Confident Sri Lanka Cruise to Convincing Victory Over Ireland in T20I Opener
In a dominant display, Sri Lanka cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the first T20I of their series, chasing down a 146-run target with 20 balls to spare.
Electing to bat first, Ireland posted a respectable total of 145 for 6, thanks to contributions from opener Gaby Lewis (39 off 33), Oria Prendergast (29 off 27), captain Laura Delany (25 off 21), and Rebecca Stokell (21* off 16). The visitors’ bowling attack, led by Udeshika Prabhodani and Sugandika Kumari, kept a lid on the scoring.
However, the total proved no match for a confident Sri Lanka side, fresh off their Asia Cup triumph. Openers Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne laid the foundation with an 83-run partnership, with Samarawickrama playing a match-winning innings of 86* off just 45 balls, laced with 15 fours and a solitary six.
“Samarawickrama’s exceptional knock, the fourth-highest T20I score by a Sri Lankan batter and the highest by anyone other than Chamari Athapaththu, propelled the visitors to a comfortable victory.”
Gunaratne contributed 30 off 34 balls, while the rest of the top order chipped in with small but vital innings. The Irish bowlers, including Freya Sargent, Arlene Kelly, and captain Delany, struggled to contain the Sri Lankan batters, who made light work of the chase. Offspinner Inoshi Priyadharshani was the pick of the Irish bowlers, finishing with 2 for 35.
This win will be a significant boost for Sri Lanka, who claimed the Asia Cup title without their star player, Chamari Athapaththu, who is currently with her Hundred team. The visitors will be eager to continue their winning momentum as the series progresses, while Ireland will look to regroup and bounce back in the upcoming matches.
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