Watch cricket video highlights of Ireland and South Africa tour of UAE 2024. Third ODI between IRE and SA. Venue of the match will be Abu Dhabi.
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In the third One-Day International against South Africa, Ireland prevailed consolingly thanks to half-centuries from skipper Paul Stirling and Harry Tector as well as great bowling from the entire team. In the format, this was only Ireland’s second victory over South Africa. Ireland won the toss and, after putting on their finest batting showing of the series, their bowlers took advantage of the accommodating conditions under the lights. In his second ODI, Jason Smith scored a valiant 91, but it was in naught as Ireland easily defeated South Africa’s top five in just 20 overs.
In the past two ODIs, Ireland felt the pain of having to bat under the lights and suffered collapses. However, South Africa discovered on Monday exactly how unique the experience of batting second has been in Abu Dhabi. Ireland’s quicks made early gains after their batsmen got them to a competitive total, with the new ball swinging noticeably more under lights than in the previous two games (broadcast indicated average swing of 2.1 degrees on Monday compared to 1.1 over the previous two games).
In the opening over, Mark Adair got Ryan Rickelton to edge to the slips cordon, and three overs later, he trapped Rassie van der Dussen in front. After Temba Bavuma was injured, Reeza Hendricks, who was brought in from South Africa, was dismissed after only seven balls when he edged Graham Hume to Andy Balbirnie at second slip. Despite counterattacking with six boundaries, Kyle Verreyne was stranded leg before wicket for 38 when Craig Young misplayed his flick and went across the stumps.
Smith and Tristan Stubbs attempted to regroup, but in the twentieth over, Young got the latter out of the game with a harmless length ball. There was another stand of resilience between Smith and Andile Phehlukwayo, but the latter scuffed a pull to fine leg to give Fionn Hand a first ODI wicket on debut. Smith then assumed control of the score, dominating the off side drive but losing partners on the opposite end. Matthew Humphreys, a left-arm spinner, bowled Bjorn Fortuin after he lingered. Then, as Williams attempted to ramp a short ball, Young had him edge it to the keeper.
After reaching his first international half-century, Smith also hit Young and Adair over the leg side for a couple of sixes. In the 43rd over, he started his eighty with a strong flick that was wide of long-on off Adair. He then flicked him past midwicket for another boundary. He concluded that over by hitting the fast bowler over wide long-on as he soon went into the nineties. As the batsman sliced a wide yorker from Hume, Adair ended Smith’s fight by catching him at deep point, giving him the final laugh.
After hitting a duck in his ODI debut, he amassed 93 from 93 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes. Hume closed up the win when he had Lungi Ngidi edging behind with 23 balls to go. Ireland’s first partnership of more over 100 runs in One-Day Internationals came from Stirling and Andy Balbirnie. On a new surface, they took full advantage of the favorable circumstances, with Stirling opening the scoring with a powerful cover drive off Ngidi in the first over. A few edges failed to pass through the gaps or didn’t carry as Ireland’s opening players completed the powerplay.
Stirling even went up against Lizaad Williams, the finest bowler in South Africa for the series, and hit him for six. Balbirnie took his time getting going and settling down. He really got going in the 13th over, when he flicked Ngidi through midwicket for a boundary. Balbirnie struck Ngidi for six in his next over, but then Fortuin smashed a few of boundaries. Stirling reached his half-century in a couple of calm overs that followed, but Balbirnie holed out after misplaying a pull off Williams.
In One-Day Internationals vs South Africa, Ireland’s second-highest stand of 101 runs was between Stirling and Balbirnie. Immediately after driving Williams through cover, Stirling attempted to provide further pressure on South Africa by hitting Fortuin wide of long-on. Curtis Campher got off to a fast start, putting two boundaries past Williams before hitting Fortuin for six with a wide long-on. After Stirling and Campher put up 58 runs for the second wicket, Campher attempted to paddle Baartman but the ball struck the stumps instead.
After hitting Baartman for a boundary by driving Ngidi over long-off for a second time, Stirling was dismissed for a second straight game by an in-ducker, falling just short of a century. Resuming his playing duties, Lorcan Tucker helped Ireland reach a total of 54 runs by consistently hitting boundaries alongside Harry Tector. When Tucker attempted to scoop Phehlukwayo but skyed it behind, breaking the stand, Ryan Rickelton made a great grab sprinting back. In his subsequent over, Phehlukwayo scored another goal after George Dockrell cut him close to the mark.
Tector reached his half-century in the 48th over, lofting Ngidi over long-on and then cutting him behind through point for four. Williams, who was not having his best game of the series until this point, finally made his mark in the penultimate over. Adair went over the stumps to attempt to scoop him, but he left the middle stump shattered. After that, he yorked Hume off the last delivery and trapped Hand in front of the following ball, finishing the series with 11 wickets. Tector was run out in the last over while attempting to run a second to maintain strike, finishing with 60 off 48.
