 171-3. The result was Ireland’s first win in any form of international cricket this season, with the side also having suffered three one-day defeats. Ireland openers Paul Stirling (31 off 29 balls) and captain Andrew Balbirnie (51 off 38) got the hosts’ chase off to a good start with a stand of 61 in 7.3 overs at Stormont.
