Sri Lanka lose by 7 runs as Ireland level series 1-all

 Ireland’s Gaby Lewis celebrates after reaching her century against Sri Lanka in 2nd WT20I at Dublin

• Harshitha Samarawickrama hit third consecutive fifty in WT20Is

Harshitha Samarawickrama hit a third consecutive fifty in WT20Is and Kavisha Dilhari also scored a fifty but Sri Lanka failed to overhaul Ireland’s 173-3 and lost the second WT20I by seven runs as the two-match series ended in a 1-all draw at Dublin on Tuesday.

Ireland won on Gaby Lewis’ smashing second T20I century backed up by Orla Prendergast’s all-round show as they kept Sri Lanka down to a total of 166-7. 

Batting first, Ireland lost Amy Hunter inside the powerplay, but Lewis kept the hosts going. She found an ally in Prendergast with the duo adding 119 runs for the second wicket off 80 balls. Lewis did the bulk of the scoring in the partnership with 78 off 49 balls while Prendergast scored 38 off 31.

Lewis reached her fifty off 40 balls with both batters upping their pace after the halfway mark. Prendergast struck Achini Kulasuriya for back-to-back fours in the 12th over before Lewis followed suit in the next striking Shashini Gimhani for two fours of her own. Even with Prendergast not finding the boundaries often, Lewis made sure to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Lewis raced to her second T20I century in the 19th over smashing Kanchana for a six and four, getting to the mark in 68 balls. An emotional Lewis hugged her partner and removed her helmet raising her bat to the crowd and her team-mates. She then took three fours off Kulasuriya in the final over and was run out off the final ball for 119 off 75 balls (17 fours, 2 sixes) as Ireland raced to their sixth highest total in T20Is.

Sri Lanka lost Vishmi Gunaratne early in the chase but Samarawickrama threatened to repeat her first T20I heroics once again. She started with two fours in the first over against Freya Sargent before hitting Jane Maguire for six. Samarawickrama got good support from No. 4 Dilhari with the duo adding 72 off 49 balls for the fourth wicket. Just when things looked to be going Sri Lanka’s way, Jane Maguire struck a telling blow removing Samarawickrama for a 44-ball 65 (9 fours, 3 sixes).

Dilhari, however, kept finding the boundaries at regular intervals even as Sri Lanka lost wickets at the other end. The visitors required 22 off the last two overs and 16 off six. Dilhari struck a six in the final over to reach her fifty but with eight needed off two, failed to get a clean connection as the hosts managed to level the series. Dilhari remained unbeaten on 51 off 48 balls (4 fours, 1 six).

The two teams will commence a three-match WODI series at Belfast on Friday, where Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu is expected to join her team after taking part in the Hundred in England.

Scores: Ireland Women 173-3 (20) (Gaby Lewis 119, Orla Prendergrast 38)

Sri Lanka Women 166-7 (20) (Harshitha Samarawickrama 65, Kavisha Dilhari 51*, Freya Sargent 2/36, Orla Prendergrast 2/28)