Parnell five bowls Proteas to T20 sweep over Ireland

South Africa seamer Wayne Parnell has claimed career-best figures of 5-30 as the Proteas cruised to a 44-run victory over Ireland and completed a clean sweep of their two-match Twenty20 International series in Bristol.

South Africa were sent in to bat and recovered from a slow start to post 6-182 in their innings, before restricting Ireland to 138 all out in 18.5 overs.

Left-armer Parnell had Ireland on the back foot in the second over of their chase as he bagged two wickets before returning to remove top scorer and BBL Draft nominee Harry Tector (34 from 31 balls), ending any hopes Ireland had of victory.

South Africa found scoring difficult in the early part of their innings but finished with a flourish to post a challenging total.

Image Id: BBA35746AA4A42ADB9B04462D5A8A92C Image Caption: BBL Draft nominee Paul Stirling crashed a quick 28 but was laid low by an awkard blow // AFP

They scored 128 runs from their final 10 overs as Heinrich Klaasen plundered 39 from 16 deliveries and David Miller ended with 32 not out from 20 balls.

Those two scores added to a more sedate 42 from 40 balls by innings top-scorer Reeza Hendricks, who was denied a fifth sucessive half-century in 20-over internationals.

South Africa have now won 16 of their past 20 matches in the shortest format – some good form heading into the T20 World Cup in Australia that starts in October.

The Proteas' attention now switches to Test cricket with a series against England that will also serve as a good gauge of where they're at for this summer's blockbuster Test series against the Aussies.

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NZ ease to T20 series sweep over Dutch

Meanwhile, New Zealand secured an eight-wicket win over the Netherlands, and with it a Twenty20 series clean sweep, thanks to Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten century partnership.

Santner scored a career-best 77 not out and Mitchell 51 not out in propelling New Zealand to 2-149 in reply to the Netherlands' 4-147. They won with six overs to spare on Friday.

The Black Caps won the first T20 by 16 runs on Thursday and were even more convincing this time.

Santner came to the crease in the second over when Martin Guptill was bowled on 2, and his first shot was to hit Tim Pringle over the long-on fence.

Finn Allen fell in the next over on 13, and Mitchell joined Santner. They combined for 123 runs in 65 balls, of which only 15 weren't scored from.

Santner reached his first T20 fifty in 29 balls, having been dropped on 43 and 56.

Mitchell took all of the strike in the 14th over, rushing from 33 with two sixes, a two, and a match-winning boundary to notch his second T20 fifty.

The Dutch had chosen to bat first and Bas de Leede followed his 66 on Thursday with another team-best 53 not out from 48 balls.

New Zealand have now completed a European tour that began in late May and moved through England, Ireland and Scotland.

Their travels aren't over, though. They go to West Indies for three T20s and three ODIs from next Wednesday before heading to Far North Queensland for a three-match ODI series against the Aussies in Cairns.

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