IRE vs SA 3rd T20I Commentary - Stormont (24 July 2021)

WIDE! Way too outside off, Benjamin White leaves it alone. Wided.

Full and outside off, Benjamin White looks to drive but misses.

Play and a miss! Full and outside off again, Benjamin White looks to drive but fails to get any bat on it.

Fuller outside off, Benjamin White drives it through covers for a run.

WIDE! A length ball, outside off. McCarthy looks to chase it but misses.

Full length ball, outside off. McCarthy slashes it through backward point for a single.

Full toss and outside off, White slices it through point for a single.

A dot to end the innings. Full and on off. McCarthy looks to sweep it but the ball only gets an under edge and stops there. South Africa WIN BY 49 RUNS. They seal the series 3-0.

A length ball, outside off, Young looks to heave it away but misses.

FOUR! What a shot. A full length ball, on off. Young drives it through covers for a boundary.

A length ball, on off. Young works it towards slip.

FOUR! EDGY! A length ball, on off. Young swings his blade. The ball takes the outside edge and races away towards the third man fence for a boundary.

BEATEN! A length ball, outside off. Young wings his blade but misses.

OUT! CAUGHT! Craig Young goes after a short knock. Lizaad Williams picks his second wicket of the game. A full length ball, on off. He hits it wildly and the ball flies high in the air. Wiaan Mulder takes a really good running catch at covers. 

A length ball, on the bodyline. Young pulls it to short fine leg.

Back of a length ball, on middle. McCarthy pulls it towards deep square leg. The fielder runs across and keeps it down to two.

Play and a miss! A length ball, outside off. Young looks to go big but misses.

Full length ball, down the leg. Young follows the line of the delivery and digs it out towards point. They take one.

SIX! That is huge! Something for the Ireland fans to cheer. A full length ball, on off. Barry McCarthy flicks it over the square leg fence for a biggie. The ball is lost, inside the open lawn.

FOUR! EDGY! A full length ball, on middle. McCarthy gets an inside edge and the ball races away to the boundary at fine leg.

Good length ball on middle, Young pushes it back to the bowler.

SIX! BANG! Length ball on middle, Craig Young smacks it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. 

FOUR! Classy! Length ball on off, Craig Young stands tall and lifts it towards long off for a boundary. Holds his pose after hitting that shot. 

A full length ball, on off. Young pushes it to cover.

A length ball, on off. Young lifts it towards long off. The ball falls short in front of the man in deep.

A length ball, on off, McCarthy pushes it to mid off. The fielder collects it quickly to not allow the batters to cross. Great fielding.

Loopy ball, on off, Barry McCarthy pushes it to cover for a single.

Tossed up, on off, Adair works it to cover for a couple.

Looped up, on middle. Adair defends it solidly.

On off, worked it towards mid off.

OUT! RUN OUT! Oh no! This is going downhill for Ireland, as another one bites the dust. Sharp work by Heinrich Klaasen behind the wickets. A loopy ball, on off. Adair works it towards short fine leg off the inner half. Adair ventures out looking for a run. The fielder collects the ball and throws it above the keeper. Klaasen hops and collects and flicks the bails on his way down. Brilliant work. The batsman is walking already. The replays roll in and confirms that the batter was well short.

Tossed up on off, Young taps it towards point and opens his account with a single.

Length ball on middle, worked towards long on for a run.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Good length delivery outside off, Shane Getkate is tempted to push it on the off side and has a poke at it. The ball kisses the outside edge and carries through to the keeper. Heinrich Klaasen behind the sticks makes no mistake. Another one bites the dust for Ireland. 

Outside off, Barry McCarthy looks to cut it but misses.

Good length ball on middle and leg, angling in. Barry McCarthy looks to tuck it on the leg side but misses and gets hit on the pads. The ball rolls on the off side. Andile Phehlukwayo makes a half-hearted appeal for an LBW but turned down. The batters take a run of leg byes.

Outside off, Mark Adair cuts it hard but straight to point.

FOUR! Pitches it full and outside off, Mark Adair frees his arms and creams it through covers for a boundary. 91 needed in 30 balls.

Tossed up on middle, Shane Getkate reverse sweeps it to point for a single.

Loopy ball on middle, Simi Singh uses his feet and knocks it towards long off for a run.

