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Amad Diallo has admitted he would be happy to stay at Manchester United for the rest of his career after being quizzed on his future plans.

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Amad impressing in pre-seasonWould like to spend whole career at Man UtdCurrent contract expires next summerWHAT HAPPENED?

Amad is heading into the final year of his current contract at Man Utd, though the club do have an option to extend that by a year. The winger has starred in pre-season, earning praise from his manager for his performance against Rangers after scoring a 2-0 win for the Red Devils. The youngster has also impressed on the training ground as he stakes a claim for a starting spot in 2024-25.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Amad missed the majority of last season with a knee injury but still popped up with some memorable moments, notably scoring the winner in an epic FA Cup quarter-final win over bitter rivals Liverpool. The 22-year-old may be heading towards the end of his current deal but has now made it clear he's eager to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.

WHAT AMAD SAID

Amad was asked about his future during Manchester United's pre-season tour and offered up the following response. He told reporters: "I'm very happy here. I think everyone is happy with me because I smile with everyone, good energy. Why not stay here all my life?

"It was not easy for me to get an injury in pre-season last season. I was out a long time but the most important thing was to come back stronger, to help the team and in the end I was happy with my contribution. I forgot the past and now I'm thinking about the present.

"I am so motivated to start the season, I'm so excited, I believe in the manager. Last season, I know didn't play a lot but this season is going to be a good season for everyone and I'm so motivated to start the season."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD

United have planned new contract talks with Amad and have already snubbed a £30 million ($38m) offer for the forward this summer. The youngster will be hoping to continue to catch the eye in pre-season and force his way into Erik ten Hag's starting XI for the 2024-25 campaign. However, he will face plenty of competition for a place in the team from the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.

أصدرت رابطة الليجا بيانًا رسميًا عبر موقعها، بشأن مباراة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا المقرر لها السبت القادم بمنافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وأفادت رابطة الليجا في بيانها، أنه تم تأجيل مباراة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا، وعدد من مواجهات الجولة 12، دون تحديد الموعد الجديد.

ويأتي ذلك بسبب إعصار دانا الذي ضرب منطقة فالنسيا وراح ضحيته عدد كبير من الأشخاص وتسبب في حدوث فيضانات وإغلاق الطرق وتعليق النقل بالسكك الحديدية. بيان رابطة الدوري الإسباني بشأن تأجيل مباراة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا

“نظرًا للوضع الحالي الذي نعاني منه في إسبانيا، والذي تسبب في العديد من الضحايا، خاصة في فالنسيا، طلبت رابطة الليجا، بناءً على طلب الأندية، من الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم تأجيل مباريات الجولة 12 من الدوري الإسباني والجولة 13 من دوري الدرجة الثانية الإسباني التي كان من المقرر لعبها في منطقة فالنسيا خلال نهاية هذا الأسبوع، وهي مباريات، فياريال ورايو فاليكانو، فالنسيا وريال مدريد.

وستكون هناك دقيقة صمت، تخليدًا لذكرى ضحايا إعصار دانا، وتعرب المؤسسة عن تعازيها وتعازي جميع أندية كرة القدم الإسبانية لعائلات وأصدقاء الضحايا، وتعرب عن تضامنها مع أسر الضحايا والمفقودين”.

Leeds United have been handed even further promotion incentive after it emerged that a long time target would be open to making the Elland Road switch should they find themselves back in the top flight next season.

Leeds leapfrog Ipswich

A vital win for Daniel Farke's side away to Sheffield Wednesday combined with a poor set of results for clubs around them has left Leeds more confident than ever of a return to the Premier League come the end of the campaign.

A 2-0 victory, combined with a 2-1 loss for Ipswich Town and a draw for Leicester City means that the Elland Road outfit have reclaimed second place, and are just three points behind the table-topping Foxes with nine games of the Championship season left to play.

The Championship- As it stands

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal difference

Points

Leicester City

37

26

4

7

41

82

Leeds United

37

24

7

6

40

79

Ipswich Town

37

23

9

5

25

78

Southampton

37

22

7

7

26

73

They are almost guaranteed a play-off spot, but are in with an excellent chance of being able to secure one of the two automatic promotion spots on offer, though it could take a record points tally to do so thanks to Ipswich's great form so far this campaign.

