South Africa lost to Ireland for only the second time in ODIs, with Jason Smith’s 91 in vain
Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-2024Half-centuries from captain Paul Stirling and Harry Tector, and an all-round bowling effort helped Ireland to a consolation win in the third ODI against South Africa. This was just Ireland’s second win over South Africa in the format.Winning the toss for the first time in the series, Ireland put on their best batting display before their bowlers made the most of friendly conditions under lightsJason Smith, playing his second ODI, made a fighting 91 but it was an effort in vain after Ireland had run through South Africa’s top five inside 20 overs.In the last two ODIs, Ireland bore the brunt of having to bat under the lights and suffered collapses. But on Monday, South Africa found out just how different a proposition it has been to bat second in Abu Dhabi.With the new ball swinging appreciably more under lights than in the last two games (broadcast showed average swing of 2.1 degrees on Monday compared to 1.1 over the previous two games), Ireland’s quicks made early inroads after their batters got them to a competitive total. Mark Adair had Ryan Rickelton edging to the slips cordon in the first over and trapped Rassie van der Dussen in front three overs later.Reeza Hendricks, flown in from South Africa due to the injury to Temba Bavuma, lasted just seven balls as he edged Graham Hume to Andy Balbirnie at second slip.Kyle Verreynne counter-attacked with six boundaries, but was trapped lbw for 38 by Craig Young as he missed his flick after going across the stumps. Smith and Tristan Stubbs tried to rebuild but Young had the latter nicking off with a harmless length ball in the 20th over.There was another stand of resistance between Smith and Andile Phehlukwayo, but the latter scuffed a pull to fine leg to give Fionn Hand a first ODI wicket on debut.Jason Smith scored his first international fifty but in vain•Cricket Ireland
Smith then took charge of the scoring, driving with authority on the off side, but lost partners at the other end. Bjorn Fortuin hung around before being bowled by left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys. Young then had Williams edging it to the keeper as he tried to ramp a short ball.Smith also launched Young and Adair over the leg side for a couple of sixes after bringing up his maiden international half-century. He moved into the eighties with a powerful flick wide of long-on off Adair in the 43rd over, before flicking him through midwicket for another boundary. He finished that over by swatting the fast bowler over wide long-on as he quickly moved into the nineties.But Adair had the last laugh when he caught Smith at deep point to end his resistance as the batter sliced a wide yorker from Hume. He hit nine fours and four sixes in his 93-ball knock, which followed a duck on ODI debut. Hume wrapped up the win when he had Lungi Ngidi edging behind with 23 balls to go.Ireland built their score on the back of Stirling and Andy Balbirnie’s first 100-plus partnership in ODIs. They made the most of good conditions on a fresh pitch, with Stirling starting off with a powerful cover drive off Ngidi in the first over. There were some edges that either went in the gaps or didn’t carry as Ireland’s openers saw out the powerplay.Stirling even took on South Africa’s best bowler in the series, Lizaad Williams, hooking him for six. Balbirnie was slower to start, taking his time to settle in. It was in the 13th over that he really got going, flicking Ngidi through midwicket for a boundary. In Ngidi’s next over, Balbirnie hit him for six before getting a couple of boundaries off Fortuin.There were a couple of quiet overs that followed during which Stirling got to his half-century, but Balbirnie holed out as he miscued a pull off Williams. The 101-run stand between Stirling and Balbirnie was Ireland’s second-highest in ODIs against South Africa.Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie put up a solid opening partnership•Cricket Ireland
Stirling immediately tried to put the pressure back on South Africa as he drove Williams through cover before hitting Fortuin wide of long-on. Curtis Campher started quickly, picking two boundaries off a Williams over before clubbing Fortuin over wide long-on for six. Stirling and Campher added 58 runs for the second wicket before Campher tried to paddle Baartman only to see the ball crash into the stumps.Stirling went on to drive Ngidi over long-off for another six before crashing Baartman behind point for a boundary, but was then cleaned up by an in-ducker for the second straight game, falling 12 short of a century.Lorcan Tucker, fit again and back in the side, kept Ireland ticking alongside Harry Tector, picking up regular boundaries as they added 54 runs to Ireland’s score. The stand was broken when Tucker tried to scoop Phehlukwayo only to sky it behind, with Ryan Rickelton taking a good catch running back.Phehlukwayo struck again in his next over, as George Dockrell cut him straight to point.Tector lofted Ngidi over long-on before cutting him behind through point for four to reach his half-century in the 48th over. Williams, who was not having his best game of the series until this point, finally made his mark in the penultimate over. He left the middle stump broken as Adair went across the stumps to try and scoop him. He then trapped Hand in front next ball and yorked Hume off the final ball to finish the series with 11 wickets.Tector finished on 60 off 48 as he was run out in the final over trying to run a second to keep strike.