Sri Lanka A defeated Ireland today in Stormont by 28 runs in the first of three one day matches. Set 284 to win the Ireland innings ended in the final over when Stuart Poynter was caught at short fine leg for a magnificent 109. An hour and a half earlier it appeared as if Ireland were subsiding to a demoralising loss as one by one the leading contenders for places in next year’s squad for the World Cup fell by the wayside and Ireland did not look as if they could contain the margin of defeat to less than 120.
But from the moment that he arrived at the wicket in the 21st over and with the score 77 for 5 the skipper's younger brother produced one of the finest batting displays by a young Ireland batsman in recent years. In conditions that mirrored Colombo more than Stormont and facing a talented and hostile Sri Lankan attack, he continuously found the boundary with superb placement supplemented by the occasional rasping drive. It was fitting that he should go to his century with a straight drive that screamed into the sightscreen for a maximum. That he was able to reach his landmark was also due to gritty and determined support from tail enders Craig Young and Peter Chase. They may have struggled with their bowling but they did everything in their power to ensure that Stuart got his well-deserved reward.
Poynter’s innings lasted for just 88 balls and contained 11 fours and 2 sixes and his second fifty was made in 32 balls. With Young he added 61 for the ninth wicket before Chase helped him to his hundred with a last wicket stand of 87.
The late pyrotechnics should not mask the failure of the earlier batsmen to make the most of their dwindling opportunities to impress the selectors. Facing an attack that was light years ahead of their previous opposition the MCC all but Andrew Balbirnie, who made 37, struggled to cope with sharp pace. Dushmantha Chameera in particular bowled at a rate of velocity that few of the Ireland top order would normally encounter and his 4 for 35 off ten overs reflected his impact.
Eddie Richardson was forced to retire hurt when a ball found its way under his grill and struck him on the jaw and he did not come back in at the falls of Poynter’s wicket as it was impossible for Ireland to win at that stage.
Earlier Andrew Poynter, in his first outing as Ireland captain, won the toss and decided to bowl. Three of the Ireland team, Nick Larkin, Chris Dougherty and Peter Chase were presented with their caps on their full international debuts while Andrew White became the most capped player in Ireland history when he took the field for the 227th time.
The decision to bowl first initially appeared to be a good one when Craig Young had Kusal Perera adjudged LBW off the fourth ball of the match. However the inexperienced Ireland seam attack were unable to build on the early breakthrough as Mahela Udawatte and Danushka Gunatilleke added 106 runs from 131 balls. Peter Chase appeared very nervous on his debut and he was unable to consistently control his length and line and while Young bowled with more pace neither troubled the batsmen.
The stand was finally ended by the record breaker Andrew White who deceived Gunatilleke in the flight and he scooped the ball to Andy McBrine at short cover. He had made 57 from 70 balls with 3 fours and two spectacular sixes, the second of which off Chase was a sight to behold as it sailed over the sightscreen. The next ten overs brought another 57 runs as skipper Ashan Priyanjana joined Udawatte and they looked on target to drive the Sri Lanka A total towards the 300 mark but at 168 White struck for a second time when Priyanjana mishit a cut shot and was caught by Young at point for 21.
White and his fellow off-spinner McBrine stalled the momentum with disciplined spells and returned the best figures for the innings with analysis of 2-41 and 0-49 respectively, both completing their ten overs. Rajapaska fell cheaply and with the score on 209 Udawatte give Chase his first Ireland wicket when he edged a ball to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter when twelve runs short of what had seemed to be an inevitable hundred. He had faced 115 balls and struck 7 stylish fours.
De Silva then took the attack to the bowlers and smote 43 runs from just 28 balls six of which went to the boundary while another cleared the fence. The final five overs was like groundhog day with the last 5 wickets falling for 33 runs three of them caught McBrine on the boundary bowled Richardson. The North County man finished with 5 for 61 that owed as much to the attempts by the Sri Lanka batsmen to clear the boundary as to scintillating bowling.
McBrine held five catches in all, the most by an outfielder since the 1950’s.
Ireland have a lot to ponder tomorrow before the sides meet again on Friday. There will be a lot of this top order who will be looking over their shoulders at Stuart Poynter and wondering if there is now one less place available on the plane down under.
SRI LANKA A 283 ALL OUT 50 OVERS (M Uduwatte 88, D Gunathilaka 57, C De Silva 43, E Richardson 5-61, A White 2-41)
IRELAND 255 ALL OUT 49.4 OVERS (S Poynter 109, A Balbirnie 37, D Chameera 4-35, I Jayaratne 2-41)
SRI LANKA A WON BY 28 RUNS.
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