Afghanistan beat Ireland by 39 runs in first one-day international

Afghanistan's bowlers proved too strong for Ireland as they claimed a 39-run win in the second one-day international at Stormont, Belfast.

Ed Joyce scored 62 for the home side but Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan split six wickets between them as the tourists managed to defend their total of 250 in fairly comfortable fashion to take a 1-0 series lead.

Afghanistan looked like setting a much bigger target while opener Mohammad Shahzad was at the crease, but most of their top order struggled after he was dismissed for 66, an innings that included eight fours and a six.

Najibullah Zadran provided some mid-innings momentum with a fine knock of 59 off 61 balls but, with hopes of perhaps reaching 300, Afghanistan were pegged back by Barry McCarthy.

McCarthy ended Zadran's innings and went on to take the last three wickets as well, returning figures of 4-59, while Kevin O'Brien (4-45) was the chief destroyer at the top of the Afghanistan innings.

Ireland were in a good position halfway through their innings, despite losing captain William Porterfield for 25, clean bowled by spinner Nabi, at the end of a 71-run first innings stand with Joyce.

Things started to go wrong when Mirwais Ashraf dismissed Joyce for 62, a patient knock off 87 balls that included six fours.

Ashraf also dismissed Stuart Poynter for a duck, but Ireland remained up with the scoring rate until John Anderson was dismissed for 26.

His departure was soon followed by O'Brien, who had scored a quick 35, and Nabi dismissed the dangerous Paul Stirling for 16 as Ireland's hopes began to ebb.

And it was Dawlat Zadran who returned to the attack to finish things off, dismissing McCarthy and Tim Murtagh to end Ireland's innings on 211 with only 10 balls remaining.

The five-game series continues at Stormont on Thursday.