ABU DHABI: Ross Adair blasted a century and then his brother Mark took four wickets as Ireland beat South Africa by 10 runs in Abu Dhabi to tie their two-match T20 International series on Sunday.

“We are absolutely delighted,” said skipper Paul Stirling after Ireland’s first victory over South Africa in a T20. “[It] Could have gone either way.”

After a crushing eight-wicket victory in the first match, South Africa captain Aiden Markram opted to send the Irish in to bat after winning the toss.

And Ireland’s openers took control, with Ross Adair and Stirling sharing a 137-run partnership before Stirling fell for 52 in the 13th over.

Ross Adair, given several lives by dropped catches, kept going as wickets started to tumble.

From the first ball of the 18th over, he tried to stretch the single that brought up his 100 into a two and was run out, having clobbered five fours and nine sixes.

Though Ireland’s innings slightly subsided, their total of 195-6 proved to be enough.

Wiaan Mulder was the most dangerous South African bowler with two wickets for 51 runs.

South Africa then started their innings briskly, as Ryan Rickelton hit four sixes on his way to a rapid 36 before falling to Graham Hume and Reeza Hendricks hit 51, including six fours and a six.

Even though captain Markram was bowled by Matthew Humphreys for eight, South Africa were close to the required run rate after 13 overs.

Then the younger Adair brother, Mark, went to work with the ball, taking the next four wickets to fall, including the threatening Matthew Breetzke who had hit 51.

Mark ended with figures of 4-31 and Hume took 3-25.

SCOREBOARD

IRELAND:

P. Stirling c Rickelton b Kruger 52

R. Adair c Breetzke b Mulder 100

H. Tector b Williams 5

G. Dockrell not out 20

C. Campher c Stubbs b Mulder 0

N. Rock b Ngidi 1

M. Adair run out 3

F. Hand not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-2, W-6) 10

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 195

FALL OF WICKETS : 1-137 (Stirling), 2-156 (Tector), 3-174 (R. Adair), 4-175 (Campher), 5-176 (Rock), 6-180 (M. Adair)

DID NOT BAT: M. Humphreys, B. White, G. Hume

BOWLING: Ngidi 4-0-23-1 (2w), Williams 4-0-35-1 (1w, 1nb), Mulder 4-0-51-2 (2w, 1nb), Fortuin 2-0-24-0, Peter 2-0-29-0, Kruger 4-0-31-1 (1w)

SOUTH AFRICA:

R. Rickelton c Campher b Hume 36

R. Hendricks c Stirling b White 51

M. Breetzke c Tector b M. Adair 51

A. Markram b Humphreys 8

T. Stubbs c Rock b M. Adair 9

W. Mulder c&b M. Adair 8

P. Kruger b Hume 5

N. Peter c Stirling b M. Adair 4

L. Williams c Humphreys b Hume 0

L. Ngidi not out 3

B. Fortuin not out 0

EXTRAS (NB-1, W-9) 10

TOTAL (for nine wickets, 20 overs) 185

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-50 (Rickelton), 2-121 (Hendricks), 3-130 (Markram), 4-157 (Stubbs), 5-173 (Mulder), 6-174 (Breetzke), 7-178 (Peter), 8-182 (Kruger), 9-182 (Williams)

BOWLING: M. Adair 4-0-31-4 (2w), Humphreys 4-0-30-1, Hume 4-0-25-3 (3w, 1nb), Hand 2-0-35-0 (3w), White 4-0-45-1 (1w), Campher 2-0-19-0

RESULT: Ireland won by 10 runs.

SERIES: The two-match series drawn 1-1.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024