Sri Lanka vs Ireland, 1st Test at Galle, Apr 16 2023, Ireland tour of Sri Lanka

RESULT
1st Test, Galle, April 16 - 18, 2023, Ireland tour of Sri Lanka
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591/6d
(f/o) 143 & 168

Sri Lanka won by an innings and 280 runs

Player Of The Match
7/52 & 3/56
prabath-jayasuriya
Match centre 
Scores: Binoy George | Comms: Madushka Balasuriya
Scorecard summary
Sri Lanka 591/6(131 overs)
1st INNINGS
140 (193)
1/95 (24.3)
Ireland 143/10(52.3 overs)
1st INNINGS
Ireland 168/10(54.1 overs)
2nd INNINGS

And that concludes our coverage for this first Test. Thanks for keeping us company, and join us again on Monday for the start of the second Test. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Fidel's report which should be up shortly. On behalf of Shashwat, this is Madushka signing off!

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne: "First of all I just wanted to make sure that I got a big one. In the Australia series I got starts, but I wanted three figures. The key was patience. As for Ireland they're new to this format, they're still learning, but I thought they were very good and will improve in the future. They bowled well, we just wanted to apply ourselves for the first hour, and after that we knew how to play spin and bat in these conditions. Sadeera was very key, I knew from the A Team as well, he's a hard worker. He's done well for the A Team and the NSL, so I knew he would do well when given a chance. Even the fielding was really good, need to mention Nishan Madushka, those catches were brilliant. That's the kind of attitude I want from our fielders, even though I know the conditions are difficult. [Prabath Jayasuriya] knew what he had to do, I don't need to do anything at all, he knows exactly what's needed."

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie: "It's another Test match under the belt for a lot of our cricketers. A lot of us want to play Test cricket but we got a real taste of that over the last three days. We knew coming into it that it would be very testing, Sri Lanka at home are a daunting prospect for any team, never mind a team that hasn't played a lot of Test cricket. Certainly there's learnings but we've got to find a way compete better. We had one Test [in Bangladesh] which prepared us for this one, but it's still probably not enough preparation. A lot of our focus in the last few years has been white-ball so we need to play more and more red-ball to gain that experience. Sometime [the transition from white-ball to red-ball cricket] can be quite big, but we've got to find ways to make it smaller, and find a way to transition those skills."

Prabath Jayasuriya is unsurprisingly the Player of the Match: "I'm always trying to do the basics, don't experiment too much. This was a similar wicket to the matches we played against Pakistan and Australia. There was some drift because of the wind, so enjoyed using that as well."

Stay tuned for the presentation ceremony.

David: "This is tough love for Ireland- it's a long way to Tipperary.. "

Stephen: "Ben White seems to do better when he plays for Arsenal." Took three days, but I'm glad someone finally made this reference.

3.33pm So that's a record innings victory for Sri Lanka, as they take a 1-0 lead in this series, inside of three days. Prabath Jayasuriya takes the match ball with 10 wickets for the innings, adding three in the second to go with his seven in the first. Ramesh Mendis had the best innings figures second time around taking 4 for 76, and in the process equalled the record for the fastest Sri Lankan to 50 Test wickets, reaching it in 11 Tests but less innings than Dilruwan Perera. Ireland fought in spells today, but the record will nevertheless show they lost 13 wickets in the day. Galle is a tough challenge for most sides, let alone one playing just their fifth Test, but the experience they take away from it will be invaluable. And they'll need it too, because they'll have to do it all again next week.

54.1
W
Jayasuriya to White, OUT

And that should be that! Ireland have reviewed this LBW, but it looked plumb. This pitched on middle and off on a good length, straightened and went past the outside edge on the forward defence, and struck the back pad right in front of off stump. And yup, the three reds confirms that Sri Lanka have won by an innings at 280 runs!

Ben White lbw b Jayasuriya 1 (2b 0x4 0x6 4m) SR: 50
end of over 544 runs • 1 wicket
IRE: 168/9CRR: 3.11 
Ben White1 (1b)
Mark Adair23 (29b 3x4)
Ramesh Mendis 20-1-76-4
Prabath Jayasuriya 24-6-56-2
53.6
1
Mendis to White, 1 run

Good length outside off, straightens at takes the inside edge well to the left of short leg

Galen: "SL need to wrap this up for less than 194 to get a record winning margin for them."

