In the end, it turned out to be an easy win for South Africa in a game that could have easily gone Ireland’s game with the start that South Africa got in their innings batting first. The Proteas had lost their first four wickets for 38 runs when in walked David Miller.
All the top guns were in the hut including Quinton de Kock and soon most in form Proteas batter this year, Rassie van der Dussen too was caught behind the wicket.
Forced to bat with the tail, Miller produced one of the best innings of his T20I career, as he rebuilt the whole South African innings. Firstly he added 58 off 43 balls with Wiaan Mulder where Mulder was the run-scoring partner (36 from 26) while the 33-year-old settled down.
As soon as Mulder got out right when the death overs started in the 18th, the Miller show began. He faced 12 off the next 17 balls and scored 37 runs off them, 24 of which came from the last six balls of the inning.
Courtesy of that heroic effort from the experienced campaigner like Miller, the Proteas bowlers came all charged up and removed the most experienced Irish batter Kevin O’Brien in the very first over. From there on, there were some beautiful and entertaining shots from Paul Stirling, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, Ireland hardly looked like winning the game.
At 99-9 in the 17th over, the game was done and dusted and it took another 19 to complete the formalities. As always Tabraiz Shamsi was amongst the wickets as he removed three batters to take his wickets tally in this series to seven. Bjorn Fortuin took two wickets as well.
With this South Africa bagged the series with one game to go which would also be played at Stormont in Belfast on Friday, July 23.