Ireland put up an encouraging performance in their first warm-up match at the T20 World Cup, falling just 15 runs short of South Africa’s 135 for eight at Loughborough College.

The top three of Amy Hunter, Alana Dalzell and Gaby Lewis contributed just 14 runs in the Ireland chase, and with Orla Prendergast taking no part in the match, they had plenty of runs left in the bank. In an impressive finish to the first innings, the bowlers restricted South Arica to 23 for six in the last five overs and, most encouragingly of all, every catch was taken.

A delayed start reduced the game to 18 overs and captain Laura Wolvaardt dominated the South Africa innings with 66 from 39 balls (seven fours, three sixes), sharing a third wicket stand of 54 with Annerie Dercksen. But Cara Murray dismissed both batters in the space of three balls to spark a startling collapse.

Dercksen was the first to go, to a superb return catch and then, crucially, Wolvaardt was caught on the boundary by Dalzell. Ava Canning who was held back until the 16th over, struck with her fifth ball, bowling Marizanne Zapp and Arlene Kelly then took two more wickets in the next over, the second to a catch by Louise Little, to finish with three for 29.

Canning hit the stumps for a second time in the last over to give Ireland a great chance of an upset victory against the world’s fifth ranked side.

Aimie Maguire, who opened the bowling, was the other successful bowler and conceded just 12 runs in her three overs.

Ireland were immediately on the back foot when they batted, however, reduced to 16 for three, halfway through the fourth over, Dalzell to a golden duck, Hunter slicing into the covers for nine and Lewis, playing her first match after injury, bowled for five from seven balls.

But Rebecca Stokell and Leah Paul put Ireland back on track – Stokell hitting 19 from 14 balls with two fours and a six and Paul had four boundaries in her 29 off 27.

When Paul was out to a reverse sweep, Ireland needed 54 from the last five overs with just four wickets left but they kept going with Little and Kelly scoring at strike rates of 100 and 136 respectively.

South Africa, however, kept taking wickets and Georgina Dempsey was last out from the fourth ball of the final over.

Ireland’s remaining warm-up game, is at the same venue on Tuesday against Bangladesh.