In a match interrupted by rain, South Africa were eventually required to get 160 in 35 overs.
The Rediff.com expert reckoned that the strong South African batting line-up could even get 200. South Africa therefore opened with a pressure index (PI) of 50.
The idea probably was to get A B de Villiers and Graeme Smith to knock these runs off in double quick time. But de Villiers fell in the very first over (PI rose to 64) and although Smith tried to get a move on it's never easy to gallop with Jacques Kallis at the other end.
Smith fell for 41 and with Herschelle Gibbs having forgotten how to hit even one six within a few weeks of his six 6's record, the PI went into the mid-60's.
Gibbs was soon out for 6, and that brought in Ashwell Prince to partner Kallis.
With these two a win was certain; but it was just as certain that the NRR would drop.
Click to view South Africa vs Ireland, Pressure Map
Sunil T and Sunil Patil of Cranes Software helped create this pressure map based on the details retrieved from the Rediff scorer
The Cup: Complete Coverage
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