ABU DHABI: Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks blasted South Africa to an eight-wicket win over Ireland in a Twenty20 on Friday.
Rickelton’s career-best 75 and Hendricks’ 16th fifty powered South Africa to 178 for 2 in the 18th over in reply to Ireland’s 171 for 8.
Ireland looked like it would pass 180 but lost three wickets in its last over as medium-pacer Patrick Kruger finished with a career-best 4 for 27 in his fifth T20.
Rickelton’s previous best score in six T20Is was 27, and he passed that after consecutive sixes off medium-pacer Fionn Hand. Rickelton then took Matthew Humphreys over cow corner and smoked Ben White over deep midwicket. He reached his maiden T20 fifty off 30 balls.
White went for another couple of sixes in the 11th over and South Africa’s run rate passed 10.
Hendricks reached his fifty off 31 balls by hitting Hand for six over deep square leg and was out in the next over, pinned in front by Craig Young for 51 off 33.
Rickelton was caught in the following over, the 14th, for 76 off 48.
Rickelton and Hendricks scored 136 together and brought the run rate required down to less than a run a ball.
Matthew Breetzke and captain Aiden Markram had no trouble knocking off the last runs and preserving South Africa’s unbeaten record against Ireland in T20s.
Ireland started well when Ross Adair took a six and two boundaries off Lizaad Williams in the first over, and Curtis Campher and Harry Tector carried them through the powerplay.
Campher and Neil Rock then combined for 59 in nearly seven overs until Rock was bowled by leg-spinner Nqabayomzi Peter.
Campher, dropped on 17, was caught at the second chance by Ottneil Baartman on the boundary, but only after he’d hit 49 off 36.
Ireland was 169 for 5 going into the last over but Kruger deflated its charge by bowling a brilliant three-wicket maiden over.
The Irish moved the tour to the United Arab Emirates because it was cheaper to organise here than at home.
The teams play one more T20I on Sunday, followed by three one-day internationals.
