South Africa 174 for two (Rickelton 76, Hendricks 51) beat Ireland 171 for 8 (Campher 49, Rock 37, Kruger 4-27) by eight wickets
It was formally a house fixture for Ireland however was performed on the Zayed Cricket Stadium to resolve value and infrastructure challenges in Ireland. Ironically, South Africa appeared to be extra acquainted with situations. After spending final week enjoying Afghanistan on dry, sluggish pitches in Sharjah, South Africa had tailored to the calls for of the warmth, and not like in Sharjah, the place the bounce was low, there was good bounce and carry in Abu Dhabi. Full, slower balls proved to be greatest wicket-taking choices and South Africa understood that whereas Ireland struggled with dew and moisture within the area.
Push and pull within the powerplay
Ross Adair, not as a consequence of play this recreation till Lorcan Tucker was injured in coaching, made the primary assertion of intent when he hit a Lizaad Williams brief ball over mid-on for the primary boundary of the innings. He went on to take one other 10 runs off Williams' first over on the tour, after he missed out on the ODIs in opposition to Afghanistan, and hit Wiaan Mulder over his head for 4 earlier than South Africa struck again. With Ross Adair's power down the bottom, Aiden Markram positioned Tristan Stubbs on the lengthy-on boundary and he was in a great place to take the catch that dismissed the batter, who tried one large shot too many. Then it was the flip of one other ignored participant from the Afghanistan matches, Ottneil Baartman, who struck along with his third ball when he bowled Paul Stirling with a supply that angled in and sailed by means of the bat-pad hole. But South Africa couldn't declare the early benefit.
Campher, enjoying in his one centesimal worldwide for Ireland, took 5 balls to get his eye in and then drove Baartman by means of mid-off and for 2 extra fours to get his run-scoring underway. At the top of powerplay, Ireland completed on 63 for two, their second-greatest in opposition to South Africa, after scoring 67 for two in Bristol in 2022.
Peter's well timed breakthrough
In his third T20I, legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter needed to wait till the eleventh over to be known as on and it was a reasonably powerful introduction. Campher and Neil Rock had been settled, South Africa had been rattled after they dropped Campher on 17 on the finish of the ninth over and then misfielded to permit 4 on the finish of the tenth. Rock hit Peter for 4 in an over that value eight and he was changed by Bjorn Fortuin and allowed to vary ends. And then he struck. Peter bowled Rock with a supply that straightened as he tried to comb and ended a partnership that was threatening to take the sport away. That wicket would show essential within the goal Ireland ended up setting South Africa.
Death-bowling heroics from Williams and Kruger
Hendricks, Rickelton redeem themselves and South Africa's batting
The large image of South Africa's batting woes in opposition to Afghanistan apart, the opening batters had questions over their kind going into this recreation. Hendricks had solely gone previous 30 in three of his final 12 T20Is whereas Rickelton had a high rating of 27 from eight white-ball internationals. Were they the perfect mixture sans Quinton de Kock? Yes, they mentioned, as they grabbed the chase by the scruff of the neck within the powerplay. Rickelton acquired the ball rolling with again-to-again boundaries off Mark Adair and confirmed his capability in opposition to the brief and full balls. Hendricks solely confronted 4 balls within the first three overs however when given extra of the strike, he made probably the most of it. He smashes 4 fours in six deliveries, to convey up 2000 runs in T20I cricket. Rickelton completed off the powerplay hitting Hand for 2 huge sixes and South Africa had been 58 for 0 within the powerplay. Two overs later, Rickelton reached his fifty off 30 deliveries. South Africa had been 97 with out loss on the midway stage and the horse had bolted.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and ladies's cricket