On the pads, tucked on the leg side for one.

OUT! RUN OUT! This is going from bad to worse. Ireland loses the sixth wicket. There was a mix-up which costed the wicket. Full and on off. Singh pushes it to cover to the left of Temba Bavuma. He ventures out looking for a run, but there no such run there, it was surely a risky one. Bavuma is quick to collect the ball and throw it to the keeper. Meanwhile, Simi Singh is half way down the pitch. He slipped on his way back. And when the keeper clip the bails, the batter was not even in the picture. 98 runs needed in 38 balls.

Tossed up on off, blocked out.

Pushed towards covers for a single.

Short of a length ball on middle, Shane Getkate pulls it towards deep mid-wicket. The fielder there runs across and parries it to the covering fielder. Two taken.

On a length around off, pushed towards long off for one.

Length ball on middle, Simi Singh tucks it on the leg side for a single.

On middle, nudged towards square leg for a single.

On a length on off, Simi Singh close the face of the bat early as he looks to flick. The ball takes a leading edge and falls short of the bowler. A run taken.

This is eased down to long on for a single.

Full and on off, Singh pushes it to cover but straight to Bavuma.

BEATEN! A hint of turn here. Floated and around off. The ball turns away, as Getkate looks to defend it.

Flatter and outside off, Getkate pushes it through covers for a single.

Loopy ball, on off, Singh works it towards long off for a single.

Tossed up, on off. Getkate pushes it to mid off.

On off, eased to long off for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Good length ball on off, Lorcan Tucker tries to be innovative. He swivels across and plays paddle scoop. But he miscues it and nicks it behind straight to the keeper. Heinrich Klaasen doesn't have to move an inch and gobbles it up. Wiaan Mulder pleads the umpire and he raises his finger. Ireland lose another wicket. 

On middle, flicked towards mid-wicket for one. 

Length ball on off, driven towards covers.

On a length on off, Tector guides it to third man for one.

 Length delivery on middle, Getkate eases it down to mid-wicket for one.

OUT! TAKEN! Boy, what a catch that is from Aiden Markram! Full length delivery on middle, Harry Tector shimmies down the track and muscles it towards wide of long on. Aiden Markram runs to his left, watches the ball till the end. He puts in a full-stretch dive and completes a stunner. Even the commentator on air thought that was heading for a maximum. But clearly, Aiden Markram had other plans. Wiaan Mulder bags his second of the over. Half the side back in the hut now. Ireland in deep trouble.

OUT! LBW! Third wicket down for Ireland. Andy Balbirnie has to walk out just after getting 1000 T20I runs to his name. Tossed up, full and on off. Andy Balbirnie looks to sweep it away but misses. The ball goes onto come in contact with the pads. Linde turns around and appeals. The umpire raises his finger with no hesitation.

Looped up, on off, Tector pushes it to long off for a single.

Tossed up on off, Tucker steers it towards deep point for a single.

Full and on the pads, tucked towards deep square leg for a couple of runs.

Full and on off, Tetcor works it to mid-wicket for a single.

On off, Tucker reverse sweeps it towards short third man for a single.

Length delivery on off, Tucker pushes it through covers for a single.

Short of a length ball outside off, Andy Balbirnie cuts it past point and settles for a single.

FOUR! Great shot! Full and on middle, Lorcan Tucker stands still, waits for the ball to come and lifts it towards deep mid-wicket for a boundary. 

Full and on middle, Tucker steers it past point for one.

On a length on middle, Balbirnie pushes it towards long on. He pushes for two and gets it comfortably. 

Back of a length ball on off, Balbirnie taps it past point for a single.

FOUR! This also brings up the 50 up for Ireland. Flatter and on off, Andy Balbirnie guides it through third man for a boundary.

On off, pushed to covers for a single.

FOUR BYES!  Looped up and on outside off. Tucker looks to reverse sweep it but misses. The ball goes through the keeper as well and ends up in the boundary for the second time on the off side.

Flatter and on off, Tucker pushes it to cover for a single.

Tossed up and on off. Balbirnie cuts it towards point but straight to the man.

On off, Andy Balbirnie blocks it out solidly.

Short of a length ball on middle, Balbirnie chips it uppishly towards mid-wicket for a single.

Good length ball on middle, Tucker clips it on the leg side for one.

