Ireland are back in the big time and they still have plenty to prove after Sri Lanka comprehensively defeated them in their opening Super 12 game at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

The final margin was nine wickets with five overs to spare as they made light of Ireland’s inadequate 128 for eight, with opener Kusal Mendis finishing 68 not out and winning the game with a huge six into the stands at mid-wicket off Simi Singh.

The difference between the teams today was the spinners and although Gareth Delany picked up Ireland’s solitary wicket, the batsmen had no answer to the twin attack of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga.

The world class slow bowlers had combined figures of four for 44 from their eight overs and the ‘part-time’ off spinner Dhananjaya de Silva also picked up the huge wicket of Paul Stirling to put Ireland on the back foot. They never really recovered.

Stirling was third out in the ninth over with the total on 55, driving de Silva to deep extra cover where Bhanuka Rajapakse held a fine catch. It was a positive statement from the Ireland vice-captain who had scored 34 of the runs from just 25 balls with four fours and a six, trying to dominate the bowler in his first over. Unfortunately he couldn’t direct his shot to safety.

Curtis Campher, in his first innings since his remarkable unbeaten 72 which beat Scotland last Wednesday, lasted only four balls this time, cutting straight to backward point and at halfway Sri Lanka were in control at 60 for four.

Harry Tector, who admitted he has been a poor run of form, however, stuck to his task, spent valuable time in the middle and with George Dockrell added 47 for the fifth wicket, albeit using up seven overs with only three boundaries in the partnership.

Dockrell was allowed to play in the game despite being identified as a potential positive for Covid. He is being managed in line with current local, national and ICC guidelines and will be available to play in Ireland next match, against England in Melbourne on Wednesday, unless he feels unwell.

His only symptoms today were an inability to hit anything other than singles and after 14 of them he was bowled by a beauty from Theekshana.

When Tector followed seven balls later for an encouraging 45 off 42 balls, caught at mid-off, it was the first of three wickets in the space of five balls as Gareth Delany and Mark Adair both played the same shot, with the same result, caught on the mid-wicket boundary off Hasaranga.

So from a position where Ireland needed 50 off the last five overs with six wickets in hand to get to 150, they could add only 28 while losing four wickets, Singh hitting a defiant boundary in the final over off Binura Fernando.

At the start of the day, Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and, for the first time in 13 T20 games, Ireland batted first. But the captain was out to the first ball of the second over, stepping across his stumps and seeing them rock back and Lorcan Tucker failed to see out the first over of spin – a sign of things to come.

When it was Sri Lanka’s turn to bat, Ireland knew they needed early wickets to put even a doubt into the result of the match but Josh Little conceded 14 off his second over and by the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka had 50 on the board.

Openers Dhananjaya and Mendis had matched each other run for run and boundary for boundary – two fours and a six each - in their opening stand of 63 when the former chased a wide ball and nicked through to Tucker.
Ireland had a simple chance to take a second wicket but Dockrell, running in from the mid-wicket boundary spilled it and Charith Asalanka was given a life on seven.

The men in green also missed a couple of run out opportunities – a direct hit from Singh would have ended Mendis’ innings on 40 – and after that it was a charge to the finish with Little’s final over going for 17 and Mendis helping himself to two sixes in what proved to be the final over.

The team fly to Melbourne tomorrow for that glamour date with England.