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Though they are taking nothing for granted, Leeds will already have one eye on the summer transfer window, and now they have been told just why promotion is a must to complete one of their key deals.

Leeds target wants to play in the Premier League

Speculation continues to swirl around Leeds and their transfer plans this summer, but one man that could finally make his way to Elland Road after months of rumours is 26-year-old Bright Osayi-Samuel, who is currently plying his trade for Fenerbahce in Turkey's top flight.

Leeds have long held an interest in the versatile Nigerian, with Turkish reports claiming that Daniel Farke's side were one of several teams keeping an eye on him over the January transfer window. However, they added that the club would face competition from Premier League pair Wolves and Crystal Palace should they want to make a move.

And there could be even more conditions to meet before a move is even entertained. Now, GIVEMESPORT have outlined that the 26-year-old is looking to make his next move to the Premier League, which could leave Leeds needing to secure a return to the top flight before they move for one of their main targets.

"Leeds' interest has been historical, so it's no surprise if they return", Ben Jacobs explained. "The player, should he make a move, and England is somewhere that he would be prepared to entertain, would ideally be looking for Premier League football, from what I'm told anyway."

"So if Leeds are to reignite interest in a player that they've tracked before, then it would likely, given that there is other Premier League interest, be contingent on them getting promoted."

Any deal would reportedly cost in the region of £12m to bring Osayi-Samuel back to English football, with the Nigerian having previously spent time with QPR in the Championship, where his best return consisted of five goals and nine assists for the London side.

He, like Leeds, is looking to make the step up to the English top flight this summer though.

Manchester United are looking to bring in Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United, but a twist has now emerged regarding the situation, according to a new update.

Man Utd want Dan Ashworth

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it clear that he sees Ashworth as an ideal man to hire as United's new sporting director, as he changes the way the club go about their recruitment, with terms already agreed between the pair last week.

The Englishman has worked wonders at Newcastle, forging a strong relationship with Eddie Howe and identifying top-quality signings, so he could play a pivotal role in looking to help the Red Devils return to the top of English football.

Ashworth has confirmed his desire to leave the Magpies, with United's Premier League rivals placing him on gardening leave, and it is believed that £20m will have to be paid to Newcastle if they want to bring him in straight away.

If not, they will have to wait two years before he can start work at Old Trafford, due to his contract and a significant update has dropped regarding United's pursuit of him, having made an approach.

Dan Ashworth to Man Utd twist

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke, Manchester United are not willing to pay £20m in compensation to bring in Ashworth, suggesting his move to Old Trafford could have to wait.

"Man United will not pay £20million to land Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth, sources have told Football Insider. Football Insider revealed last week (14 February) that Newcastle chief Ashworth agreed terms on a move to United and informed the Magpies of his intention to leave.

"Negotiations are now ongoing between the two clubs as the Magpies look to cash in on Ashworth. He is under contract in the north east until June 2026 and it is believed the Tyneside club will initially ask for as much as £20million. Man United have baulked at that initial price tag and talks will continue."

This is clearly a frustrating update for United supporters to hear, considering what a strong appointment Ashworth could be moving forward, but it is no great surprise to see Newcastle holding firm, looking to get as much money as possible in the deal.

Ultimately, it looks as though a compromise is going to have to be reached between the two clubs, landing at a figure they both agree on, or the 52-year-old may not be a Red Devils employee until 2026.

The fact that United have made an official approach is exciting, however, and having not had a proper sporting director in place for so long, unlike rivals such as Manchester City and Liverpool, fans will hope that this is another major step in the right direction, following some poor years at Old Trafford.

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There is still lots of work to be done, though, and Ashworth won't solve all the issues on his own, but there is a feeling of positivity growing at the club, with Ratcliffe gaining more power and results improving on the pitch.

Any idea that Chelsea would be in for a quiet summer after spending £900million over the last four windows has been quickly put to bed as Todd Boehly looks to spend big on a goalscorer extraordinaire to solve his striker woes.

Chelsea's search for a striker

Despite spending heavily since taking over in 2022, Boehly is still on the lookout for the perfect number nine for his Chelsea team. Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to settle on a preferred option up front with a number of different players taking on the responsibility. Injuries to Nicholas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have left the Blues with little firepower upfront, with much of the attacking onus falling upon the shoulders of Cole Palmer.

