Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Location: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Date: Fri, September 27
BetXchange Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Odds:
History
Ireland and South Africa will play five matches of white-ball cricket in Abu Dhabi over the next week or so. All five matches will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, with two T20Is set to be followed by three ODIs. Despite the location in the Middle East, these are considered home matches for Ireland, with the T20Is being played on September 27 and September 29.
This is the second series of white ball matches South Africa will play in the UAE during this trip. The team is coming into this off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Afghanistan in ODIs, with the Afghanis beating the Proteas in the first two matches to clinch the series with one match to spare.
The Proteas will want to bounce back after those two heavy defeats. In the first match, they scored just 106 runs, but Afghanistan knocked them down in 26 overs for a six-wicket victory. The second ODI wasn’t much better, as Afghanistan raced to 311/4 from their 50 overs. South Africa could only muster 124 in reply, losing by 177 runs.
South Africa finally found some form in the third ODI, and it was with the ball that they struck hard and early. Bowling out Afghanistan for 169, South Africa roared to a seven-wicket victory as they chased the score down in 33 overs. Captain Aidem Makram, a player who has struggled with the bat lately, top-scored with an unbeaten 69 from 67 deliveries.
Ireland
Ireland opener Andrew Balbirnie has been left out of the T20I squad, though he will feature in the ODIs. This means that the likely opening pair at the crease will be Ross Adair (a former Ulster rugby player) and Lorcan Tucker. This makes sense, with Ireland beginning preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup, a competition they have already qualified for, and Balbirnie’s 23.45 average and low strike rate in the shortest form of international cricket.
South Africa
South Africa will still be down several marquee names for this series. Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, and Heinrich Klassen are just some of the missing players as the Proteas look to add to their pool of international talent with an eye on tournaments down the road. That is why just six players in the South African T20I squad have played more than ten T20 games for their country.
Best Bets
The heat in Abu Dhabi is something to consider here, and it will be a factor for both squads. Afghanistan beat South Africa because of their top-class spin bowling. Ireland doesn’t have that weapon, and the Dubai pitch looks more batter-friendly than in Sharjah; South Africa will win this match and the T20 series.
Makram is 5/2 to be the best bat, which is a decent price given that the only player shorter is the out-of-form Reeza Hendricks (49/20). Lungi Ngidi is the obvious choice as the best bowler at 21/10, but if you fancy a flyer, I like Lizaad Williams at 27/10.
