Ireland’s women suffer 67-run loss to South Africa

South African leg-spinner Sune Luus proved the match-winner for her side

Dinesha Devnarain of South Africa in action with Mary Waldron of Ireland during the Women’s ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 Group A match. Photo: Christopher Lee-IDI/IDI via Getty Images

Ireland suffered a heavy 67-run defeat to South Africa in their third game at the Women’s World Twenty20 in Chennai.

South African leg-spinner Sune Luus proved the match-winner for her side, taking five wickets for just eight runs as Ireland went from 64 for two to 89 for nine as they chased a target of 157 in sweltering conditions.

Luus took the key wicket of Isobel Joyce for 22 and when Clare Shillington was run out in the next over after a fine 34 off 28 balls, Ireland's challenge faded.

Chloe Tryon had earlier punished Ireland late in the South Africa innings, hitting an unbeaten 20 off seven balls to help her side add 30 runs off the last nine balls of the innings.

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Ireland’s final game of the tournament is on Saturday against Australia in Delhi.

WOMEN'S WORLD TWENTY20 (at Chennai): South Africa 156-5 (20 ovs) (T Chetty 35, L Lee 30no, D Devnarain 24no, D van Niekerk 20, C Tryon 30no; K Garth 2-26), Ireland 89-9 (20 ovs) (C Shillington 34, I Joyce 22; S Luus 5-8). South Africa won by 67 runs.

Emmet Riordan

Emmet Riordan

Emmet Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist