Africa-Press – South-Africa. Ryan Rickelton continued his excellent form as the Proteas claimed a 1-0 lead in their three match ODI series against Ireland, with a comfortable 139-run victory on Wednesday.
Rickelton top scored with 91, as SA, after choosing to bat first posted 271/9, a total that looked in the region of par at the halfway interval.
But the Proteas seamers made it more than enough, as they targeted the stumps, making use of the movement on offer through the air and off the pitch to dismiss Ireland for 132 in the 32nd over.
Among the bowlers, Lizard Williams, who strangely didn’t face Afghanistan a fortnight ago, was the star performer taking 4/32 While Lungi Ngidi claimed 2/35. There was a wicket apiece for the debutant Ottneil Baartman and Wiaan Mulder and two for left-arm-spinner, Bjorn Fortuin.
Six of Ireland’s batters were either bowled or trapped lbw as the Proteas stuck to a disciplined plan, where the skiddy styles of Williams and Baartman proved too much for the Irish.
One blight on SA’s performance in the field, was an injury to Tony de Zorzi, whose knee stuck in the outfield as made a diving stop on the boundary. De Zorzi, who is part of the Proteas Test squad that will travel to Bangladesh later this month, had to be helped back to the dressing room by the team’s medical staff, and was being assessed to determine the extent of the ailment.
The South African innings featured one major partnership of 152 for the fourth wicket between Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs.
The Proteas lost three early wickets for eight runs in 15 balls, two of those; De Zorzi and Rassie van der Dussen to poor shots, and Bavuma to a jaffer — the third he’d received in his short stay at the crease.
The Irish bowlers, particularly Craig Young and Mark Adair had the ball moving beautifully and Rickelton and Stubbs needed to show due care as they rebuilt the innings.
For Stubbs, that is something he’s become accustomed to in the last few months, but for Rickelton this knock, like his innings in the first T20 International, was an important step. Although opportunities have been limited in the Proteas shirt, he has hinted at frustration at an inability to transfer excellent domestic form to the international game.
But in the last week, that is slowly changing. Having kept Adair and Young at arms length, Rickelton was then able to accelerate against the spinners.
There were plenty of powerful drives and some muscular slog sweeps as he changed gears, registering a first half-century in ODIs, to go with his first T20 International 50 last week.
Stubbs produced another mature display, scoring 79 off 86 balls, relieving whatever pressure Rickelton may have felt, by finding regular boundaries, with one thunderous blow over long-off against off-spinner Andy McBrine offering a demonstration of his intent.
It was a well paced partnership and though it ended earlier than both batters would have liked, the confidence they would have gained is just the tonic that batting in general needs.
The timing of their respective dismissals and the manner thereof would have irked both of them. Rickelton, who struck seven fours and three sixes, dragged a wide delivery from McBrine onto his stumps, nine runs short of a maiden international century, while Stubbs smashed a pull straight to Andy Balbirnie at midwicket. Besides losing their wickets just six balls apart, that they came in the 36th over, meant the innings couldn’t accelerate.
Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder made little impression and it was left Fortuin (28) and Ngidi with an unbeaten 20 — which included a glorious slog over midwicket — to lift the Proteas past the 250-mark.
Adair with 4/50 and Young who took 3/45, were the best of Ireland’s bowlers, making excellent use of conditions that helped them swing the ball.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
