Behardien sets up comfortable win

South Africa A 255 for 9 (Behardien 88*, Ontong 60, Johnston 3-33) beat Ireland XI 136 for 7 (Anderson 40) by 68 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard

As South Africa's senior team closed in on a win at Lord's that would secure them the No. 1 Test ranking, the second XI secured a first victory on their tour of Ireland with a rain-affected 68-run win in the first one-day game.

Farhaan Behardien was the mainstay of the South Africa A innings with 88 off 85 balls, his highest one-day score, while Justin Ontong made 60 in a total of 255 for 9. The chase proved well out of reach for the Ireland XI as they lost three of their top five batsmen for ducks before rain brought an early end to the match.

The home side had made a promising start by reducing South Africa A to 86 for 4 in the 22nd over when Dean Elgar was caught behind off Kevin O'Brien. However, Ontong and Behardien added 95 for the fifth wicket to form the backbone of the innings.

Ontong had struck two sixes in his 66-ball stay when he fell to Peter Connell but Dane Vilas, the wicketkeeper, offered useful support in a stand of 34 with Behardien who played out the innings as the lower order fell away a little. Trent Johnston finished with 3 for 33 from his 10 overs.

Wayne Parnell, who was outstanding in the four-day game, struck in his first over of the chase to immediately set the Ireland XI back. James Shannon played positively for his 33 off 35 balls but when he departed to Ryan McLaren three wickets fell with the score on 48.

Andrew Poynter and John Anderson resisted for an 11-over stand but the required rate was rising and the South Africans chipped away, including a scalp for Behardien to cap his day, before the game decided was when the weather closed in.