Afghanistan beat Ireland 343 to 301 in their third meeting of the series, which took place in Ireland on 12 August 2026. The result means Afghanistan took the series from the hosts after two earlier games on 7 and 10 August.
And here's the thing about this one — Ireland had won the first match by just one run, 206 to 207, before Afghanistan responded with a 92-run win on 7 August. By then it was clear this would be a tight series, and Ireland's 301 wasn't enough to stop the visitors.
What struck me watching was how Ireland's recent form had looked promising before this one. They'd beaten India at home in June, winning 182 to 148, and edged another game 154 to 153. But against Afghanistan they've now lost two of three, and that first narrow victory feels like an outlier rather than a pattern.
To be fair, Ireland did post a competitive total. 301 runs on this surface should have been enough to set a target, but Afghanistan chased it down without major difficulty. The margin of 42 runs suggests they never really looked troubled.
This result gives Afghanistan momentum going forward. They've shown they can win tight games and big ones too — that 299 to 207 scoreline on 7 August was telling. Ireland will need to find a way to close out matches if they want to compete at this level.