HOBART, Australia, Oct 23, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Disciplined bowling and an
unbeaten half-century by Kusal Mendis powered Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket
hammering of Ireland in their opening Super 12 match at the Twenty20 World
Cup on Sunday.

Asian champions Sri Lanka restricted Ireland, who qualified for the second
round by knocking out two-time champions West Indies, to 128-8 in Hobart.

Spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga took two wickets each after
Ireland chose to bat first.

Mendis then powered his side past their 129-run target with a second
successive half-century, off 43 balls, hitting a six to win with five overs
to spare.

Mendis, a wicketkeeper-batsman, smashed five fours and three sixes in an
unbeaten stand with Charith Asalanka, who made 31, to hand Sri Lanka two
points with a good net run-rate.

The island nation have turned around their fortunes after being stunned by
Namibia in their first-round opener but bounced back to advance to the Super
12.

Pace bowler Lahiru Kumara took a wicket with his first ball, bowling Ireland
skipper Andy Balbirnie for one with the batsman paying the price for
attempting an audacious ramp shot.

Stirling hit some boundaries to steady the Irish innings but partner Lorcan
Tucker played one onto his stumps off Theekshana.

Stirling kept up the charge to get a four and six off Chamika Karunaratne and
survived a reprieve on 28 after Kumara dropped a catch in the deep.

But Stirling did not get away from Bhanuka Rajapaksa who took a good running
catch at widish long-off to give Dhananjaya de Silva a wicket in his first
over, the ninth of the innings.

Tector hit back in a 47-run partnership with George Dockrell, who made 16 and
played despite being Covid positive, in his effort to up the scoring but Sri
Lanka kept chipping away from the other end.

Theekshana broke the stand as he bowled Dockrell for 14 and after Binura
Fernando denied Tector his fifty the batting caved in.

Hasaranga struck twice in the 19th over with his leg spin as a noisy
contingent of Sri Lankan supporters celebrated with drums and music.

The entertainment continued till the end as Sri Lanka had only one minor
hiccup, when they lost De Silva for 31, before Mendis and Asalanka carried
their bat through.