IRE vs SA Prediction: Who will win the 2nd T20I?
South Africa emerged victorious in the first of the two-match T20I series against Ireland on Wednesday (August 3). The Proteas won the opening game by 21 runs despite posting a mammoth total of 211 runs in their 20 overs. Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs were the stars for the side with the bat.
However, Ireland were up for the challenge and did well to reach 190 in the chase, largely thanks to Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell. The duo made sure their side didn’t go down without putting up a fight. Having said that, Ireland's bowling has been a huge worry, having conceded more than 200 runs on multiple occasions this summer.
The Ireland players have always spoken about the team going in the right direction but they will lament the fact that they haven’t registered a single win against India, New Zealand and now South Africa this summer. They would love to win this one and end their summer on a high.
South Africa, on the other hand, have been excellent playing away from home. They drew against India in the five-match series (2-2) and then defeated England by 2-1 before being in a position to win yet another series away from home.
Will Ireland (IRE) beat South Africa (SA) in the 2nd T20I?
One feels bad for Ireland who have really played some good cricket this summer but have nothing to show for on the board. Their batting has improved significantly and if their bowlers would’ve improved after playing so many matches, the side might have stunned the opposition in a game or two.
Having said that, Ireland have a good chance to click as a unit in the final game against South Africa.
South Africa, meanwhile, are the clear favorites as they managed to beat Ireland despite not having the likes of David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo and Rilee Rossouw in the team in the last T20I. This shows the side's immense depth in the shortest format of the game.
Prediction: South Africa are expected to win this encounter