Temba Bavuma ton gives SA massive win over Ireland

Temba Bavuma became only the second South Africa player to score a hundred on debut as he helped South Africa register a record win over Ireland. With this win, South Africa began their limited-overs season in supreme style with a record 206-run win in their one-off One-Day International (ODI) at Sahara Park Willowmoore in Benoni on Sunday (September 25).

Bavuma was one of three players who made their debuts for the African nation along with Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius.

Opener Bavuma struck a superb 123-ball 113 - a knock that comprised of 13 fours, 1 six - to help the hosts post a massive 354 for 5 after losing the toss and being asked to bat first.

The tourists, who play Australia in another one-off ODI at the same venue on Tuesday, offered little in response and were shot out for just 148 in 30.5 overs.

Part-time offspinner JP Duminy was the star with the ball as he spun his way to career-best figures of 4 for 16 in 4.5 overs. Four wickets with the ball and an attacking fifty would have often been enough for a player to claim the Man of the Match award, but South Africa's win was set up by Bavuma. The 26-year-old began nervously when he was dropped in the second over, but grew in confidence as he shared in a 159-run opening wicket stand with the outstanding Quinton de Kock, who made 82. His ha;f-century came in 66 balls, with eight fours and two sixes.

Their stand doubled the previous best opening stand - 75 by Morne van Wyk and AB de Villiers at Belfast in 2007 - against the Irish and was a venue record, going past the 155 of Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith against Bangladesh in 2002.

Bavuma followed in the footsteps of Colin Ingram as the only other South African to score three figures on debut, the latter getting his ton against Zimbabwe in 2010. There were also excellent contributions by Duminy, whose unbeaten 43-ball 52 included four fours and a six, and Farhaan Behardien, whose quick-fire 22-ball 50 gave South Africa the late impetus - one which was also a venue record.

Ireland lost their captain William Porterfield for a second-ball duck to Kagiso Rabada and they never recovered from the early jolt.

Duminy cleaned up the lower order after Wayne Parnell (2-36) and Aaron Phangiso (2-33) helped account for the top order, with Pretorius bagging 1-19 in his 5 overs on his maiden appearance for South Africa.

The third debutant, Phehlukwayo, went for 22 in the four overs he was afforded, but it mattered little as the home side romped home to their biggest-ever win over Ireland, surpassing the 200-run triumph at the last World Cup.

Brief scores: South Africa 354/5 in 50 overs (Quinton de Kock 82, Temba Bavuma 113, JP Duminy 52, Farhaan Behardien 50; Craig Young 3-81) beat Ireland 148 in 30.5 overs (Paul Stirling 40, Kevin O'Brien 41; JP Duminy 4-16) by 206 runs.