Ireland vs South Africa Match Preview, 1st T20I
Ireland and South Africa are set to play two T20Is in Abu Dhabi on September 27 and 29.
The first T20I in the two-match series between Ireland and South Africa takes place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 27.
The Proteas will look to regroup after suffering an embarrassing ODI series defeat by a 1-2 margin to an ever-improving Afghanistan side last week. However, the only thing that could come in South Africa's defence was the absence of most of their senior statesmen. The trend will continue in the Ireland series as a new-look South African side looks to write their redemption story.
South Africa had a terrific run in the T20 World Cup 2024 final as they progressed to the finals before being beaten by India by seven runs in Barbados. However, only six players from the 15-member World Cup squad - Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Ottniel Baartman, and Bjorn Fortuin - are set to feature against the Irish side.
Meanwhile, Paul Stirling-led Ireland will search for consistency in the shortest format of the game after blowing hot and cold for most parts of 2024. They squandered a 1-0 lead in a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in March, eventually going down by a 1-2 margin. Ireland also beat Pakistan in the first T20I of a three-match series in May but lost the next two games.
After winning a T20I tri-series involving Scotland and Netherlands, Ireland entered the T20 World Cup 2024 hoping to reach beyond the first round. However, they suffered defeats to India and Pakistan but their biggest setback was a defeat to Canada by 12 runs. This was Canada's first win in T20 World Cup history. Ireland have only played a one-off Test against Zimbabwe after their first-round exit in the World Cup. They won the clash in Belfast by four wickets. The European side will look to give the rattled South African team a good run for their money.
Match Details:
| Match | Ireland vs South Africa, 1st T20I |
| Venue | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| Date and Time | Friday, September 27, 9:00 PM IST |
| Live Streaming and Broadcast Details | FanCode (App and Website) |
Sheikh Zayed Stadium - Pitch Report
A total of 66 T20Is have been played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi so far and 28 of those have been won by teams batting first, while chasing teams have emerged victorious on 38 occasions. The average first innings score at the venue is 143. The captain who wins the toss would want to bowl first and assess the conditions before coming out to bat. Spinners are expected to play an important role through the middle overs when the balls gets old.
Head-To-Head Records
| Matches | 05 |
| Won by Ireland | 00 |
| Won by South Africa | 05 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | July 19, 2021 |
| Most-recent Fixture |
August 5, 2022
|
IRE vs SA Probable Playing XIs
Ireland
Ireland have dropped the experienced Andrew Balbirnie after he managed just 22 runs in three completed games in the T20 World Cup. Lorcan Tucker will be opening the batting at the international level for the first time. Meanwhile, Gareth Delany has also been ruled out due to an injury and replaced by Gavin Hoey.
Predicted XI: Paul Stirling (c), Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Neil Rock, Gavin Hoey, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Ben White, Graham Hume, Craig Young
Also Read: Batting in T20 cricket can be a bit of a rollercoaster: Lorcan Tucker
South Africa
South Africa will want some of their experienced players to step up, while the youngsters would be eager to show their appetite for performing on the big stage. The African nation is expected to field four pacers - Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, and Ottniel Baartman. Wiaan Mulder could chip in with a few overs if needed. The spin department will be headlined by Bjorn Fortuin.
Predicted XI: Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Jason Smith, Wiaan Mulder, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottniel Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
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