28th Match: Ireland Women v South Africa Women at Christchurch, 16 Dec 2000 CricInfo Live Report

28th Match: Ireland Women v South Africa Women at Christchurch, 16 Dec 2000
Chris Rosie

Ireland Women innings: 15 overs, 15 overs, End of innings,
South Africa Women innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, End of match,
Pre-game: Toss,

OLIVIER 100 LEADS SOUTH AFRICA TO VICTORY

Olivier and Terblanche took the score past 150 in the 33rd over, the South African opener going steadily towards her century. She went into and through 90s with a couple of fine sweeps off the normally miserly Grealey in the 35th over. The 50 partnership came up in the same over and so did Olivier's century, off 113 balls, the majority of the runs accumulated on the leg side.

And the finish came with a fine cut from Terblanche in the 37th. South Africa finished on 177 for one, Olivier 101 not out, Terblanche 15 not out.

It was not a day for the Irish bowlers. Grealey finished with the only wicket, her 7.2 overs going for 33 while McDonald ended with none for 33 off her 9.

A win to South Africa by nine wickets.

SOUTH AFRICA IN COMMAND

Isobel Joyce was brought on for O'Neill in the 16th over but had no effect on the scoring, her first over of left-arm medium pace giving up nine runs.

Drinks were taken after 18 overs, South Africa on 76, Olivier 44, Strydom 28.

There was no relief for the Irish. The bowling became ragged and the batsmen capitalised. They rushed to 89 at the end of the 20th over, Olivier 47, Strydom 37. Olivier went to her 50 off 71 balls with six fours.

Karen Young replaced Joyce in the 22nd over, just in time to see the 100 partnership come up. At the city end Miriam Grealey introduced her own off spin in the 23rd.

First the captain cut back the run rate. Her first two overs went for just four runs. Then, with the last ball of her third, the 27th, she showed her own bowlers how it is done, accepting a return catch from Strydom, who departed for 46. South Africa 117 for 1.

Daleen Terblanche joined Olivier on 61. The runs kept coming. Grealey turned to McDonald from the southern end in the 30th over. It quietened them but did not stop them as South Africa went to 136 at the end of 30 overs, Olivier 74, Terblanche 3.

SOUTH AFRICA COMFORTABLE

Hanri Strydom and Linda Olivier set South Africa en route to 177 to win without major trauma. Barbara McDonald had a couple of what looked very close leg-before appeals operating from the city end. And Catherine O'Neill and Saibh Young, who replaced McDonald in the 11th over, each put down difficult caught-and-bowled chances.

However, the South African pair looked in no problems. Olivier punished anything on the legs. However, she did cut O'Neill in the 14th over into Linehan's throat at first slip. Olivier survived; Linehan did not, leaving the field for treatment.

The pair brought up the 50 in the 15th over, Olivier 32, Strydom 23.

IRELAND MAKE SOUTH AFRICANS WORK

Quick running by Squire and Shillington was supplemented by a magnificent six over mid-wicket as Shillington picked up Price with ease. She also swung Viljoen, returning for Eksteen in the 34th over, to the square leg boundary. But that was her last effective shot. The very next ball she played across the line and was bowled. Shillington gone for 18 off 23 balls with the score 118 for six.

Saibh Young joined the scampering Squire but neither looked comfortable and it was no surprise to see Squire cleaned bowled crease-bound by Viljoen with the score at 130 for seven, Squire contributing 13.

Isobel Joyce replaced Squire while Price gave way to Strydom at the southern end, the captain's 10 overs going for 36. Joyce produced a lovely extra cover drive but the South African bowlers were not to be denied. Viljoen bowled full, Joyce tried to play across the line and missed. Joyce gone for six with the score 137 for eight.

Sandra Dawson joined Young but it was Strydom who had the next success, taking a superb caught and bowled to end Young's stay for one with the score 139 for nine in the 41st over. The Ireland number 11, Barbara McDonald, joined Dawson for a last-wicket stand. It was productive, McDonald producing a lofted drive over mid off for four and then an edge to third man for another boundary, taking the score past 150 in the 45th over.

The tailenders proved stubborn. Strydom and Viljoen bowled out. Lewis and Eksteen returned. It made no difference to McDonald, putting Eksteen over her head for four and through midwicket for another four, taking the score past 160 in the 48th over and her own score to 18.

