Sri Lanka on top as Jayasuriya has Ireland in a spin

• Chandimal Samarawickrama join run parade with centuries

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Dinesh Chandimal and Sadeera Samarawickrama joined the run parade with centuries apiece as Sri Lanka took control of the first cricket Test against minnow Ireland running up a mammoth first innings total of 591-6 declared and reducing Ireland to 117-7 by the close of the second day at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Ireland was initially jolted by left-arm pacie Vishwa Fernando who in his opening over removed Murray Commins and skipper Andy Balbirnie with only four runs on the board. Commins fell for a duck to an excellent delivery that did enough to disturb his off stump as he played forward, and Balbirnie was unlucky to find Nishan Madushka in the way as played the ball off the full face of his bat to be caught at forward short leg for four.

James McCollum and Harry Tector steadied the innings with a stand of 70 before Prabath Jayasuriya got into the act to pick up the next five wickets for the addition of 34 runs as Ireland slumped to 108-7.Tector came to bat on the back of scoring twin fifties in the one-off Test against Bangladesh last month. Using his height to good advantage he managed to snuffle whatever spin the spinners got from the surface to score an impressive 34 off 59 balls, but Jayasuriya who had proved his mettle against two quality batting sides Australia and Pakistan last year picking up 29 wickets in three Tests was a tad too good for him.

 He got one to spin enough to take the outside edge of Tector’s bat for De Silva at slip to hold onto a comfortable catch. Further chaos was to follow as Jayasuriya removed top scorer Curtis Camphor for a duck, top scorer James McCollum for 35, Peter Moor (14) and George Dockrell (2) to continue his amazing run with the ball in Tests collecting his fifth five-fer in only his sixth match.

Ireland will begin day three facing a tall task of avoiding the follow-on which is getting to a total of 392 to make Sri Lanka bat again. Overall, they are trailing by 474 runs with only three first innings wickets in hand.   After skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis had set the stage with a double century partnership on the first day Sri Lanka suffered a slight wobble in the middle when five wickets fell for 63 runs before Chandimal and Samarawickrama regained the momentum again with a ground record equalling unbroken seventh wicket stand of 183 off 215 balls.

It was another stellar performance by Chandimal at his favourite hunting ground where he brought up his 14th Test century and his fifth at Galle off 155 balls (12 fours). Chandimal was in total control of his innings and despite the ups and downs he has gone through in his career, basked in the glory of his century which was faultless.

As for Samarawickrama, this was a good opportunity not to miss out. After five years in the wilderness, he has forced himself into the Test team again and has grabbed it with both hands by scoring his maiden Test century. It was an outstanding performance playing both pace and spin alike off the front foot and back foot. Having worked hard at his game over the years the century would have given him immense satisfaction. On his way to scoring 104* off 114 balls (11 fours) Samarawickrama broke a few records – making the highest score by a number eight for Sri Lanka surpassing Thilan Samaraweera’s 103* against India at the SSC in 2001 on debut, and the first wicket-keeper to score a Test hundred for Sri Lanka in seven years. The last wicket-keeper to do so was Kusal Perera when he made 110 against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2016.

Ireland began the day well picking up the wickets of night watchman Prabath Jayasuriya and Dhananjaya de Silva within the space of the first eight overs - both batsmen being trapped lbw for 16 and 12 respectively. But Ireland’s joy was short-lived as Chandimal and Samarawickrama took charge of the situation to carry Sri Lanka without any further loss past the 500-run mark by lunch. Sri Lanka declared after both batsmen completed their centuries.

Irish spinners were guilty of bowling too short and paid the penalty for it, as Chandimal and Samarawickrama helped themselves to some easy pickings with the morning session producing 117 runs off 28 overs. It was an energy sapping day with high humidity and a gruelling test both physically and mentally for Ireland.