Sri Lanka's Bowling Depth Shines in Tense 20-Run Victory Over Ireland

Batting first, Sri Lanka were struggling at 87/4, including not hitting a single boundary in the middle overs, before Kamindu Mendis's blazing 44 off just 19 balls and Kusal Mendis's unbeaten 56 off 43 lifted them to an above-par 163/6.

Chasing 164, Ireland looked well placed at 105/2, with Harry Tector set for the final assault alongside a struggling Lorcan Tucker. But both fell in quick succession, and the chase unraveled from there, as Ireland were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, with Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga picking 3-23 and 3-25 respectively.

"Well-earned victory. Very happy about the overall performance. The start was a bit of a struggle, but Kusal held it in the end, with Kamindu's cameo the turning point. He batted like he was on a different wicket. Really happy with his comeback and expect a lot from him in the coming games.

"I expected the wicket to be flatter with the grass left on the wicket. Initially, I thought toss would play a crucial part, but it helped us in the second phase - it slowed down a bit. The confidence from the bowling unit carries over from the last game. Wanindu has a problem with his hamstring - hopefully it will not be serious. Maheesh bowled well in the middle overs," said Shanaka in the post-game presentation ceremony.

Kamindu, who was named Player of the Match, said his aim was to post a score around 160. "When I went to the middle, I wanted to keep my momentum and wanted to score runs and put on a partnership with Kusal Mendis. They played well till 15-16th over. Credit goes to our bowlers.

"Maheesh and Chameera bowled well. We thought it would be a 170-plus wicket, but when playing the spinners, it felt like a 160 one. We just wanted to put 160 on the board, and we just defended it. It was a good game, a good start to the tournament. Boys did well, Kusal did well," he said.

- IANS