South Africa couldn’t get going with the bat, and it took Kagiso Rabada’s 17-run final over to help them post 165 in their 20 overs. However, they were absolutely clinical with the ball. Ireland were never in the chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals and ended up with a score of 132/9.
Despite posting an under-par total with the bat, South Africa managed to coast to a comfortable win in the first T20I against Ireland. The bowlers produced a clinical and an all-around performance to help the Proteas take the series lead as Ireland just couldn’t get going with the bat.
After being put into bat, Quinton de Kock gave South Africa a brisk start. The left-handed wicket-keeper batsman blazed away to 20 in no time before Mark Adair got the breakthrough for Ireland. South Africa had raced to 31 in 2.3 overs, but de Kock’s wicket put the brakes on the scoring rate. Adair got another one in his following over as he dismissed the in-form Janneman Malan before Temba Bavuma was out in the final over of the powerplay to leave South Africa reeling at 44/3.
However, some decent contributions from Aiden Markram (39), Rassie van der Dussen (25) and David Miller (28) kept South Africa afloat, but none of them could really force the pace and bat through. It was only four boundaries in the final over that Kagiso Rabada struck helped South Africa drag their score to 165. Adair finished with three wickets while Simi Singh and Joshua Little picked up two wickets each.
In reply, Paul Stirling smashed the first ball of the innings for a six. However, George Linde bounced back well as he knocked over the Ireland opener to give South Africa an early breakthrough. Kagiso Rabada then had Kevin O’Brien out for a first-ball duck. Lungi Ngidi came into the attack and picked up a couple of wickets in successive overs to leave Ireland in trouble at 34/4.
Tabraiz Shamsi then came into the attack and spun a web around Ireland middle and lower middle-order. Linde also chipped in with a wicket as Ireland slipped to 88/9 in the 14th over. Barry McCarthy and Joshua Little were the No. 10 and No. 11 batters stuck around for the next six overs and batted out the 20 overs, but the total was well out of reach. They could help Ireland get to just 132 as they stitched an unbeaten 44-run stand for the 10th wicket.
Shamsi finished with four scalps while Linde and Ngidi took two wickets each. Only four Irish batters could get into double figures, and two of those were No. 10 and 11.
Brief scores
South Africa 165/7 (Markram 39, Miller 28, Adair 3/39, Simi Singh 2/19) beat Ireland 132/9 (Tector 36, Barry McCarthy 30, Shamsi 4/27, Lungi Ngidi 2/18) by 33 runs
