ABU DHABI: A 136-run opening wicket partnership led South Africa to an eight-wicket win over Ireland in the first of their two-match Twenty20 International series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Ryan Rickleton and Reeza Hend­ricks put on the highest opening wicket partnership for South Africa in a T20 International on foreign soil, setting the foundation as the team successfully chased down a target of 171-8 set by Ireland, who were put into bat first. Rickleton made a career best 76 and Hendricks 51 with South Africa reaching 174 with 14 balls to spare. South Africa-born Curtis Campher top scored for the Irish with 49 while Patrick Kruger took three wickets for South Africa in Ireland’s last over to finish with the games best figures of 4-27. The two teams meet again in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and then next week start a three-match One-day Intern­ational series at the same venue. P. Stirling b Baartman 2 R. Adair c Stubbs b Mulder 18 H. Tector c Williams b Fortuin 16 C. Campher c Baartman b Kruger 49 N. Rock b Peter 37 G. Dockrell c Rickelton b Kruger 21 M. Adair c Mulder b Kruger 8 F. Hand c Baartman b Kruger 0 M. Humphreys not out 0 C. Young not out 0 EXTRAS (B-2, LB-7, W-11) 20 TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 171 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-21 (R. Adair), 2-26 (Stirling), 3-64 (Tector), 4-123 (Rock), 5-158 (Campher), 6-169 (Dockrell), 7-169 (Hand), 8-170 (M. Adair) DID NOT BAT: B. White BOWLING: Williams 3-0-29-0 (1w); Mulder 2-0-15-1 (1w); Baartman 3-0-36-1 (3w); Fortuin 4-0-28-1 (1w); Kruger 4-1-27-4; Markram 1-0-7-0 (1w); Peter 3-0-20-1 R. Rickelton c Campher b M. Adair 76 R. Hendricks lbw Young 51 M. Breetzke not out 19 A. Markram not out 17 EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, NB-1, W-6) 11 TOTAL (for two wkts, 17.4 overs) 74 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-136 (Hendricks), 2-138 (Rickelton) DID NOT BAT: T. Stubbs, W. Mulder, P. Kruger, B. Fortuin, N. Peter, L. Williams, O. Baartman BOWLING: Humphreys 4-0-28-0; M. Adair 3.4-0-31-1 (1w); Young 3-0-25-1 (2w); Hand 3-0-38-0 (1nb); White 3-0-35-0; Tector 1-0-13-0 (2w)