Mendis, Fernando skittle Ireland to seal Sri Lanka’s innings victory

Sri Lanka 704 for 3 dec beat Ireland 202 (Tector 85, Balbirnie 46, Mendis 5-64, Fernando 3-30) and 492 by an innings and 10 runs

It was Jayasuriya who made the primary incision of the day, and in doing so, had himself written into the file books. The earlier quickest spinner to 50 Test wickets had been Alf Valentine, who accomplished the feat in eight Tests, manner again in 1951. Jayasuriya did it in seven Tests (5 of these have been performed in Galle), going equal with Vernon Philander, who bought to the milestone in 2012. The different bowlers of their firm are Tom Richardson and Charlie Turner (who did it in six Tests) – each performed within the 1800s.

After Jayasuriya had Stirling caught by a diving brief cowl, Mendis bowled himself into wonderful rhythm, continuously discovering ripping end up of the tough. He had one flip and bounce greater than Curtis Campher anticipated, which meant the tried sweep shot went into the palms of leg slip. Balbirnie then spooned a Mendis supply to mid-off.

Later, Andy McBrine and Graham Hume each had their exterior edges taken, and wolfed up behind the stumps. Having bowled opener James McCollum late on day 4, the lower-order wickets accomplished his third five-wicket haul. It had solely been within the final Test that Mendis had set a brand new Sri Lanka file by attending to 50 wickets in 11 Tests.

Despite Mendis’ excellent use of the circumstances, maybe Asitha’s bowling on day 5 was much more spectacular, nevertheless, as he repeatedly attacked with the bouncer. In simply his second over, he struck Balbirnie on the helmet grille – the deflection coming off his thumb. Balbirnie, barely dazed by the blow, left the sector as a precaution, and would solely return after the autumn of the fifth wicket.

He saved getting balls to rear up menacingly at batters, sometimes solely narrowly lacking out on having them caught at brief leg, after batters nervously fended at him. In the final over of that seven-over spell – a severe shift given the warmth – he bought his reward. Lorcan Tucker tried to swat away a ball that burst up in direction of his ribcage, however was late on the shot. It hit him beneath the arm as he swiveled, and the ball fell behind him after which disturbed the stumps.

Asitha additionally closed out the innings, with two spectacular yorkers, with a 77-overs outdated ball. The first struck the center stump of Tector, who was popping out of his crease to attempt to bash one other boundary down the bottom within the firm of the No. 10 Matthew Humphreys. Next ball, one other good yorker made a large number of No. 11 Ben White’s stumps.

Tector, who had performed mature and inspiring innings proper by way of the collection, battled exhausting on day 5. He had begun watchfully, having are available in to bat late the day before today. His first 50 balls introduced him solely eight runs, as he bought his defence so as first. He’d come down the pitch, however usually simply searching for singles and twos, somewhat than venturing enormous swings of the bat. Occasionally he’d play a slog sweep, however these have been calculated dangers.

He additionally confronted down that first Asitha spell bravely, carrying the occasional bouncer on his physique. He bought to his half-century off the 159th ball he confronted. But as he was within the firm of the No. 10 at that stage, he began to hit out, hitting three sixes and three fours in a single passage of play.

There had been the specter of rain later within the day, however Ireland could not fairly push the sport deep sufficient to search out out.