Rickelton, Hendricks Star in SA's win over Ireland in 1st T20I
Author: Vishnu Reddy
Updated At:
South Africa displayed their might with the bat to achieve a resounding victory over Ireland in the first T20I match of the two-match series in Abu Dhabi on September 27. Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks led the charge and took the attack to the Irish bowlers to help South Africa chase down a tricky 172 by 8 wickets and 14 balls to spare. This was also Ireland’s second-highest T20I total against South Africa but a century-plus opening stand at the top between Rickelton and Hendricks sealed the game in South Africa’s favor.
South Africa were able to produce something magical in the absence of their star players like Miller, Maharaj, and Shamshi, all of whom are currently competing in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The South African bowlers went under the hammer a little bit but eventually fought back well to restrict Ireland to 171-8. Campher, Rock, and Dockrell were the leading run-getters for Ireland in the first innings while Kruger ended with the most number of wickets to his name (4). Moreover, Mulder, Baartman, Fortuin, and Peter finished with a wicket each to their column.
Rickelton & Hendricks smash breezy fifties to power SA to a record win
Moving on to the run chase, both Rickelton and Hendricks provided the Proteas with a blazing start and propelled them to 58-0 by the end of the powerplay. There was simply no respite for the Irish bowlers while the two were at the crease. The duo continued to surge forward and went on to register a massive 136-run opening stand which turned out to be the third-highest opening stand and also the highest away from home in T20Is.
Rickelton registered his career-best T20I innings of 76(48) which included 3 fours and 6 sixes. Hendricks also regained some of his lost form and scored his first fifty in 15 T20I innings. He went on to score 51 in 33 balls before being dismissed by Craig Young in the 14th over. Following their departure, it was a walk in the park for South Africa as Breetzke and Mrakram stayed unbeaten till the end to get their side over the finishing line.
With that win, South Africa kept their win record against Ireland intact. But, Proteas’ white-ball form has been a cause of concern of late. Prior to the ongoing T20I series, South Africa lost to India at home by 1-2 and subsequently crashed out against Afghanistan for the first time ever in international cricket. Not to mention, South Africa have not fully recovered from the scars of the T20 World Cup Final failure either. But this win against Ireland would surely lift their spirits up and encourage them to push for a memorable series win. Stay tuned for the cricket betting tips of the second T20I.
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