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Efforts to sign a new number nine have so far proved fruitless for the West London side, with rumours of a move for Napoli talisman, Victor Osimhen, yet to come to fruition. With 26 goals in Serie A last season, Chelsea will be one of many big clubs lining to try and bring the Nigerian to the Premier League.

Likely to be another season without European football, it will be difficult for Chelsea to entice Osimhen to come to West London, leading to links with alternatives like Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson. And it is now suggested that the West London outfit will turn their attention away from Osimhen and make a shock bid for a player who knows the Premier League well.

The Blues plot shock striker move

In a move that very few saw coming, it is now reported that Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing Bayern Munich forward, Harry Kane. First broken by Football Insider's Wayne Veysey, it is revealed that Chelsea chiefs have caught wind that the Englishman is unhappy in Germany and is eager for a move back to his home country.

Veysey reports that Bayern would only look to recoup the £82million fee they paid to Tottenham last year, a modest price for a player of his quality. Whilst the Boehly era at Stamford Bridge has seen some ludicrous fees thrown around, this transfer would represent good value for money.

Kane made the switch to Bavaria this summer and has excelled at his new club, scoring 24 times in just 21 Bundesliga games this season. Few expected the 30-year-old to settle in so quickly in Germany, making his goal tally all the more impressive. Speaking on his start at Bayern, the club's sports director, Christoph Freund, sang the praises of the striker, telling the press:

In theory, the Kane to Chelsea deal makes sense. The Blues are a side crying out for a goalscorer whilst the former Spurs man may be eager to return to London. Another factor is Kane's standing as the Premier League's second all-time goalscorer. Just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer, the former Spurs man could be inclined to return to England to break the record.

A win-win for all parties then – apart from Spurs fans, who would have to see their all-time top scorer in the shirt of their rivals.

The January transfer window slams shut in a little over a week and Arsenal are reportedly looking to snap up a player from one of their Premier League rivals.

Arsenal considering second attempt at Wolves star

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have set their sights on a move to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers star Rayan Ait-Nouri to bolster the club's options at the back. The Gunners had a bid rejected for Ait-Nouri last week, with Liverpool also lurking with an interest.

Now, according to Football Insider, Edu and co are "considering" another swoop to sign the Algeria international before the end of the window, or could simply lay the groundwork to get it done in the summer. He is currently under contract through to the end of the 2025/26 campaign and Wolves have an option to extend that by 12 months, which means that they are in control of the situation and under no pressure to cash in.

The report claims that Arsenal and Liverpool continue to monitor his situation at the Molineux as they eye him up as a possible addition to their respective squads. However, it states that Ait-Nouri is likely to remain with the Old Gold beyond February's deadline day and that a summer switch is more likely. The Gunners, and Jurgen Klopp's side, are equipping themselves for a battle at the end of the season as Edu attempts to improve Arteta's full-back options.

Arsenal's most expensive full-back signings (via Transfermarkt)
Player	Fee paid	Bought from
Ben White	£50.2m	Brighton
Jurrien Timber	£34.3m	Ajax
Oleksandr Zinchenko	£30m	Manchester City
Kieran Tierney	£23.2m	Celtic
Jakub Kiwior	£21.4m	Spezia

There is no mention this time of how much Wolves would demand for the defender, but the previous report of a rejected bid claimed it would take £50m to tempt Wolves into selling the versatile left-back, whether that is in January or the summer. It now remains to be seen who will be willing to make the first move out of Arsenal and Liverpool in the race to sign Gary O'Neil's impressive ace.

Ait-Nouri's Premier League form is outstanding

One of the reasons why Edu and Arteta may be considering a swoop for Ait-Nouri is that he is a proven Premier League performer who would not need any time to adapt to the rigours of English football. The Algerian whiz, who was hailed as "underrated" by analyst Ben Mattinson, has made 82 top-flight appearances for the Old Gold since his move to England from Angers, initially on loan, ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

He is a dynamic and progressive left-back, as evidenced by his exceptional assist in the clip below, who could help the Gunners with his play in possession, and he is also versatile enough to play further up in a back five, as well as slot in on the left side of a back three if needs must.