MW: "9th wicket partnership of 35 a new record for Ireland!" Make that 36. Though considering this is just their 5th Test, feel like we'll be getting a whole host of such "new records".

Sri Lanka now one away.

53.5
W
Mendis to Dockrell, OUT

Thinks long and hard, and eventually the finger goes up for LBW! Ireland review. This pitched outside off from around the wicket, and then spun back sharply past the inside edge on to the front knee roll. Dharmasena took his time, and in the end he was spot on, as this shows three reds.

George Dockrell lbw b RTM Mendis 32 (54b 6x4 0x6 64m) SR: 59.25
53.4
1
Mendis to Adair, 1 run

tossed up on off, driven down to long-off

53.3
Mendis to Adair, no run

good length, pitches on leg and spins past the stumps. Left by the batter

Around the wicket now

53.2
1
Mendis to Dockrell, 1 run

short of a length outside off, turning in. Gets back and across and whips this to deep square once more

53.1
1
Mendis to Adair, 1 run

short, turning in towards middle. Pulled to deep square for one

end of over 534 runs
IRE: 164/8CRR: 3.09 
George Dockrell31 (52b 6x4)
Mark Adair21 (26b 3x4)
Prabath Jayasuriya 24-6-56-2
Ramesh Mendis 19-1-72-3
52.6
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, no run

Induces the edge on the forward defence, with one that pitched on off and straightened, but this falls short of second slip

52.5
4
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, FOUR runs

Lifted straight of mid-off for four! This was tossed up enticing the drive, and Dockrell obliges. But he gets this lofted drive straight enough of the man at mid-off despite not quite getting the elevation he would've liked

52.4
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, no run

good length on off, forward defence to silly point

Silly point in place now

52.3
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, no run

tossed up outside off, 81kph, plants a front foot outside off and defends

52.2
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, no run

good length, straighter. Solid forward defence

52.1
Jayasuriya to Dockrell, no run

good length on off, goes back and punches this straight to short cover

Jayasuriya with a change of ends

end of over 525 runs
IRE: 160/8CRR: 3.07 
George Dockrell27 (46b 5x4)
Mark Adair21 (26b 3x4)
Ramesh Mendis 19-1-72-3
Dhananjaya de Silva 3-0-10-0
51.6
1
Mendis to Dockrell, 1 run

goes back and across to this length ball and works it off the hips for one through midwicket

51.5
4
Mendis to Dockrell, FOUR runs

Lofted down the ground! Tossed up outside off, and Dockrell closes the face on this drive but still gets it hard and straight enough to find the boundary

51.4
Mendis to Dockrell, no run

good length outside off, turning in. Gets forward outside the line and defends

51.3
Mendis to Dockrell, no run

length outside off, goes back and punches this towards mid-off this time

51.2
Mendis to Dockrell, no run

short of a length on off, back foot punch to midwicket

51.1
Mendis to Dockrell, no run

length outside off, goes back and across and works this towards midwicket

end of over 515 runs
IRE: 155/8CRR: 3.03 
Mark Adair21 (26b 3x4)
George Dockrell22 (40b 4x4)
Dhananjaya de Silva 3-0-10-0
Prabath Jayasuriya 23-6-52-2
50.6
Dhananjaya to Adair, no run

Comes down the track and smacks this low and hard back and Dhananjaya, who gets a hand on it to save the single

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
FDM Karunaratne
179 runs (235)
15 fours0 six
Productive shot
flick
56 runs
4 fours0 six
Control
90%
BKG Mendis
140 runs (193)
18 fours1 six
Productive shot
pull
37 runs
7 fours0 six
Control
96%
Best performances - bowlers
NGRP Jayasuriya
O
23
M
10
R
52
W
7
ECO
2.26
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
2W
2W
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
RTM Mendis
O
20
M
1
R
76
W
4
ECO
3.8
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
Match details
Galle International Stadium
TossSri Lanka, elected to bat first
Series
Season2023
Player Of The Match
Series resultSri Lanka led the 2-match series 1-0
Match numberTest no. 2502
Hours of play (local time)10.00 start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 17.00
Match days16,17,18 April 2023 - day (5-day match)
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
Language
English
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