(Cricket news) The Ireland captain reached his highest Test score of his career during a century stand with Paul Stirling, but he was removed in the evening session five runs short of his first century. Stirling also finished with a career-high total of 74 before collapsing due to cramp.
After Sri Lanka claimed early wickets and reduced the visitors to 43-2, the two mainstays of Ireland rebuilt. On Ireland’s strongest batting day of the series, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher helped their team to the finish line despite being four wickets down.
Better fortune began to favour Ireland as soon as Balbirnie chose to bat after winning the toss. PJ Moor, who had been promoted up the order to open, was dismissed early, and James McCollum soon after. Sameera Samarawickrama eventually won the game for ten.
Harry Tector was given a life early on when he was dismissed by Kumar Dharamasena on 11, but a review revealed that the lbw call appeared to be bouncing beyond the wicket. When he charged down the pitch to Prabath Jayasuriya, attempting to hit out but failing to clear a stretching mid-on fielder, he was only able to add another seven runs.
Stirling, who was brought into the squad just for this game and was tasked with preventing another collapse, arrived at the crease straight off the aircraft. As is his custom, he made his intentions known right on by launching a length ball over the square-leg boundary for a six on his third ball at the crease to get things started.
After lunch, Stirling kept up their aggressiveness, hitting two more boundaries in quick succession. Balbirnie was allowed to take up an accumulator position at the other end by him. Before the interval, Balbirnie had taken just 44 balls to reach his third Test match half-century, which was a record for Ireland. Balbirnie slowed down towards the anchor position, though, as Stirling continued to press forward at the other end and wicket preservation was prioritised.
Stirling was dropped twice before reaching his half-century, but he had earned his good fortune. He was reaping the benefits of his adventure. Kusal Mendis dropped a poor chance at slip when fishing at a length ball, allowing Stirling to secure his first Test fifty, with the majority of the runs coming from three sixes and four fours.
Ireland dominated the middle session before slipping a little in the early evening. Less than three overs into the day’s last session, Stirling, who had been looking increasingly uncomfortable in the heat before the tea break, was cut in half by a delivery from Asitha Fernando while suffering from cramp and fell to the ground in a heap.
Ireland’s highest Test partnership resulted from the ball beating the keeper and going for four, although Stirling had to be assisted off the pitch after an extended delay and physiotherapy. On day two, he is anticipated to continue his innings after retiring hurt with 74.
Tucker moved quickly to maintain Stirling’s rate of attack. In his second over at the crease, he blasted two fours as Balbirnie headed towards a fantastic three figures.
But just as the achievement appeared to be inevitable, catastrophe struck. Balbrinie attempted to paddle-sweep Ramesh Mendis, but the bounce tricked him, causing the ball to soar off his top edge. It came to an end after Ireland’s best day of the series, which featured a brilliant innings that was expertly timed.
A record partnership between Tucker and Campher for Ireland’s fifth wicket brought the day to a close. At the conclusion of a long day in the heat, Tucker hit a boundary to punish Sri Lanka and reach his half-century. In just his third Test match, Tucker overtook Kevin O’Brien’s record of 270 Test runs for Ireland, which Balbirnie had earlier in the day broken. Tucker finished the match unbeaten on 78.
On day two, he will continue working with Campher (27*).
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