Sri Lanka (133-1, 15 overs) (Kusal Mendis 68; Gareth Delany 1-28) beat Ireland (128-8, 20 overs) (Harry Tector 45; Maheesh Theekshana 2-19) by nine wickets. Scorecard here.
Post-elation deflation? A trickier pitch to bat on? A better standard of opposition?
Plenty of theories could explain Ireland’s thumping nine-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka to open their Super 12s campaign at the T20 World Cup, a result which came just 48 hours after the trampling over trampled the West Indies.
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The answer more likely lies in the vagaries of cricket’s shortest format. Ireland went from a side capable of slapping 18 boundaries in just 17.3 overs on Friday to finding the fence just 11 times against Sri Lanka, their spin attack in particular strangling the life out of the Irish innings.
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Ireland were attacked with 10 overs of spin. Just 57 runs came off them while five wickets fell, Maheesh Theekshana (2-19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-28) starring with the ball. The success of the slower bowling suggests a pitch that was more conducive to spin, something which played into Sri Lanka’s strengths and, on the day at least, away from Ireland’s.
“I wouldn’t say it was a sticky wicket, I don’t want that to be the headline,” said Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie. “The odd ball did sit up a bit but it was still a good wicket.
“We knew their spin was a big threat. There wasn’t massive turn but just enough to attack us with. You get to this stage of any competition you’re going to be playing world-class spinners, seam bowlers, batters, that’s just the way it is.”
Balbirnie himself was one of two wickets to fall early after Ireland won the toss and elected to bat — the first time they have batted first in 13 games. He and Lorcan Tucker were both bowled while trying to access their favoured scoring zones through fine-leg. If both players were playing to their strengths, despite the execution failing on this occasion, past-success suggests these are dismissals that can be tolerated.
“I don’t have a choice, you have to live with them,” explained Balbirnie. “You practice those shots in the nets all the time. I think if I had my time again I might have just had a look at a ball, but it’s an option that’s worked for me in the past and I’ll continue to try it, Lorcan will be the same.
“In T20 cricket there are so many games that come thick and fast, some days they’ll come off, some days they won’t. Unfortunately for me it didn’t come off but it’s not a shot I’ll be putting away.”
From 40-2 after six overs, Paul Stirling and Harry Tector looked to rebuild. After the former found four boundaries in the powerplay, the highlight a gorgeous cut over point, he departed in ninth in strange circumstances. He was caught by Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the deep and immediately held his ground to check the catch was held. Stirling was nonetheless told to continue on his way, though replays suggested there was at the very least a case to argue.
Regardless, Tector went on to notch 45, his first score of note in this tournament, though he would have liked to have found fluidity earlier in his innings — his first boundary came on his 20th delivery faced.
“I’ve been really struggling with, not confidence, but I’ve been really out of nick recently,” admitted Tector. Any time you spend time at the middle you do get confident, that’s just a natural thing.
“By no means a great knock, not one I’ll look back on too fondly but hopefully some confidence going into Wednesday [against England].
“Hopefully there will be a few earlier boundaries and some better strike-rates.”
A late cluster of four wickets in the final four overs denied Ireland any hope of setting a competitive total. Chasing just 129, Sri Lanka got off to a flying start, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva combining for six early boundaries in an opening partnership of 63 that killed off Irish hopes of an unlikely win.
Gareth Delany took the one wicket to fall, spinning a wide delivery on to de Silva’s edge and into the gloves of Tucker.
After a lengthy, four-game stint in Hobart, a change of scenery comes with a trip to Melbourne. Wednesday’s much vaunted clash with England awaits.
