Player of the Match
Player of the Match

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.

19.6
4
Adair to Shanaka, FOUR, cheeky! Dips into the ramp shot, picks off the full toss, and flicks it over the shoulder. No fielder at fine leg and Sri Lanka finish with a flourish
19.5
6
Adair to Shanaka, SIX, slower ball, sits in the pitch, and that is vast! A dismissive wind-up and wipe over deep midwicket, right under the ball to thunder it high onto the concourse. Bosh
19.4
1
Adair to Chameera, 1 run, flipped off the toes, out to backward square

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."

19.3
W
Adair to Karunaratne, OUT, yorker, timber! Dips into the blockhole, all around an expansive leg-side waft, and back goes the off stump

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!"

19.2
2
Adair to Karunaratne, 2 runs, pace off, waits on the back foot, and pulls to midwicket with not much timing. But they hurry back for the second
19.1
1
Adair to Shanaka, 1 run, full length, right into the blockhole, lumped to long-off

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
18.6
0
Little to Karunaratne, no run, very full, right into the blockhole, pumped back at the bowler. That's the end of a superb spell. Four-fours in consecutive matches for Ireland bowlers

Charles Lobster: "Who's up for a Stirling blitzkrieg today? Ireland need it very much." I suspect Dermot is!

18.5
W
Little to Nissanka, OUT, very wide, Nissanka chases the ball, and toe-ends it to the keeper! Had he left it, he'd have got that one again. But instead it's the end of a fantastic innings, and a fourth scalp for Ireland's main man!

P Nissanka c †Rock b Little 61 (105m 47b 6x4 1x6) SR: 129.78

18.4
1
Little to Shanaka, 1 run, leathered to the long-off sweeper, climbing into a wide line

KJSays: "190 forecast may have been aggressive, but 150 is already a competitive score." There is of course the dew factor, but yes...

18.3
1b
Little to Nissanka, 1 bye, full length, beats a wipe to leg, and the keeper fumbles too to gift the bye
18.2
1
Little to Shanaka, 1 run, advance to the pitch again, cuffed to the on-side on a full length
18.1
4
Little to Shanaka, FOUR, blatted off the front foot! That's a monstrous strike, clean through the gap at deep midwicket. In fact, it plugged inches short of the rope, but was travelling at a rate of knots

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
17.6
1
Young to Shanaka, 1 run, advances to the pitch, Young bangs in a short ball in response, and a scuffed pull lands behind the bowler. The end of a gutsy spell from Young, who's kept a lid on Sri Lanka's ambitions
17.5
1
Young to Nissanka, 1 run, hauled across the line to deep midwicket
17.4
1
Young to Shanaka, 1 run, cracked out to the covers, Ireland are regrouping well after their mid-innings meltdown
17.3
1
Young to Nissanka, 1 run, flogged through the line, and plugs just short of the man in the deep

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

17.2
1
Young to Shanaka, 1 run, on the legs, nudged to backward square
17.1
0
Young to Shanaka, no run, beaten outside off, by a whisker! Good length, shaping in, eludes a flat-footed flick

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
16.6
1
Little to Shanaka, 1 run, round the wicket, spears in a fine yorker, and poked out to point
16.5
1lb
Little to Nissanka, 1 leg bye, attempted sweep, flicks the back of the bat as they hustle for the single

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

16.4
W
Little to Rajapaksa, OUT, picked up off the toes, and straight to deep square leg! Lots of hang time, as it plunges out of the floodlights, looked like a clean strike, but there's a lot of acreage out there. Ireland bite back again

PBB Rajapaksa c Tector b Little 1 (11m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

16.3
0
Little to Rajapaksa, no run, very full length, outside off, beats an attempted crack through the covers

Ireland 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st8KJ O'BrienPR Stirling
2nd10A BalbirniePR Stirling
3rd14A BalbirnieGJ Delany
4th53A BalbirnieC Campher
5th3A BalbirnieHT Tector
6th1A BalbirnieNA Rock
7th3A BalbirnieMR Adair
8th2A BalbirnieSimi Singh
9th4CA YoungSimi Singh
10th3JB LittleSimi Singh

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

First Round Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
SL33063.754
NAM3214-0.523
IRE3122-0.853
NED3030-2.46
First Round Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
SCOT33060.775
BAN32141.733
OMA3122-0.025
PNG3030-2.655
Group 1
TeamMWLPTNRR
ENG54182.464
AUS54181.216
SA54180.739
SL5234-0.269
WI5142-1.641
BAN5050-2.383
Group 2
TeamMWLPTNRR
PAK550101.583
NZ54181.162
IND53261.747
AFG52341.053
NAM5142-1.89
SCOT5050-3.543