| First Test (day two of five), Galle |
| Sri Lanka 591-6 dec: D Karunaratne 179, Kusal Mendis 140, Samarawickrama 104*, Chandimal 102 |
| Ireland 117-7: Jayasuriya 5-42 |
| Ireland trail by 474 runs |
| Scorecard |
Sri Lanka ended day two of their first Test against Ireland in a commanding position as the tourists laboured to 117-7 in reply to their hosts’ first innings total of 591-6 declared.
Ireland will go into day three in Galle trailing by a massive 474 runs and with the prospect of defeat looming large.
Four players scored centuries as Sri Lanka built up a formidable total.
Prabath Jayasuriya has taken five of the seven Ireland wickets to fall to date.
After starting Monday’s play on 386-4, Sri Lanka piled on the runs on day two and declared as Dinesh Chandimal (102 not out) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (104no) followed opening-day centurions Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis in going to three figures.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Samarawickrama, who last featured in a Test in 2017, racked up his ton against tired Irish bowlers who toiled in hot conditions.
It was the first time a Sri Lankan wicketkeeper has made a century in Test-match cricket in seven years, the previous being Kusal Perera in 2016.
Samarawickrama added 183 runs for the seventh wicket with Chandimal, who also went on to post his 14th Test century and was unbeaten at the declaration.
Skipper Karunaratne (179) and Mendis (140) had contributed their runs on the opening day.
Ireland’s bowlers lacked a cutting edge and their opponents darted along at four and a half an over before spinner Jayasuriya took his five-wicket haul for 42 runs.
Vishwa Fernando did the initial damage with the ball, finding a hint of movement to knock back Murray Commins’ off-stump with his first delivery and the left-arm seamer had two for the over when Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie was snaffled at the second attempt by Nishan Madushka, fielding at short leg.
Ireland rebuilt from a humble position of four for two, with James McCollum and Harry Tector putting on 70 but they were left in a heap thereafter, troubled by Jayasuriya’s dip and drift on a turning pitch.
Tector and Curtis Campher were undone in the flight and dismissed in the same over and McCollum was bowled by a beauty on 35 which pitched on middle and straightened to brush the top of off-stump.
Peter Moor nicked off, with wicketkeeper Samarawickrama completing the catch on a day he registered his maiden Test century, while Jayasuriya had his five-for after pinning George Dockrell plumb in front.
Lorcan Tucker, a centurion earlier this month in a losing cause against Bangladesh, resisted and was unbeaten on 21 at stumps but Ireland trail by a mammoth 474 and have it all to do to stay level in the two-match series.
The match is the first-ever Test between Sri Lanka and Ireland, who are yet to record a win since gaining Test status in 2017, with four defeats from four matches.
