Johannesburg — A rusty Proteas women’s side were stunned by an enthusiastic Irish team, which was well led by Gaby Lewis in the opening T20 International in Dublin on Friday night.
South Africa produced a lethargic display in all departments, never coming to terms with conditions nor their skillful and effervescent opponents, who claimed just a second T20 victory over the Proteas in 11 matches between the teams.
Sune Luus’s team were sloppy with the ball and in the field in the first half of the Irish innings, and with the bat they struggled on a sluggish surface, which the hosts’ spinners utilised to their advantage..
South Africa certainly looked like a side that hadn’t played together in two months, with a number of basic errors in the outfield, while, with the exception of Nadine de Klerk, the bowling was ill-disciplined.
After asking the home team to bat at a breezy, but sunny, Pembroke Cricket Club, the Irish openers Leah Paul and new captain Lewis, took advantage of a flat start by the Proteas, to post a healthy opening partnership of 97 in 12 overs.
With no Marizanne Kapp - not selected for the Irish portion of the tour - and Ayabonga Khaka not chosen for Friday’s opening match, South Africa opted to start with Nonkululeko Mlaba, but the left-arm spinner struggled with both line and length allowing the two Irish openers to grab the initiative.
Mlaba also had a dreadful afternoon in the field and in general the tourists looked listless. Not even the usually explosive Shabnim Ismail could find the right lines early and Ireland, missing eight senior players, were able to dominate.
Paul was the more sedate of the two openers, scoring at run a ball, but Lewis, who has more experience from playing in some of the top domestic leagues around the world, took on the South Africans, with a lofted on-drive off Tumi Sekhukhune in the eighth over the highlight of her knock.
She made 52 off just 38 balls, hitting eight fours, but her wicket proved to be the turning point in the Irish innings. Tazmin Brits unleashed a sublime throw from the extra cover boundary, that Sekukhune did well to collect and break the stumps with the Irish captain centimetres short of making her ground.
Paul was out in the next over chipping Ismail to Chloe Tryon at mid-on after scoring 47, an innings that featured six boundaries, many of them square of the wicket as she took advantage of too many short balls from the Proteas.
However having shaken off the cobwebs, South Africa were suddenly energised. Wickets fell regularly thereafter as Ireland collapsed from 97/0 after 12 overs, to 134/7 in the 19th. Sekhukhune returned to pick up three wickets in the penultimate over, finishing with 3/32. However De Klerk was the standout performer as she claimed 1/17, with a disciplined performance, in which her wicket-to-wicket strategy created pressure on the hosts.
South Africa’s run-chase started in the worst possible fashion with Lara Goodall dismissed first ball, while her opening partner Brits scored just 10.
Laura Wolvaardt also battled with the lack of pace off the surface and through the air from the Irish bowlers, and her dismissal for just 20, caught at point as she tried to force the pace against leg-spinner Cara Murray, proved pivotal.
Tryon struck some lusty blows but when she was bowled for 26 by Paul, the game was up for the tourists.
The second match will be played on Monday.