(Cricket news) Before rain abruptly ended the evening session, Ireland had been bowled out for 492, and the Sri Lankan openers had put on 81 runs without loss in the final 18 overs.

Stirling, who was eventually removed for 103, became the second Irish player after Kevin O’Brien to make hundreds in all three international forms after retiring hurt with severe cramp yesterday evening. In the afternoon session, Campher played a composed innings with the lower order to get his first international hundred.

It surpassed Ireland’s previous record of 339 against Pakistan at Malahide in 2018, becoming their greatest Test total ever.

At the start of the day’s play, Lorcan Tucker had a score of 78, however he was only able to add two runs before being run out by a brilliant delivery from Vishwa Fernando. In order to offer Sri Lanka an early breakthrough, the ball cut through between Tucker’s bat and pad, taking out off stump.

However, Stirling and Campher took control of the situation moving forward.

When play resumed on play number 74, Stirling wasted little time dispelling any doubts regarding the extent of his injuries. To start the day off right, he hit Fernando with an exquisite four through the covers.

The runs kept coming even after the umpire changed the ball and was unable to get the still-relatively-new ball through the ring. By drinks, Campher was three runs shy of reaching fifty runs, and Stirling was at 96. In order to bring up his half-century, Campher walloped a length ball over cow corner to reach his first. 

Stirling, not to be outdone, crossed the queue to get to his landmark as well. After surviving a three-ball wobble in which he was out bowled by Asitha Fernando’s subsequent deliveries, he reached his century with a maximum over cover-point. He joins Tucker and Kevin O’Brien as the third Ireland Test centurion.

However, only two more overs later, he fell victim to a hook shot that was misplayed and landed into the clutches of Dhananjaya da Silva at fine leg. This ended a brilliant performance.

Campher then took control and led the lower order through a really mature inning. After lunch, when Andy McBrine joined him at the crease, he continued to bat as Ireland reached 400 for the first time ever in a Test match.

He was two runs away from reaching three figures when he hit a boundary after drinks, and he finished the same over on 99 after hitting a single off the last ball. His lack of jitters was evident when he cut a four through a square leg and yelled in jubilation for a noteworthy accomplishment. He was the newest addition to Ireland’s list of Test century players at the age of 24, and the list has now quadrupled this month alone.

He was unable to make a big post-century contribution, like Stirling was unable to do. Prabath Jayasuriya’s thunderous delivery, caught by a leaping de Silva at slip, knocked him out for 111.

Ireland avoided declaring in order to get as many runs as possible on a field that was becoming flatter by the game after McBrine and Campher were both out shortly before the latter. When Matthew Humphrey’s wicket was taken for seven as the final wicket, Ireland had inched dangerously near to 500. As compensation for two days of labouring in the field, Humphrey’s dismissal also gave Jayasuriya a five-for, giving him final statistics of 5-174.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka began their job somewhat unhindered by the Ireland bowlers with a session of batting still remaining in the day. In the eleventh over of the innings, they reached their fifty-run partnership, and by the time the day was through, they were almost at 100.

With just 10 overs remaining in the day’s play, rain suddenly covered the pitch, cutting short Ireland’s memorable day. As day three begins, they are in front by 411 runs.

Ireland 492 (145.3 overs; Curtis Campher 111, Paul Stirling 103; Prabath Jayasuriya 5-174)

Sri Lanka 81-0 (Nishan Madushka 41, Dimuth Karunaratne 39)