In the Premier League this season, Ait-Nouri ranks within the top 15% of his positional peers for non-penalty Expected Goals (npxG) and Expected Assisted Goals combined per 90 (0.17), as well as for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.43), which speaks to his attacking quality.

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The 22-year-old dynamo, impressively, ranks in the top 1% of Premier League full-backs for successful take-ons per 90 (2.36) and this suggests that he could be particularly effective at bypassing the opposition's press to then release the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard in space down the left flank.

On Tuesday night, Leeds United make the trip to fellow Championship side Plymouth for an FA Cup fourth-round replay. The first meeting between the sides at Elland Road finished 1-1, with Adam Randell equalising for the visitors in the final 20 minutes after Jaidon Anthony had given Daniel Farke's side the lead.

The incentive for the winner is a fifth-round match-up with either Chelsea or Aston Villa, who themselves will meet in a replay on Wednesday night. But heading into the game, Farke is dealing with a few injury problems.

Winger Dan James is out until at least the weekend, when Leeds take on Rotherham, after injuring his hip in the first half of the recent win over Norwich, while centre-back Pascal Struijk, who's been unavailable since Boxing Day with an ongoing adductor issue, is expected to be missing until the end of February. Stuart Dallas remains a long-term absentee after breaking his leg in 2022.

Shackleton now on the sidelines for Leeds

Farke is now set to be without a fourth player for the game at Home Park, with BBC Sport's Adam Pope reporting that Jamie Shackleton is a "major doubt" as a result of illness.

In a subsequent tweet, he adds that Farke has no fresh injury concerns and intends to take the game "seriously" while making changes amid the Whites' push for promotion to the Premier League.

Shackleton had shone in first game

Farke has described Shackleton as "an unbelievably important" part of his squad, and he showed exactly why when he stepped into the team for the first game against Plymouth and delivered an excellent performance.

Tackles

3

=1st

Ground duel success rate

100%

1st

Total duel success rate

75%

2nd

Passing accuracy (min. 40 attempted)

89%

4th

Possession lost (starters)

5

1st

As you can see in the table above, he was rock-solid defensively and looked after the ball well too, but Farke may now have to ask 17-year-old Archie Gray, who's already clocked more than 2,500 minutes this season, to start yet another match.

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Since the end of September, Shackleton has started more games in the cup (two) than he has in the league (one), so he'll be particularly frustrated to miss the opportunity. It's recently emerged that Leeds intend to offer him a new contract ahead of the expiry of his current deal in the summer, and this would have been an opportunity to improve his stock before those negotiations take place. If Leeds go out, it's unclear where his next opportunity will come.

The closest Glenn Maxwell got to the IPL this year was texting David Warner about his outstanding form, but he is hopeful of being proven right in having opted for county cricket before the World Cup after his brief first spell with Lancashire produced an unexpectedly key role with the ball.While some of his Australian team-mates were in India, Maxwell played one County Championship match and six one-day games. Though his top score was just 35, it was his success with the ball, which included a maiden five-wicket haul in the Championship and eight one-day wickets, that has proved timely.Australia captain Aaron Finch has said that he expected spin to play “huge role” in the World Cup, but it would appear tough for Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to both find a starting place in the XI in England with Australia likely to want a third frontline quick in the ranks compared to the balance they had in India and in the UAE. That puts the onus back on Maxwell to be the second spinner and after his role with Lancashire over the last few weeks, his confidence is high.Maxwell bowled his full allocation of ten overs in four of his six limited-overs matches and signed off with 3 for 42 against Durham, which included the wicket of Cameron Bancroft.”Certainly the bowling part I didn’t expect,” Maxwell said during Australia’s pre-World Cup camp in Brisbane. “I was able to get a lot of overs and find a rhythm I probably haven’t had for a while. To get some time at the bowling crease and get some real good feel out of that was nice.””I think with myself and Marcus Stoinis able to be a fifth or sixth bowler, depending on what sort of side we go with, to have those extra overs is really important for Aaron to have at his disposal. If we can be relied on to bowl key overs, even if it’s in the Powerplay or at the end, that’s going to be really important.”It was a great month, and I’m looking forward to going there at the back-end of the World Cup as well. Hopefully I have a successful World Cup and then we can give it a big tick.”Glenn Maxwell of Lancashire claimed a career-best 5-40 against Middlesex at Lord’s•Getty Images

However, Maxwell’s role at this year’s tournament is unlikely to be the same as in 2015, when Australia shunned a frontline spinner in favour of hitting the opposition with pace, leaving Maxwell as the only spin option. In the intervening years, spin has played an increasingly important role for all one-day sides, but Australia had lagged behind until quite recently when they threw their weight behind Zampa and Lyon.Still, it’s with the bat that Maxwell could really light up the World Cup. Having slipped to No. 7 during the home summer, as Australia tried to work out how they wanted the one-day side to play, he emerged with the role that many have long thought was right: floating in the middle order, ready to take on the game situation, the way he did in the last World Cup during which his lone ODI hundred came from No. 5: 102 off 53 balls against Sri Lanka. In India and the UAE, he batted from three to six, closing that run of matches with scores of 71, 98 and 70. They were vital innings for a player who has dealt with a host of mixed messages.”It was probably only after the Dubai series where I felt really comfortable with where my game was at,” he said. “I was able to play three really consistent innings, and all completely different – I went about it in different ways in all three of them. So I think that adaptability and consistency is something that Australian cricket and the fans have always really wanted from me. So to do it in three different ways, at different times, was really pleasing for me personally, but it’s something I need to continue to work on to continue being successful.”I generally work with JL [Justin Langer], just keep asking him what he wants from me, and it’ll get to a point where he’ll say ‘go put ’em on’. He’ll send a message out to Aaron, ask him what he thinks, and that’s how we get to that decision. It was something that I did reasonably well in 2015, so we’re sort of trying to emulate that in this World Cup. Hopefully I can do it similar.”English conditions are not foreign to the Australian squad, but Maxwell’s spell with Lancashire, though early season, also gave him the chance to get a taste of what could be on offer. He was involved in an extraordinary game at Trent Bridge, where Lancashire came within a whisker of chasing down Nottinghamshire’s 417. Australia play two of their group matches, against West Indies and Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge and it was also the venue where their under-strength team was plundered for a world-record 481 by England last year.Some of the domestic one-day games were played to the edges of wicket blocks while the main pitches were protected for the marque games to come, but Maxwell still expects some heavy scoring at the World Cup.”There might be a couple of games that are extremely high-scoring. That was the extreme part at Trent Bridge where you’ve got the corner boundary which is quite a cut off. We should’ve basically chased 417, and that’s the sort of conditions we’re going to be exposed to. It didn’t really spin a whole lot. It wasn’t lightning fast, the wickets, and there wasn’t a lot of swing. It should be interesting for the bowlers over there.”

The former Australia captain believes Bancroft ‘has shown great character’ in coming back from his ball-tampering ban

George Dobell04-Apr-20190:43

Cameron Bancroft as Durham captain? Marcus North explains

Steven Smith has insisted Cameron Bancroft will prove a “good choice” as captain of Durham.News that Bancroft, who like Smith has recently returned from suspension for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering episode, had been appointed ahead of the 2019 county season raised eyebrows in some quarters, with former England fast bowler Darren Gough labelling it “disgraceful.”But Smith feels Bancroft has shown “great character” in the manner he has returned to the game and will prove an astute choice for the role.”Cam is a good choice for captain,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders and has shown great character in the way he has come back after his time out.”It has been a tough time for him no doubt, but he’s a good guy who will do his best for Durham and will lead them well. He gets the game pretty well and has a good understanding of strategy and players.”He’s found a bit of form with the bat and will be able to use his experience in a positive way.”While Bancroft’s role in the ball tampering episode appeared to be the source of Gough’s displeasure, there is also some unquiet within the English game at the number of Australians gaining experience in county cricket ahead of the Ashes series.Around 10 Australian players – not all of them realistic Ashes candidates – are likely to appear in County Championship cricket in the coming weeks which will only serve to reignite the debate over whether counties should be slightly less obliging to England’s overseas opponents in such circumstances. In Durham’s case, however, their director of cricket is the former Australia allrounder, Marcus North, who played with Bancroft at Western Australia.”He is good mates with Marcus North from WA and he will know what Cam is all about,” Smith, who seemed bemused about recent reports suggesting he could play county cricket this year, said. “They will work well together to get the best out of the team.”It is obviously a shame that he is missing the first game with a prior commitment to WA, but I’m sure he is itching to get out there and show what he can do and give his best. County cricket is a great environment and Cam will make the most of his chance I’m sure to show what it means to him.”While Smith’s recommendation of Bancroft is hardly surprising, he also had warm words for Rajasthan Royals team-mate Ben Stokes. While the relationship between England and Australia players had appeared to have soured by the time the last Ashes series ended, recent days have seen David Warner and Jonny Bairstow form an effective opening partnership for Sunrisers Hyderabad and now Smith and Stokes gelling well at the Royals. That has fuelled hopes the forthcoming Ashes series might be played in somewhat better spirit than the last.”He’s a great guy to have on your side,” Smith said of Stokes. “He has amazing energy – he does everything at 100 miles an hour – and his fitness is fantastic. He’s always in the game, whether with the bat, the ball or in the field, and he’s the sort of guy who can lift a dressing room.”Smith and Warner are expected to be named in Australia’s World Cup squad later this month which would mark their international returns following the year-long bans. They both underwent elbow surgery earlier this year and are using the IPL as a stepping stone to the World Cup. Warner has been in outstanding form with 264 runs in his first four matches while Smith has been more subdued with 86 runs in three innings.

