IRE vs SA 2024 , 1st T20I - Reeza Hendricks And Ryan Rickelton Power South Africa To A Convincing Win

South Africa won the series-opener to take 1-0 lead (@cricketireland/X)

Brief Scores

Ireland: 171-8 (20 overs)
Curtis Campher - 49 (36), Neil Rock - 37 (28); Patrick Kruger 4/27 (4), Wiaan Mulder 1/15 (2)

South Africa: 174-2 (17.4 overs)
Ryan Rickelton: 76 (48), Reeza Hendricks: 51 (33); Craig Young 1/25 (3), Mark Adair 1/31 (3.4)

South Africa undermined ‘designated hosts’ Ireland to secure a big win at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium, thus taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series.

Patrick Kruger prevents late Irish flourish

Ireland lost both openers, Ross Adair and Paul Stirling cheaply to Wiaan Mulder and Ottneil Baartman respectively within the first three overs of the match. Harry Tector also failed to make the most of his confident start as he made a complete hash of an attempted reverse off South African spinner Bjorn Fortuin as Ireland slipped to 64-3 in seven overs.

Middle-order batters Curtis Campher and Neil Rock shared 59 runs together for the fourth wicket to take Ireland past the 120-run mark, with more than six overs still remaining in the innings. Campher top-scored with 49 runs from 36 balls while Rock punched out a 28-ball 37 before a late collapse restricted the Irish to just 171-8 in 20 overs.

Patrick Kruger picked up four wickets for South Africa, all during the slog overs to claim career-best T20I figures of 4-27.

Rickelton, Hendricks make lightwork of Ireland total

Chasing 172 for a win, South African openers Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks came up clutch with a humungous 136-run partnership from just 13 overs. The two cricketers accumulated 58 of those runs within the opening powerplay itself to disintegrate the new ball Irish attack.

Both Rickelton and Hendricks listed sparkling half-centuries in their colossal stand, until the latter was trapped in front by Craig Young for a breezy 33-ball 51. Rickelton cracked 76 runs from 48 balls with three boundaries and six sixes to top-score in the run-chase until he fell to Mark Adair the following over.

Unbeaten Matthew Breetzke (19* off 14) and captain Aiden Markram (17* off 12) shrugged off the remaining runs with ease as South Africa aced the chase with eight wickets and 14 balls to spare.

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