AFG VS IRE - 2nd T20I, Afghanistan v Ireland in UAE, 2024

That's all we've got for you tonight. These two sides will lock horns again in less than 24hrs and it's sure to be another cracker with the series poised at 1-1. We'll be back to bring you all the action. Until then, take care and goodbye.

Rashid Khan | Afghanistan Captain & PoTM: (Translated) There were brief nervous moments but there are one or two players that come through for you under pressure. Looking forward for the decider.

Paul Stirling | Ireland Captain: Brilliant game, really happy with how we performed. Delany got us back into it when we thought we were out. Lot of positives and looking forward to tomorrow. (Team cohesion) It’s good, it’s something we naturally have and don’t need to work on. We know we only have a day left and hopefully we can close it out with a win. They (Ireland’s seamers) bowled excellently up top but Afghanistan bowled very well in the middle, bit of tit for tat. We’ve been working on it (playing spin) in the nets but it just hasn’t been happening for us, they’re world class bowlers, some of the best in the world so it hasn’t happened for us. Really important position for us to come in and hit sixes at the back end.

Mohammad Nabi: We were under pressure after the first few overs, but it became slightly easier for batting after that. We were just trying to take it ball-by-ball. There is no dew on the ground and it was tough to hit the variations. That was game-changing wicket (of Paul Stirling) as he is a key batter for Ireland and that was a crucial wicket for us. We will give our best to try and win that (decider).

23:32 Local Time, 19:32 GMT, 01:02 IST: It got a little too close for comfort towards the end there for Afghanistan but they hold their nerve and come out on top. Not many would've imagined they'd end up on the winning side after being down 14/4 early in the first innings but they found a way to scrap together a decent total and then their spinners did the job. Ireland started off well enough and they were racing away with things before they hit a brick wall when the spinners came on. The wickets fell in a hurry with Rashid Khan causing the most damage, he ended with figures of 4/14. Delany breathed a bit of life back in the game after bashing 22 off the 18th over but there was just a little too much to be done.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Delany, out Caught by Sediqullah Atal!! Afghanistan level the series at 1-1. Valiant effort from Delany but it's not quite enough. Low full-toss angling across outside off, Delany sliced it away towards deep backward point, didn't get enough on it this time and holed out to the man there. Delany c Sediqullah Atal b Fazalhaq Farooqi 39(18) [4s-3 6s-4]

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Delany, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Delany, no run, Fazalhaq Farooqi has done the job! Switches back to over the wicket, goes for a length delivery that slants across outside off, Delany looked to heave it away, didn't get it cleanly and dragged it to wide long-on, hung his head back in disappointment instantly

11 needed off 2

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Delany, SIX, this one has disappeared, it's still not over! Goes for the yorker again but just overcooks it a touch, Delany stood firm in his crease and clubbed it over long-on

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Delany, no run, Fazalhaq Farooqi nails the yorker once again! Brilliant job under pressure, gets the wide yorker in perfectly and Delany can only jam it back towards the bowler

17 needed off 4 now

Fazalhaq Farooqi to McCarthy, 1 run, low full-toss outside off, McCarthy took it on the full this time and drove it towards extra cover for a quick single

Fazalhaq Farooqi to McCarthy, no run, Farooqi nails the yorker! Right on the popping crease and just outside off, nothing McCarthy can do with that as it goes through to the keeper, that's such a valuable dot ball

We're going down to the wire here, 18 needed off 6

Naveen-ul-Haq to Delany, FOUR, another boundary! Full and just outside off, Delany made just a bit of room, got under this and used the pace to carve this away into the gap at backward point, Ireland still in the hunt!

Naveen-ul-Haq to Delany, FOUR, Delany gets the boundary! Length delivery on off-stump, Delany cleared his front-leg again and waited for it because it was pace off, let it come to him and smacked it back over the bowler's head

Naveen-ul-Haq to McCarthy, 1 run, very full on off-stump, eased towards backward point for a quick single

Naveen-ul-Haq to Delany, 1 run, length delivery wide outside off, Delany reached out and upper-cut it towards deep backward point, it was pace off and it didn't carry to the man running to his left in the deep

Naveen-ul-Haq to McCarthy, 1 run, banged in short on off-stump, gets on top of the bounce and swats it down to deep mid-wicket