The action moves forward to the shortest format of the game, as South Africa Women (SA-W) will be crossing swords against Ireland Women (IRE-W) in the first T20I of the upcoming three-match series on Friday, December 5 at the Newlands in Cape Town .
South Africa Women have had a horrendous form, at least in the 20-over format, as far as their last five matches are concerned, where they have lost on four occasions. They have also lost their last two series in the format, which is quite a disappointing past to have while starting afresh. However, the team has shown great unity when it comes to their runners-up campaign at the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup. As a result, a tight performance could be expected from the side.
Ireland Women, on the other hand, have shown a terrific run of form in 20-over cricket, winning on all five of their five preceding encounters. However, none of these wins came against a top-ranked side, as they faced Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands in their last five matches. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what they have it in them against the Proteas when they face-off against the Laura Wolvaardt-led side on Friday.
Match Details
| Match | South Africa Women vs Ireland Women, 1st T20I, Ireland Women’s tour of South Africa, 2025 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Friday, December 5; 5:30 PM |
| Venue | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Broadcast and Live-streaming details | Cricket South Africa YouTube Channel |
Newlands, Cape Town – Pitch Report
The ground at the Newlands in Cape Town is among the most iconic cricketing landmarks in South Africa. In the 17 Women’s T20Is played at this venue, a staggering 11 of them have been won by the teams batting first. Whenever the teams batting first have scored in excess 160 in the first innings, the chasing side has failed to cross the finishing line, indicating the score as a par score at the venue. Winning the toss and opting to bat first is going to be a no-brainer choice here today.
SA-W vs IRE-W – Head-to-Head in T20Is
| Matches Played | 13 |
| SA-W Won | 11 |
| IRE-W Won | 2 |
| Tied/No Results | 0 |
| First-ever fixture | 1 August 2008 (SA-W Won) |
| Most-recent fixture | 8 June 2022 (SA-W Won) |
SA-W vs IRE-W – Predicted Playing 11s
South Africa Women
Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Karabo Meso (wicketkeeper), Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Derckson, Chloe Tryon, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas
Ireland Women
Gaby Lewis (captain), Christina Coulter Reilly (wicketkeeper), Orla Prendergast, Amy Hunter, Leah Paul, Ava Canning, Rebecca Stokell, Arlene Kelly, Jane Maguire, Alana Dalzell, Aimee Maguire
SA-W vs IRE-W Probable Top Performers
Probable Best Batter: Laura Wolvaardt
Laura Wolvaardt (SA-W) (Photo Source: Twitter)Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt has been one of the most vital cogs in their batting line-up as well. With the ability to score quick runs in the powerplay by playing risk-free cricket, she can do the bulk of the scoring without letting the opposition notice of the game slipping away. With heaps of experience behind her back, she also has the capability to dominate with her batting across different match situations. She is expected to be among the top run-getters with the bat today.
Probable Best Bowler: Marizanne Kapp
Marizanne Kapp. (Photo source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)Star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has been a proven performer across departments. However, it is her bowling that truly stands out and makes her shine the brightest. Kapp was in great form in the 2025 World Cup, and had also delivered a match-winning spell in the semi-finals against Australia to eventually help the Proteas sail through. With a similar outing with the ball in today’s match, the ace cricketer can be expected to be among the best bowlers of the evening.