Well-travelled Irish find joy in historic win

How long is too long to go to play a home game? Surely 7,520 kilometres is too far. Especially if the longest distance between two points at home is 644 kilometres: almost a dozen times shorter. Even more strangely, the visitors are home alone without you for 14 days before the match.

Welcome to Ireland's world. Those 7,520 kilometres separate Dublin, where Cricket Ireland are based, from Abu Dhabi, where their men's team played T20Is against South Africa on Friday and Sunday. The furthest you could travel and still be in Ireland is from the northernmost point, Malin Head in County Donegal, to the southern tip, County Cork's Mizen Head: 644 kilometres.

Of course, Ireland were a long way from home in Abu Dhabi. But they were the designated home team. Why? Because they do not have a permanent ground in Ireland, which means they have to rent venues from clubs when they play in their country. Consequently, and bizarrely, they spend less money journeying more than 11 times the length of their country to a vastly different place to play. All of which was only made odder by the fact that the South Africans had, in the two weeks before Friday, played three ODIs against Afghanistan some 165 kilometres north-east along the Persian Gulf coast in Sharjah.

While Ireland's players were, Paul Stirling told a press conference on Thursday, resorting to saunas and steam baths to ready themselves for the 20 or so degrees Celsius of separation between Dublin and Abu Dhabi, the South Africans were able to adjust to the heat on the field.

It showed on Friday, when the Irish bowlers' own sweat made them struggle to grip and control the ball. That was after South Africa had reeled in Ireland's batters. They were 85/3 after 10 overs and 171/8 after 20 with Patrick Kruger using his intelligence and experience to take 4-27. So they scored only one more run in the second half of their innings than in the first, and lost five wickets while doing so.

South Africa won easily, by eight wickets with 14 balls to spare, thanks largely to Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks sharing an opening stand of 136 off 79. Rickelton's 48-ball 76 was his first international half-century in his 18 innings across the format. Hendricks' 51 off 33 was his first white-ball 50 in 17 trips to the crease.

Ireland seemed to have learned their batting lesson by Sunday. At least, Stirling and Ross Adair appeared to have done so while they were hammering 137 off 79, Ireland's second-biggest T20I opening stand. And the South Africans looked like they had gone backwards. Adair was 20 when he was caught off what turned out to be a no-ball from Lizaad Williams. Eight overs later Adair had advanced to 78 not out when Williams shovelled what should have been a catch, off Wiaan Mulder's bowling, over the backward point boundary for six.

Adair also survived four other close calls - three catches fell short of fielders and he would have been run out had the throw been on target - to score 100 off 58, the third century in the format by an Irishman. Not bad for someone who came into the squad because Andrew Balbirnie was dropped and was given his opportunity only because Lorcan Tucker - who had been confirmed as an opener - was ruled out by an injury sustained in training.

The Irish seemed set for a total well north of 200, but they lost six wickets for 43 runs in 32 balls and ended up with 195/6. Although that was their record effort against South Africa it was also several runs short of what they should have made.

Rickelton and Hendricks were on course to score another two half-centuries before Rickelton carved Matthew Humphries to square leg to go for 36. Hendricks did get there, but then stopped a drive off Ben White and was juggled but well held by Stirling at short cover.

Aiden Markram hit the second ball he faced, from White, over long-on for six. But he faced just four more - he tried to reverse sweep Humphries and was bowled. With that, South Africa were 130/4 and needing more than 10 runs an over.

But they had Matthew Breetzke. He began building his flinty, intense innings when Rickelton was dismissed in the sixth, and he saw Markram and Tristan Stubbs dismissed early. Would Breetzke, in his eighth T20I innings, take his team home?

No. Breetzke was undone in an 18th over that started with six wickets standing and 28 required. It ended, after two no-balls and two wides, with no more wickets down but only five runs closer to the target. Hume bowled it with courage and cleverness, living on the edge of what was legal from a line perspective.

Mark Adair capitalised on the pressure created by removing Mulder, Breetzke - for a 41-ball 51 - and Nqaba Peter in the 19th. That left South Africa needing 18 off the last. Hume conceded seven, sealing Ireland's first win in seven T20Is against these opponents.

Stubbs' dismissal meant South Africa had lost five wickets for 25 runs, and in all eight crashed for 64. The South Africans will know they should have won. The Irish will know that if you're going to 7,520 kilometres to play a home game, you had better go home - to your real home - with something to show for it.