Abu Dhabi

Captain Paul Stirling is optimistic that Ireland will bounce back against South Africa in the second match of their three-game ODI series. In the first ODI at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, South Africa secured a commanding 139-run victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Stirling had a tough outing, scoring just two runs in the chase.

In the post-match presentation, Stirling commented on the pitch conditions, noting that it became challenging as the evening progressed. He praised teammate Gavin Hoey for his performance in the final overs, stating, The surface did some unexpected things, especially in the evening. We had some disappointing moments, but I hope we can improve for Friday’s match. Dropped catches may have cost us, but Gavin bowled well and came back strongly in the last five overs.

Recapping the first match, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. Wicketkeeper-batter Rickelton led with a solid 91 runs, while Tristan Stubbs added 79, helping South Africa set a target of 272 runs. The South African innings concluded at 271/9, with Mark Adair taking four wickets for Ireland.

During their chase, Ireland struggled, failing to have any batsman score over 30 runs and ending up at 132 by the 32nd over, thanks to Lizaad Williams leading the South African bowling attack.