Dawson joined in, getting an edge through slips for four more as the partnership became more than pesky.

The absence of van Zyl forced the introduction of Denise Reid to bowl her first over to complete the innings. And she could not break the last partnership, the innings finishing on 176 for nine, McDonald 22 not out and Dawson 13 not out. The last wicket produced 37, a world record for a 10th wicket stand in a women's one-day international, McDonald achieving her best by eight.

The South Africans bowled straight and gained the reward, five wickets falling bowled, two caught and bowled. Eksteen picked up two for 28 off 10, Strydom three for 33 off ten, Viljoen three for 27 off 10.

South Africa will come out to bat after lunch requiring 177 to win their last match of the round-robin.

SOUTH AFRICA MAKE INROADS

Cindy Eksteen took over at the city end from Viljoen - right-arm medium for right-arm medium - after the drinks break at the end of the 17th over. Linehan and Grealey continued on their merry way, 69 coming from the first 20 overs. They brought the 50 partnership up in the 21st.

So it was a surprise to see Linehan cut straight to Burger in the gully when on 40, particularly that it should come from Lewis, whose left-arm medium pace had conceded 17 off three overs. Ireland 79 for three.

Karen Young joined her captain and they took the score through to 86 for three half way through the scheduled 50 overs. However, Young's stay was short. After a glorious cover drive off Eksteen to open her account, she gave the bowler immediate revenge, clean bowled with the score at 90 in the 26th over.

Clare Shillington was the next to keep Grealey, on 30, company. Price returned in the 27th for Lewis, who had been expensive despite her wicket, going for 23 off six. However, the partnership was short-lived. With the score advanced by just one, Grealey cut fine once too often, chopping Eksteen onto her stumps. The captain out for 30 with the score 91 for five.

Nikki Squire joined Shillington and immediately started looking for the quick singles. They took the score through to 97 for five at the end of the 30th over.

IRELAND RECOVER FROM ROUGH START

South Africa opened with the medium pace/off spin combination of Sune van Zyl and Kim Price and almost immediately found themselves in trouble. Van Zyl, fielding backward of square in the second over, damaged her back fielding Price's first ball and was forced from the field.

However, that was not nearly as much trouble as Ireland found themselves in. The premature change forced on the South Africans brought immediate profit. Hanri Strydom, getting considerable swing from the southern end, induced the hero of Ireland's match against the Netherlands, Caitriona Beggs, promoted to open, to offer a simple caught and bowled chance. Ireland nine for one.

Strydom had not finished. In the seventh over, she had Beggs' replacement, Catherine O'Neill, cutting before she had scored and Anina Burger at first slip took the catch albeit at the second attempt. Ireland 19 for two.

Miriam Grealey joined Anne Linehan, who had taken up where she left off against the Netherlands, making the most of anything loose down the leg side.

Price gave way to the medium pace of Sunette Viljoen from the city end. Grealey was having some trouble with Strydom, swinging across the line and putting a couple high in the air just clear of fieldsmen.

Levona Lewis took over from Strydom in the 15th over but the Ireland pair continued the rebuilding after the rocky start, finishing the over at 51 for two, Linehan on 27, Grealey 15.

SOUTH AFRICA CHOSE TO BOWL

It's South Africa needing a good blowout before Monday's semi-final and Ireland looking for an upset on the last day of the CricInfo Women's World Cup round-robin.

For this final match in the tournament to be played at Hagley Oval, South Africa have selected Kim Price, Cindy Eksteen, Anina Burger, Aluis Kuylaars, Levona Lewis, Linda Olivier, Denise Reid, Hanri Strydom, Daleen Terblanche, Sune van Zyl and Sunette Viljoen with Alison Hodgkinson 12th man.

For their last match of the tournament, Ireland have introduced Clare Shillington for Cliodhna Sharp from the team that beat the Netherlands. The team are Miriam Grealey, Caitriona Beggs, Sandra Dawson, Isobel Joyce, Anne Linehan, Barbara McDonald, Catherine O'Neill, Shillington, Nikki Squire, Karen Young and Saibh Young with Ciara Metcalfe 12th man.

South Africa won the toss and sent Ireland in on a pitch having its fourth use of the tournament under clearing overcast skies with the lightest of breezes to relieve what could have the makings of another humid day at Hagley.