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ABU DHABI, UAE – In the first fixture of their multi-format tour of the UAE, Ireland Wolves faced Afghanistan A in a four-day match at Tolerance Oval.

DAY ONE

• Afghanistan A won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bat on what proved to be a very good wicket at the Tolerance Oval where Ireland Men won their first-ever test match just over twelve months before.
• Playing XI for Ireland Wolves: Gavin Hoey (c), Stephen Doheny, Sam Topping, Cade Carmichael, Ben Calitz, Chris DeFreitas, Morgan Topping, Tom Mayes, Liam McCarthy, Cian Robertson, Matthew Foster.
• After a long Day One at Tolerance Oval, Afghanistan A post 317-3. Foster gets the first wicket at 181-1, then followed by McCarthy who removes the second opener at 211-2. Cian Robertson then got the final wicket of the day at 301-3 near the end of play.
• Key talking points from the day included Robertson who toiled through the day with 28 overs of nagging left-arm finger spin – going at only 2.21 runs per over with five maidens to go with the solitary wicket.
• Liam McCarthy has also made a successful return after recovering form injury which had kept him out of consideration for selection for Ireland Men at the end of 2024.
• Besides drinks breaks and breaks between the sessions, play had also been curtailed early on due to a passing sand storm – however this didn’t interrupt the action for too long.

DAY TWO

• Ireland Wolves were back in action on the morning of Day Two at Tolerance Oval looking for wickets on what still looked a remarkably good wicket.
• After toiling throughout the morning session, the Wolves were then rewarded with two quick wickets after returning from the lunch break. One for Cian Robertson (404-4), and one for Liam McCarthy (413-5).
• Just before the tea break at the end of the second session, there was a wicket for Foster (548-6) and then a final wicket Cade Carmichael just before the batting side reached 600.
• At 612-7, Afghanistan A opted to declare and have a go with the ball and leave the Wolves a tricky period to bat at the very end of the day’s play.
• By the end of Day Two, Ireland Wolves posted 76-2 which included an opening stand of 53 between Stephen Doheny and Sam Topping.
• Tom Mayes had been sent in to bat the at the very end to protect the Wolves’ middle order.
• Throughout both days, Cian Robertson bowled 47 overs in total at just under three runs per over.

DAY THREE

• Ireland Wolves resumed on the morning of the third session with Tom Mayes accompanying Cade Carmichael.
• The two then successfully batted throughout this first session without losing a wicket, putting on 104 runs in the process while Ireland’s No. 3 passed fifty [Carmichael 70, T Mayes 46).
• After lunch, Carmichael then made three figures – his first ever at first-class level. Both him and Mayes had also put on 200 runs between them.
• However after the dismissals of both batters, Ireland Wolves struggled to make further progress and were dismissed for 309.
• With the Wolves trailing by 303 runs, Afghanistan then enforced the follow-on – leaving a short period to bat for the end of the day.
• Ireland Wolves then finished the day at 33-2 following on with Stephen Doheny and Chris De Freitas still at the crease.

DAY FOUR

• After three very tough days of cricket played through intense head, the goal from definitely would have been to draw the game.
• Early on Day Four, Ireland lost Doheny. From there the batting side struggled to get a foothold back into the game and were bowled out for 109 in 54.2 overs.

Scorecard here.