Belfast pitch report: The SportsRush brings you the pitch report for the 1st T20I between Ireland and Afghanistan in Belfast.
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Ireland will take on Afghanistan in the 1st T20I of the 5-match series at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Belfast. This series is expected to be a competitive one.
Ireland have played some great cricket in their home conditions, but they have not been able to win games. The pacers of the side have been great, whereas Paul Stirling and Harry Tector have done great in batting.
Afghanistan will be led by Mohammad Nabi in the series, and again the spinners of the side will be under focus. The batters of the side will carry a huge responsibility in this game as the bowlers have always performed great for them.
Belfast pitch report:
The pitch at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Belfast has been a competitive one, where there is help for every kind of players. In last Ireland vs New Zealand series, the pacers dominated in the first innings, where they took complete use of the fresh pitches, and the extra amount of bounce helped them.
The spinners generally dominate in the 2nd innings, where the pitch gets a little slower. All being said about the bowlers, there are no major demons for the batters as well on the pitch, and once set, the batters can play their shots properly. The smaller boundaries and fast outfield work in the favour of the batters.
A total of 21 T20Is have been played at this very venue, where 13 matches have been won by the chasing teams and 8 teams have been won by the teams batting first. The average 1st innings score has been 123 runs, which certainly is an indication that the batting has not been that easy here.
The last T20I at this ground between Ireland and New Zealand was a high-scoring encounter, where New Zealand chased the target of 175 runs. Both Afghanistan and Ireland would love to bowl first after winning the toss in this match.
