Perhaps it is unfair just to spotlight one player from this match - it truly was a team win, any way you look at it. But Leah's contribution with bat and ball saw her claim 'Player of the Match'.

It was the first match of the six-match white ball series - South Africa had arrived in Ireland with a full strength squad and hosts Ireland were missing a number of frontline players due to injury.

South African captain Sune Luus won the toss and under warm summer skies, she put Ireland into bat first.

Irish openers - Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis - were in no mood to be intimidated by the South African bowling attack that was led by possibly the world's fastest bowler in women's cricked, Shabnim Ismail.

Lewis struck 52 and Paul 47 - the pair putting on 98 in 12 overs to give Ireland a great platform. Paul, it could be argued, to this point had a game more suited to longer-form cricket, but this day she hit 6 boundaries and scored at  a strike date of 111.90.

After Lewis and Paul had departed, Ireland suffered a late overs collapse, ending on 143-7 as the South African bowlers began to find their rhythm.

Wanting a positive start with the ball, Ireland surprisingly opened with spin and Rachael Delaney claimed a wicket with the first ball of the innings.

Arlene Kelly - on her international debut - snared 2-25, and Leah Paul chimed in with 1-21. Paul's wicket was crucial in eventually stopping the South African momentum as the visitors hurtled towards a win - she removed Chloe Tryon who had taken 26 from 14 balls to that point. 

While it was a true team effort, Leah Paul had a day to remember at Pembroke.