IRE VS SA 2ND ODI

Paul Stirling, the captain of Ireland joins in for a chat.

Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa is in for a chat.

Ireland (Unchanged playing XI) - Paul Stirling (C), Andy Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Stephen Doheny (WK), George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Craig Young, Graham Hume, Gavin Hoey.

South Africa (Playing XI) - Ryan Rickelton (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (In for Tony de Zorzi), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman.

TOSS - The coin goes up and lands in favour of South Africa. They will BAT first.

UPDATE - Nandre Burger has been ruled out for the rest of this ODI series due to a lumbar stress injury. Also, after going through an MRI scan,Tony de Zorzi will be rested from this game, as he has a soft tissue injury on his right knee.

Ireland, however, will be determined to bounce back! After a heavy defeat in the first T20I, they responded well to level that series, and they’ll need a similar fight if they want to stay alive in this one. Though it’s a different format, they'll have to bring their very best to stand a chance. Capitalizing on every opportunity, which they missed in the opening ODI, will be crucial. Can they deliver a stronger performance and level the series? Stay tuned as the toss is just around the corner.

It is now time for the second ODI between Ireland and South Africa. South Africa roared back in dominant fashion after their T20I loss, crushing the hosts in the first ODI with a superb knock from Ryan Rickleton and a brilliant spell from Lizaad Williams. Now, with the series on the line, Bavuma's side will be eager to replicate their impressive performance and secure the win in this second ODI and take an unassailable lead.

... MATCH DAY ...

Cricketing action across the globe continues as Ireland and South Africa battle it out in the UAE in a three-match ODI series and it is time for the 2nd ODI to get underway. It has been an up-and-down series so far with the two-match T20I series ending in a 1-1 draw and now the Proteas have taken a 1-0 lead in the ODI series with a thumping win in the first game. Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, which isn't one of the venues for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup that is also going on in the UAE, will play host to the crucial 2nd ODI and both teams will be looking for a win. Ireland did fight back in the T20I series but their batting completely collapsed while chasing 272 runs as they got bundled out for just 132 runs and only three managed to get into the 20s as well. Skipper, Paul Stirling was the first one to fall cheaply and then once the middle order was exposed, batters kept coming and going back to the hut pretty routinely. The bowling was decent with Mark Adair leading the pack with a four-fer and Craig Young picked up 3 wickets too. The pacer remained on top throughout the game but the Irish spinners did go for some extra runs, especially Gavin Hoey and they would want to tweak the bowling a bit. On the other hand, South Africa also faced difficulty with the bat but Ryan Rickelton with a knock of 91 and Tristan Stubbs with a knock of 79, made sure that they got to a solid total. The likes of Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen will be itching to make amends with the bat as the Proteas look to seal the series with a game remaining. With the ball, it was Lizaad Williams who led the pack with a solid four-wicket haul and then the rest of the bowlers chipped in nicely as well. Only Lungi Ngidi was a bit on the expensive side but he too picked up a couple of wickets. All in all, an all-round display from the Proteas but they have been highly inconsistent throughout this Asian tour and would desperately want to string two solid performances together. Will Ireland be able to level up the series? Or will South Africa run away with another win? Only time will tell.