END OF OVER:20 | 14 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 171/7 | RR: 8.55
- Dasun Shanaka21 (11b)
- Dushmantha Chameera1 (1b)
- Mark Adair4-0-35-2
- Josh Little4-0-23-4
7.52pm Well, from 8 for 3 to 171 for 7 ... that's a very healthy recovery from Sri Lanka, but have they left a few runs out there? Hasaranga and Nissanka were so fluent throughout their half-centuries, but Ireland started and finished with spirit, and there's the dew factor to consider when the run-chase begins. Dasun Shanaka's 21 from 11 is the only other score above 6 in a curious scorecard.
Josh Little: "Probably about par... we were trying to swing every ball up top then Hasaranga got off to a flyer. We looked to go change-ups with sweepers either side. We'll give it our best shot, use all the power we have, and give it our best shot." And why not indeed? Danyal will be here for the chase shortly.
Here's Shiva with more statistical nuggetry: "Teams have been three down for 9 runs or less on 59 occasions in T20Is before Sri Lanka in this innings. This is the first instance when a team has managed to score 150+ runs from such situations. The previous highest by a top ten team was Australia's 147/6 against England in the finals of the 2010 World T20."
C Karunaratne b Adair 2 (5m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
Siripala Ayya: "Wow Josh Little is only 21y old. Impressive young talent Ireland have got their hands on!"
END OF OVER:19 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 157/6 | RR: 8.26
- Chamika Karunaratne0 (1b)
- Dasun Shanaka10 (8b)
- Josh Little4-0-23-4
- Craig Young4-0-24-0
Charles Lobster: "Who's up for a Stirling blitzkrieg today? Ireland need it very much." I suspect Dermot is!
P Nissanka c †Rock b Little 61 (105m 47b 6x4 1x6) SR: 129.78
KJSays: "190 forecast may have been aggressive, but 150 is already a competitive score." There is of course the dew factor, but yes...
END OF OVER:18 | 5 Runs | SL: 150/5 | RR: 8.33
- Dasun Shanaka4 (5b)
- Pathum Nissanka61 (45b)
- Craig Young4-0-24-0
- Josh Little3-0-17-3
Sundar: "Yes Andrew, 10 an over is not unreasonable. But 10 an over will get SL to 175. 190 will need something else!" To be fair that was calculated before a decent 16th over
END OF OVER:17 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 145/5 | RR: 8.52
- Dasun Shanaka1 (1b)
- Pathum Nissanka59 (43b)
- Josh Little3-0-17-3
- Mark Adair3-0-21-1
Dermot: "200 runs? 190 runs? Great predictions so long as you know no more wickets will be lost... every wicket takes about 10 runs off a score and there was no way Ireland wouldn't get another wicket...A bit more respect wouldn't go astray, nor some humility..." Keep your hair on old fruit. Wickets in hand in this format give licence to have a tonk. 10 an over is not unreasonable. But yes, nor is the notion that Ireland could hit back
PBB Rajapaksa c Tector b Little 1 (11m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33