Not only was the temperature very hot at Stormont today, the Sri Lanka A team were much too hot for Ireland as they demolished the hosts by 107 runs.

The scale of Wednesday’s win had been camouflaged by Stuart Poynter’s magnificent 100 but there was no hiding place today as very few of the team did anything to enhance their chances of making the squad for the World Cup. Indeed several may have seen their dream shattered as the second string Sri Lankan’s outplayed Ireland in every department of the game. Yes it was also an Ireland shadow side but they had much more riding on this series.

Set a massive 330 to win Ireland were never in the hunt to get the runs and their day was summed up when Wednesday’s hero Stuart Poynter was sent in to open the batting and was caught and bowled off leg spinner Prasanna off the first ball of the innings.

Ireland were dismissed for 222 in the 42nd over as they only managed to put together two meaningful partnerships. John Anderson (32) and Stuart Thompson (51 off 52 balls) added 66 for the sixth wicket while Andrew White (45) and Andy McBrine (31) delayed the inevitable by putting on 50 for the 8th wicket. Prasanna finished with 5 for 50 while fast bowler Chameera again caused the batsmen severe problems. For the second time this week he broke a bail when a delivery was much too quick for Andrew Poynter and the speedster finished with 3 for 34.
Sri Lanka had won the toss on another scorching hot day and decided to bat first. They made one change from Wednesday’s win replacing wicketkeeper Perera with Seekkuge Prasanna and Rajapaksha took over behind the stumps.

Ireland's Craig Young celebrates taking the wicket of Sachith Pathirana ©INPHO/Presseye/Rowland White

Ireland left out Chris Dougherty and replaced him with Stuart Thompson who played purely as a batsman as he wasn’t deemed fit enough to bowl. After what transpired over the next 50 overs there will several other Ireland bowlers who would have wished they had also have been unfit to turn their arms over.
The first 25 overs were relatively sedate compared to the final 25 and by the time the first wicket fell off the final delivery of that 25th over the score was 104. Gunathilaka was the wicket to fall when he was LBW for 55 to Andrew White after facing 76 balls and striking 7 fours and one six. The next 25 overs saw Sri Lanka effectively switch into T20 mode as they ravaged the Ireland attack adding a further 225 runs which could even have been more but for a late flurry of wickets.

The other opening batsman Mahela Udawatta fell three overs after his opening partner having contributed an impressive 60 from 84 balls with 7 fours, Craig Young picking up the first of his four wickets. However Ireland’s joy was short lived as the next 69 deliveries saw the addition of another 94 runs between skipper Ashan Priyanjana and Rajapaksha before the latter became Young’s second victim for a run a ball 29. Priyanjana in particular was severe on anything other than perfectly pitched and in truth he had plenty to choose from.

The arrival of De Silva added to the misery as he was largely responsible for most of the next 38 balls disappearing to all parts of the ground as a further 86 runs were heaped onto the tiring bowlers analysis. The captain had gone past his hundred and finally fell when he had reached 111 from just 70 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes.
De Silva lost his wicket in the only way that seemed likely when he was run out for 60 after 27 balls of mayhem 11 of which he hit 11 for four while dispatching another over the boundary.
Craig Young and Andrew White were the only bowlers to survive the carnage with figures of 4 for 44 and 1 for 29 respectively. Eddie Richardson (0 for 83 off 10 overs) and Peter Chase (0 for 77 off 7 overs) will not want to be looking at their analysis in a hurry and can only hope that they get another chance on Sunday to redeem their hopes of avoiding an idle winter.

The final game of the series is in Coleraine at 10.45 am on Sunday.

SRI LANKA A 329 -8 50 OVERS (A Priyanjana 111, M Udawatta 60, C De Silva 60, D Gunathilleke 55, C Young 4-44, A White 1-29)

IRELAND 222 ALL OUT 41.3 OVERS (S Thompson 51, A White 45, S Prasanna 5-50, D Chameera 3-34)

SRI LANKA A WON BY 107 RUNS