IRELAND were brought back to earth in Hobart yesterday as Sri Lanka dominated their opening Super 12 clash and eased to a nine-wicket win as easily as the Boys in Green had beaten the West Indies to reach this stage of the T20 World Cup.

A total of 128-8 was, as skipper Andy Balbirnie said, “nowhere near enough” and the team that had topped Group A in Round One reached their target with a full five overs to spare at the Bellerive Oval.

Sri Lanka are one of the four major teams - along with India, Australia and New Zealand - that Ireland have never beaten and that duck didn’t look like being broken once Balbirnie had won the toss and chosen to bat, which seemed an odd decision after two successful chases on the same ground.

The skipper and his fellow batters were clearly wary of the Sri Lankan spinners on a surface that was a little stickier than Friday’s and could only muster nine fours - just three off the slower bowlers - and two sixes, compared to the 11 and seven that they plundered off the West Indies.

Balbirnie himself and Lorcan Tucker were both bowled attempting to sweep straight balls and although Paul Stirling made 34 and Harry Tector top scored with 45 there wasn’t the support for that pair to lift the innings much above a run per ball.

Perhaps at 100-4 after 15 overs, with Tector and George Dockrell both set, a total around 150 should have been on but the latter was bowled by a superb carrom ball, and the Lankan spinners ensured there was no flourish from the tail.

“We knew their spinners were a big threat,” Balbirnie said. “There wasn’t massive turn in the pitch but probably just enough to attack us with. You get to this stage of any big tournament and you’re going to be up against top-class spinners.

“If I had my innings again I’d have probably had a look at a ball [before attempting the sweep] but it’s an option that’s worked for me in the past and I’ll continue to try it, and I think Lorcan’s the same. You’ve got to stick with your strengths - some days they’ll come off, some days they won’t.”

The good news for Ireland is that the England team they face next in Melbourne on Wednesday, is not known for its fearsome spin attack, although Adil Rashid does have his days; the bad news is that Rashid Khan and Afghanistan await on Friday.