Ross Adair’s Century Leads Ireland to Historic T20 Victory

Ross Adair led Ireland to their first T20 international victory over South Africa, achieving a historic win by 10 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. This match marked the seventh attempt for Ireland to secure a win against South Africa in T20s. After suffering an eight-wicket defeat in the previous game, Ireland bounced back impressively, tying the two-match series.

Adair played a pivotal role scoring his maiden T20 century with a remarkable 100 runs off just 58 balls, hitting nine sixes and five fours. He was the standout performer for Ireland as they set a competitive total of 195 runs in their 20 overs. Ross Adair and Paul Stirling formed a particularly impactful opening partnership, combining for a 137-run stand. This marked Ireland’s second-largest opening partnership in T20 history.

Stirling contributed significantly with a quick half-century off 31 deliveries. South Africa in response finished with 185 runs, falling short of the target despite a solid start. Mark Adair, Ross’s brother shone with the ball taking four wickets, including three in the penultimate over which proved crucial in clinching the victory. South Africa started their innings strongly, establishing a 50-run opening partnership.

However, they lost momentum after key wickets fell including Reeza Hendricks for 50 and Aiden Markram shortly thereafter. Despite Matthew Breetzke’s effort to keep South Africa in contention with 51 runs, the Proteas couldn’t close the gap and ultimately succumbed to defeat. Ireland’s win sets a positive tone as both teams transition into a new cycle gearing up for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

A three-match one-day international series between the two sides is set to begin on Wednesday.