Back of a length on middle, Tucker glances it towards deep square leg for a couple of runs.

SWING AND A MISS! Good length ball on off, Lorcan Tucker dances down the track and swings his blade but misses.

On a length on off, Tucker looks to flick but gets a leading edge which falls just short of the cover fielder. A run taken.

Length delivery on middle, Balbirnie works it towards mid-wicket for a single.

A length ball, on off, Tucker defends it out.

A length ball, on off, pushed to covers.

A good length ball, on off. Tucker pushes it for a couple.

A length ball, on off. Tucker pushes it to the right of the fielder at point for a single.

On a length, on off, Balbirnie pushes it towards point for a single.

FOUR! EDGY! A length ball, on middle. Tucker looks to push it to the off side. The ball though takes the inside edge and the ball goes through towards fine leg for a boundary. End of the Powerplay. Ireland are 44/2.

Starts with a good length on middle, Paul Stirling lifts it towards deep mid-wicket for one.

On a length on off, Balbirnie pushes it towards mid off.

FOUR! Smacked! Short of a length ball on middle, Andy Balbirnie reads the length early and pulled it towards deep mid-wicket for a boundary. 

 Length ball on middle, Andy Balbirnie glances it towards square leg for a single. 

Bangs a short ball on middle, Paul Stirling looks to pull but fails to connect anything on it.

OUT! TAKEN! Paul Stirling is unfortunate there! Length delivery on the leg stump line, Paul Stirling looks to flick but miscues it. The ball goes off the top edge and goes high up in the air towards the third man region. Beuran Hendricks runs backward and takes it without any trouble. Made it look easy there but it is always difficult running backward and taking a catch. Paul Stirling has to depart and Ireland lose both their openers.

A length ball, on off. Balbirnie lifts it above the bowlers head towards mid on for a single.

A full length ball, outside off. Andy Balbirnie looks to heave it away but misses. The ball beats the outside edge and ends up with the keeper.

FOUR! Short and punished! Back of a length ball, on off. Balbirnie moves away and cuts it through covers for a boundary.

Well bowled! Good reply there from Hendricks. A full length ball, on off. The pitch does not offer any bounce. Andy Balbirnie looks to push but misses and the ball goes through to the keeper.

FOUR! What a shot! The boundaries are just starting to flow for Ireland. On a length, outside off. Balbirnie carves it through covers for a boundary. 

A length ball, on off, Andy Balbirnie pushes it to cover. But cannot find the gap.

Flatter and on off. Andy Balbirnie pushes it to cover for a single.

On off, Stirling pushes it to mid off.

On off, kept out solidly.

Darted on the pads, Stirling tucks it on the leg side for a single.

Full and on leg, Balbirnie clips it towards mid-wicket for a single.

SIX! What a shot! Tossed up on middle, Paul Stirling makes room for himself and lifts this over covers for a maximum. 9 runs from the over.

WIDE! Starts with down the leg side, Kevin O'Brien looks to flick but misses. 

Full and on leg, Kevin O'Brien chips it uppishly towards covers.

Tossed up on leg, Kevin O'Brien exposes his stumps and looks to play an inside-out shot but misses.

OUT! TAKEN! Kevin O'Brien's gloomy run of form continues! Loopy ball on middle and leg, Kevin O'Brien looks to go big on the leg side and heaves it. But gets a top edge and the ball skies up in the air. The substitute fielder, Janneman Malan settles under it and completes the catch. Kevin O'Brien departed for a timid score and George Linde provides the first breakthrough. 

On off, pushed to the off side.

FOUR! Nicely played. Looped up, on off. Stirling lifts it over the mid off region for a boundary.

On off, worked to point.

Paul Stirling and Ireland are underway! Looped up, full and on leg. He taps it to mid-wicket for a single.

Tossed up, on off, Kevin O'Brien uses his feet and pushes it to long on for a run.

BEATEN! Tossed up, on leg. Stirling stays back and looks to cut it out but misses. The ball goes through the gap and past the leg stump.

On middle, worked to the leg side for a single.

Served it on middle. Kevin O'Brien flicks it through mid-wicket for a run.

FOUR! What a shot! Pleasing to the eyes. Full and on off. Stirling gets low and sweeps it through the square leg region for a boundary. This is also the favourite shot of Paul Stirling he never misses out on the sweep.