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Sri Lanka’s Nishan Madushka acknowledges the crowd after scoring a double century (200 runs) during fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 27 April 2023 - AFP
Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis celebrates after scoring a double century (200 runs) during the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 27 April 2023 - AFP
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 27 April 2023 - AFP
Ireland had a fight on their hands to save the second cricket Test after Sri Lanka had notched up their seventh highest total in Test cricket – 704-3 declared courtesy of two double centuries and two centuries and picked up two Irish wickets in the second innings for 54 runs by the end of the fourth day at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Ireland who trailed Sri Lanka by 212 runs in the first innings need a further 158 runs with eight wickets in hand to avoid an innings defeat going into the fifth and final day today. In contrast to the past two days where rain interrupted play washing out the final session, yesterday was bright and sunny with blue skies which allowed a full day’s play.
At the wickets for Ireland are their captain Andrew Balbirnie who made a solid 95 in the first innings on 18 and with him Harry Tector who has not produced his best form so far, on seven. The two Ireland wickets were snapped up by spinners Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya who will have a big role to play on a pitch that is not offering them the assistance usually associated with Galle. Jayasuriya with 49 wickets from seven Tests has a chance of reaching 50 wickets today and if he does, he will be the second quickest to the landmark.
Sri Lanka leads the two-match series 1-0 and will be looking to make a clean sweep if they can take the remaining eight Irish wickets and also hope that there won’t be any interference from the weather. If they win today, it will be their 100th Test win in their 310th Test spread over 41 years.
Sri Lanka batsmen made merry on the back of some mediocre bowling from Ireland hitting the bowlers to all parts of the grounds especially Kusal Mendis who clouted 11 sixes and 17 fours in compiling a maiden double century. He was out going for a world record equalling 12th six and holed out to long-off for a magnificent 245 scored off 221 balls. The record is held by Pakistan allrounder Wasim Akram who hit 12 sixes against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in 1996. On two previous occasions Mendis had missed out getting to a double hundred being dismissed for 196 and 194 – both against Bangladesh, but yesterday he was at his imperious best dominating the bowling not against the greatest of bowling attacks, with all due respect to Ireland. This innings of his was more domineering than the 140 he scored in the first Test.
Mendis’ 245 surpassed the previous highest individual score by a Sri Lankan batsman at Galle – 237 by Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa in 2004.
Mendis figured in two notable partnerships during his 368 minutes stay at the wicket putting on 268 runs for the second wicket with Nishan Madushka and 133 for the third wicket with Angelo Mathews.
Madushka playing in only his third Test converted a maiden hundred into a double hundred to join Mendis making a compact 205 off 339 balls (22 fours, 1 six). The right-hander from Moratuwa has proved in his journey towards making the Test squad that once he gets a start, he has the ability to convert them into big ones. It was a moment to savour for him when he crossed that landmark driving left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys for four through the covers. Madushka gave Ireland batsmen a good example of constructing an innings with neat deflections, sweep shots and good use of the feet.
It was the 19th instance overall and the fifth by Sri Lanka of an instance of two batsmen scoring double hundreds in the same innings. Mathews dismissed for a duck in the first Test made it count on this occasion joining the Sri Lanka run fest when 161 runs were scored off 31 overs in the afternoon session. He made full use of a dropped chance at one by James McCollum at midwicket to score his 15th Test hundred off 114 balls with the aid of six fours and four sixes. Sri Lanka closed their innings no sooner than Mathews crossed three-figures, giving themselves 22 overs at the Irish batsmen.
Mathews became the fourth centurion in the Sri Lankan innings with Dimuth Karunaratne also scoring 115. It was the fourth instance for Sri Lanka where four batsmen had scored hundreds in an innings.
Dinesh Chandimal was forced to retire hurt with his score on 13 when he injured his right shoulder diving to his crease while batting. A Sri Lanka Cricket release stated that he was sent to hospital for an X-ray.
Ireland put in a great effort on the field to try and restrict the Lankan scoring and they did it to some extent with some accurate bowling and smart fielding, but taking wickets was an issue.
Off-spinner Andy McBrine and fast bowler Graham Hume were the pick of the Irish bowlers conceding less than four runs an over while the rest went for over five. McBrine bowled a marathon 57 overs which was the most delivered by an Irish bowler in Test cricket and his figures of one for 191 does not reflect how well he bowled.
