Porterfield paves way for Ireland win

Ireland captain Will Porterfield's 46 set up Ireland's victory against Afghanistan

Ireland survived a mid-innings wobble to record a comfortable five-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first game of their quadrangular Twenty20 series in Sri Lanka.

Chasing a modest 122 for victory, skipper Will Porterfield smashed nine boundaries as he raced to 46 from just 30 balls.

Porterfield and Niall O'Brien, who made 18, added 52 in 6.1 overs to set Ireland well on course for a win that launches their bid to qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in April.

Karim Sadiq brought a semblance of control to the wayward attack, and having dismissed Porterfield followed it up with the wicket of Andre Botha.

That sparked a nervous period for Ireland as they faltered from 91 for two to 98 for five in the space of 12 balls.

However, Gary Wilson and John Mooney settled the dressing room as they added an unbroken 26 to achieve the win with 11 balls to spare.

Earlier, former captain Trent Johnston took 4-22 in an inspired spell, continuing his superb form of 2009.

Andre Botha was not far behind Johnston, with 3-14, while 17-year-old left-arm spinner George Dockrell showed why he is highly rated, taking two wickets in a superb display of control and variety.

Raees Ahmadzai’s unbeaten 33, skipper Nowroz Mangal’s 27 and Shafiqullah Shafiq’s 23, all offered starts, but no Afghanistan batsman was able to break the shackles of a disciplined and penetrative Ireland attack.