Jayasuriya’s fiver has Ireland struggling for survival

Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal plays a shot during the second day of the first cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium  

By M. Shamil Ami   

Left arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya’s five-wicket haul helped hosts Sri Lanka  dominate proceedings for the second successive day as they had the visiting Ireland side struggling for survival, ending day two on 117 for 7 in reply to the host sides mammoth score of 591 for 6 in the first Test match played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Jayasuriya along with left arm pacie Vishwa Fernando sent the Ireland batting reeling on 85 for 5.

They never recovered from there on as they were made to struggle for their runs and with no significant partnerships following, apart from the 70 runs stand for the third wicket between James McCollum and Harry Tector. Jaysuriya had them in deep trouble as he bagged two more scalps for Ireland to end the day in a bad position of 117 for 7 and they are left with a daunting task whilst trailing by 474 runs.

Earlier in the day Sri Lanka resumed from their overnight score of 386 for 4 though losing two early wickets before the lunch break for the addition of 20 runs settling down as overnight batsman Dinesh Chandimal who was on 19 found a reliable partner in Sadeera Samarawickrama and frustrating the Ireland bowlers again with the pair hosting the 50 runs stand in 67 balls which followed with Chandimal reaching his half ton in 87 balls that included five boundaries and Samarawickrama raising to his half ton in 64 balls which had six boundaries before posting the home sides’ 500 runs for Sri Lanka to go into the lunch break with the score on 503 for 6.  

The post lunch session saw the two batsmen being more harsher with the pair hosting the 100 runs partnership and helping Sri Lanka to put up 550 runs on the board. 

They continued their onslaught and succeeded to host their 150 runs stand for the the seventh wicket and the pair reaching their tons.Chandimal was the first to achieve which took him 152 balls which had 12 boundaries while Samarawickrama got it quicker in 112 balls which included 11 boundaries before Sri Lanka making the declaration with the score on 591 for 6 and the pair associating in an unbroken 183 runs stand for the seventh wicket.In fact it was Samarawickrama’s maiden ton which he achieved having made a comeback to the Test arena after a lapse of five years and also became the first Sri Lanka wicket keeper to notch up a ton since 2016 when Kusal Perera did so against Zimbabwe.