Match Details
For the Islanders, each and every bowler was at his might best tonight. Chameera and Kumara swung the ball at the pace that never dropped below. Hasaranga and Theekshana spun it sharply to put the lid on the runflow. Apart from them, Karunaratne bowled at cramping areas. And all of them were with wickets.
The first blood was drawn by Karunaratne who made O’Brien top edge one at short fine. Stirling played one similar shot to get removed, only difference was he miscued the off-break of Theekshana. And then Hasaranga kept a wrong un low to castle Delany.
Shanaka baffled the Irish middle-order with the sheer pace of Kumara. He just came running to unfurl their hard lengths balls that jagged in and went off the Irish middle order. Captain Balbarnie and young Tector were the ones who fell prey on the speedster. Apart the top and middle order were done, everyone came in and chipped in to bowl the Ireland out.
However, it would be wrong to say that Ireland did play with any spirit. The duo of Balbarnie and Campher tried to dig deep. Despite some resistance from them, Ireland's last six wickets tumbled for 16 in 5.5 overs and it was where Ireland lost the plot - all thanks to the ruthless bowling performance in the second-half of the game.
Earlier in the match, Hasaranga and Nissanka notched up their respective fifties. At one stage, they were tottering at 8/3 and were in danger of getting bundled out cheaply. But a 123-run stand for the fourth wicket took the game away from the Irish camp. Josh Little was the only Irishman who teased the Lankan, by some extent, with his 4-23.