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Dublin, June 12 (IANS) Captain Sune Luus and experienced pacer Shabnim Ismail picked three wickets each as South Africa thrashed Ireland by nine wickets in the first women's ODI.
Sune and Shabnim played instrumental roles in South Africa bowling out Ireland for just 69, which was chased down by the visitors in 16 overs.
Home captain Gaby Lewis won the toss and elected to bat in her country's first-ever game in the ICC Women's Championship, hoping to put up another strong total to trouble the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup semifinalists. But Gaby was dismissed for a duck, cramped for room by a short ball from Shabnim, who settled under the miscued pull shot herself.
Ireland's second and third wickets fell in quick succession, with Leah Paul edging Ayabonga Khaka to slip and Rachel Delaney bowled playing across the line off Shabnim, leaving the hosts in deep trouble at 4/3.
The introduction of Nadine de Klerk brought a momentary release in pressure, with Mary Waldron driving sweetly through point for the first boundary of the innings. But the pace all-rounder struck back in her next over, pinning Mary lbw in front of stumps.
When rain arrived in the 14th over, Ireland were 21/4, with Shauna Kavanagh, playing her 100th international for Ireland, and Sophie MacMahon at the crease. After a 25-minute delay, the pair compiled runs slowly and sensibly, with their 21-run stand containing a solitary boundary.
But the introduction of Raisibe Ntozakhe brought the breakthrough for South Africa as Shuana was caught by Ayabonga at mid-off. Not long after, Luus struck twice in an over to reduce Ireland to 44/7. Sophie was also caught by Ayabonga, again at mid-off, while Sarah Forbes, one of two debutants alongside Arlene Kelly, was pinned lbw, missing an attempted sweep.
Georgina Dempsey arrived at the crease and played the day's most eye-catching innings, striking three consecutive boundaries by timing the ball sweetly through the off-side. A single then brought Jane Maguire on strike, with Shabnim delivering a yorker to send her back. The speedster struck again three balls later, with Cara Murray edging behind, to bring the Ireland innings to a close.
In pursuit of 70, the first five overs of the innings came and went without a boundary being scored, with Laura Wolvaardt falling to Georgina, tempted into a drive, and nicked behind for eight. Lara Goodall, top scorer in each of the Proteas' wins in the T20I series, soon got the innings going, striking Arlene and Georgina each for a boundary in consecutive overs.
The runs began to follow thereafter, with Andrie Steyn combining for an unbeaten, match-winning 55-run stand, including the winning single in the 16th over. The next ODI will take place on Tuesday, with South Africa leading 1-0.
Brief Scores: Ireland 69 all out in 27.2 overs (Georgina Dempsey 19, Shauna Kavanagh 15; Shabnim Ismail 3/16, Sune Luus 3/16) lost to South Africa 70/1 in 16 overs (Lara Goodall 32 not out, Andrie Steyn 21 not out; Georgina Dempsey 1/20) by nine wickets--IANS
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