Proteas boosted by timely displays from Rickelton and Kruger

A career-best performance with the ball from Patrick Kruger and a timely half-century from Ryan Rickelton saw the Proteas claim a much-needed victory in the first T20 International against Ireland on Friday. 

With the exception of Ireland’s batting power play, Aiden Markram’s team dominated proceedings in front of a sparse crowd in Abu Dhabi.

Though Kruger’s 4/27 — which was topped off by a triple-wicket maiden in the final over of Ireland’s innings — proved pivotal in swinging the match the Proteas’ way, Rickelton’s performance was equally as important. 

With the door looking shut on Quinton de Kock’s international career, the Proteas need someone to stake a claim for the opening berth in the T20 format, and Rickelton would seem ideally placed to do so. 

While he's been dominant at domestic level for the DP World Lions, and topped the scoring charts in last season’s SA20, Rickelton has found it harder transitioning to the international arena. He’d reached double figures in four of his six T20 Internationals and with a highest score of 27 and in a batting unit that’s been struggling this year, his failure to turn starts into innings’ of substance was a concern Rob Walter could do without. 

So Friday’s effort which saw him score 76 off 48 balls was vital for his own self-belief and to boost Walter’s backing of him. It was an innings that featured the best of Rickelton; his driving was crisp and when he got creative with the sweep shot, he often found space, hitting three fours and half a dozen sixes. 

In partnership with the under-fire Reeza Hendricks, he shared an opening stand of 136 that saw the Proteas reach a slightly below par target of 172 with 14 balls to spare for the loss of only two wickets.

These are an important couple of matches for Hendricks too. He heads back to provincial cricket after Sunday’s second match leaving Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi to fight it out for a top-order spot in the three-match ODI series.

Ireland’s bowlers served up a half volley buffet, which the out-of-touch Hendricks feasted on to get his innings going. He was eventually trapped lbw by an in-ducker from Craig Young, for 51, an innings that included five fours and three sixes. It was Hendricks’ first half-century in 14 completed innings. 

Earlier, Kruger along with Bjorn Fortuin arrested Ireland’s momentum after they smashed 63/2 in their power play upon being put into bat by Markram. 

Fortuin dismissed the dangerous Harry Tector for 16 with the fourth ball of the seventh, going for just two runs in the process, and then Kruger conceded the same number of runs in the next over.

Johannesburg-born Curtis Campher, scored 49, but the Irish couldn’t increase their scoring rate in the manner they hoped with Fortuin taking 1/28 and Nqaba Peter 1/20. 

Kruger bowled a superb final over, taking three wickets, earning another tick next to his name as the race for the all-rounder’s berth hots up.