Durham pace bowler Barry McCarthy became the first Irishman to take an One-Day International five-wicket haul against a full ODI nation during Thursday’s win over Afghanistan.
After missing out on selection in the first ODI, McCarthy returned to help level the series ahead of Sunday’s decisive match-up.
The 25-year-old returned figures of 5/46 as Ireland bounced back from a heavy defeat to win by 51 runs in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
His Man-of-the-Match performance beat his previous best of 4/59 against the same side in July 2016 & takes his overall ODI record up to 30 wickets at an average of 24.43.
McCarthy removed both well-set openers before returning to help see Ireland home, at one point finding himself on a hat-trick.
Ireland set 271/9 from their 50 overs & Afghanistan made a solid if unspectacular start before McCarthy clean bowled Ihsanullah for 20 & removed fellow opener Javed Ahmadi two short of his half century.
Regular wickets kept Afghanistan from getting ahead of the rate & with the rate climbing, the Durham man came back to mop up the lower order.
He had two in as many balls, having Nasir Jamal caught at cover & following up with the wicket of Shafiqullah bowled by a full, straight delivery.
And his five-for was complete when a slower ball did for Dawlat Zadran, who missed with a wild swipe across the line & was adjudged LBW, handing McCarthy his historic moment & keeping Ireland alive in the three-game series.