SL vs IRE, 1st Test: Four centurions pile misery on Ireland, Jayasuriya's seven wickets ensure follow-on as Sri Lanka close in on win

Sri Lanka, on Monday, declared with the score reading 591-6 and hurt visitors Ireland more by reducing them to 117-7 after two days of the first Test on Monday.

SportsTak

• Tue • 18 Apr 2023

Sri Lanka, on Monday, declared with the score reading 591-6 and hurt visitors Ireland more by reducing them to 117-7 after two days of the first Test on Monday. Prabath Jayasuriya ran through the Irish on a Galle pitch turning more and more by taking 7-52.

Ireland were reduced to 143 in the first innings, forcing the follow-on.

Jayasuriya played four of his previous five test matches at Galle and has taken five wickets in an innings four times. The slow left-armer lacked bite in his early bowling but soon found form.

Ireland, recovering after seamer Vishwa Fernando took two wickets in the second over, were on 74-2 when Jayasuriya tempted Harry Tector on 34 to drive a ball that dipped and turned away from the right-hander for a catch in the slips.

Two balls later, Curtis Campher's attempted drive went to Ramesh Mendis at extra cover. Jayasuriya bowled James McCollum for 35, bagged Peter Moor for 14, and trapped George Dockrell for his fifth five-for.

At Stumps on Day 2, Lorcan Tucker was on 21 and Andy McBrine on 5. This was after Sri Lanka resumed the day on 386-4 and Dinesh Chandimal and Sadeera Samarawickrama became the third and fourth batters in the innings to post centuries.

Ireland removed nightwatchman Jayasuriya and Dhananjaya de Silva cheaply to leave Sri Lanka on 408-6. But Chandimal and Samarawickrama combined for an unbroken 183-run partnership in relatively quick time. Chandimal picked up from 18 overnight to 102 not out with 12 boundaries. He reached his 14th Test century and fifth in Galle from 152 balls.

Samarawickrama scored his maiden test century in his first test in more than five years. Samarawickrama was 104 not out from 114 deliveries, including 11 boundaries.

Sri Lanka declared about half an hour before tea on their highest total in two years.

After giving Ireland the follow-on, the bowlers once again took the game to their opponents. They got the wickets of the Irishmen on regular intervals. Harry Tector, who was hitting the ball regularly but was run out by Samarawickrama.

This effectively ended their match, with the team struggling on 155/8 at the time of writing.