Wanindu Hasaranga's 71-run knock backed up by an all-round bowling performance saw Sri Lanka defeat Ireland by 70 runs in Group A of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
With this win, Sri Lanka has progressed to the Super 12s from Group A. The match between Ireland and Namibia on Friday is now a shootout, and the winner will progress to the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Chasing 172, Ireland lost opener Kevin O'Brien (5) in the very first over to Chamika Karunaratne before Maheesh Theekshana got in the act, sending Paul Stirling (7) back to the hut.
Ireland went further into a slump as Hasaranga bowled Gareth Delany (2) and the side lost three wickets with just 32 runs on the board.
Curtis Campher and Andrew Balbirnie then got together at the crease and the duo stitched together a partnership of 53 runs for the fourth wicket.
But Theekshana struck again in the 13th over, dismissing Campher for 24 and reducing Ireland to 85/4.
In the end, the task proved too much for Ireland and Sri Lanka registered a 70-run win.
Earlier, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathum Nissanka registered knocks of 71 and 61 as Sri Lanka posted a score of 171/7.
Put into bat, Sri Lanka got off to the worst start possible as the side lost its first three wickets with just eight runs on the board. Paul Stirling dismissed Kusal Perera (0) while Joshua Little sent Dinesh Chandimal (6) and Avishka Fernando (0) back to the pavilion. Hasaranga then joined Nissanka in the middle and the duo retrieved the innings for the Islanders, with Hasaranga playing the role of the aggressor.
Hasaranga and Nissanka went great guns in the middle and at the 15-over mark, Sri Lanka's score read 130/3 with the side poised to score big runs. Ireland finally got the much-needed breakthrough in the 16th over as Mark Adair dismissed Hasaranga (71), ending the 123-run stand for the fourth wicket. In the final four overs, Sri Lanka managed to add 34 more runs, taking the score past the 170-run mark.