Paul Stirling’s fighting 89 went in vain as Afghanistan chased down their target of 162 with 8.1 overs to spare

The Report by Hemant Brar28-Feb-2019

Mujeeb Ur Rahman is mobbed by his team-mates•AFP

Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s three-wicket haul set up Afghanistan’s five-wicket win over Ireland in the first ODI in Dehradun. All three of his wickets came in his opening spell, during which he reduced Ireland to 14 for 3. The visitors couldn’t recover and were bowled out for 161 despite Paul Stirling’s fighting 89. Afghanistan didn’t face much difficulty in their chase, getting over the line in the 42nd over.William Porterfield opted to bat first but the Ireland batsmen had no clue against the guile of Mujeeb. Bowling with the new ball, Mujeeb struck with his third delivery of the match as Porterfield chopped a length ball on to the stumps.Andy Balbrinie was the next to go. The batsman tried to sweep Mujeeb from outside off only to miss and get struck on the pads. Umpire S Ravi didn’t take long to raise his finger but replays showed the impact was outside the line of the off stump.Off the very next ball, Mujeeb snared debutant James McCollum, who went back and across to a googly only to end up playing outside the line. This time there was no doubt about the lbw decision. Mujeeb’s figures at this point were 4-3-2-3.The spinner could have had Stirling lbw in his next over but Ravi once again erred, this time benefitting Ireland. Apart from that call Stirling looked firm in defence, but the middle order – Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh and Stuart Poynter – offered little resistance and soon Ireland were reeling at 69 for 6.Stirling eventually found an ally in George Dockrell and the two added 76 for the seventh wicket in 15.2 overs. During their association, Stirling switched gears and hit Mohammad Nabi for sixes over long-on and deep midwicket. Rashid Khan broke the partnership in the 46th over, bowling Dockrell for 37 for his first wicket of the match.Stirling hit back-to-back fours off Dawlat Zadran in the 49th over, the first a lofted off-drive and then a cheeky scoop over short fine leg, but was bowled in the next over as he moved too far across only to see a straight delivery clatter into the stumps.Hazratullah Zazai began Afghanistan’s response positively, smashing Tim Murtagh for a six over long-on before clubbing two more fours in the bowler’s next over. However, the run-flow slowed after that and while trying to break the shackles, Zazai was caught off Barry McCarthy by O’Brien near long-on.Mohammad Shahzad and Rahmat Shah took the side to 90 without taking any risks before Boy Rankin dismissed both in quick succession. And when Hashmatullah Shahidi fell to Simi, Afghanistan were 104 for 4, still 58 away from their target.But with the asking rate always well under four, even the dot balls didn’t create enough pressure. Gulbadin Naib then swatted McCarthy for three fours – all towards midwicket – in the 37th over to put the issue beyond doubt. Soon after, he hit Rankin for two fours and a six before falling four short of his half-century. With nine required for victory, Najibullah Zadran smashed Dockrell for two sixes to seal the deal.