IRE vs SA, 1st T20I: Rickelton and Hendricks blast South Africa to eight-wicket win over Ireland

Rickelton’s career-best 75 and Hendricks’ 16th fifty powered South Africa to 178-2 in the 18th over in reply to Ireland’s 171-8.

FILE PHOTO: Reeza Hendricks scored his 16th T20I fifty and added 136 with Ryan Rickelton. | Photo Credit: AFP

Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks blasted South Africa to an eight-wicket win over Ireland in first T20I on Friday.

Rickelton’s career-best 75 and Hendricks’ 16th fifty powered South Africa to 178-2 in the 18th over in reply to Ireland’s 171-8.

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 4-27 in his fifth T20I.

Rickelton’s previous best score in six T20Is was 27, and he passed that after consecutive sixes off medium-pacer Fionn Hand. He then took Matthew Humphreys over cow corner and smoked Ben White over deep midwicket to reach his maiden T20I fifty in 30 balls.

White went for another couple of sixes in the 11th over and South Africa’s run rate passed 10.

Hendricks got his fifty off 31 balls by hitting Hand for six over deep square leg but 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 required run rate 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 T20Is.

Earlier, 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 it 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 169-5 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 then three one-day internationals.