Sri Lanka complete a century of Test wins

The champions with the trophy

By Shamseer Jaleel in Galle

Sri Lanka not only whitewashed the touring Ireland team but also recorded their 100th Test win, winning the second Test by an innings and 10 runs at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.   

Sri Lanka achieved this 100th win in their 311th Test, having achieved Test status in 1982.   

The highlight of the Test were the fine double hundreds by Nishan Madushka and Kusal Fernando with Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews also scoring centuries for the hosts, while for the visitors Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher scored tons.   

Andy Balbirnie scored a good captains knock of 95 for Ireland.

   
In the bowling, Prabath Jayasuriya (7), Ramesh Mendis (6), Asitha Fernando (5) and Vishwa Fernando (2) accounted for the 20 Irish wickets.   
Ireland resumed from their overnight score of 54 for 2 on the final day but once the score reached 60 runs skipper Andy Balbirnie had to leave the field retired hurt after a delivery from Asitha Fernando hit his helmet.   

This brought in Paul Stirling to the wicket but the centurion from the first innings did not last long as he was out caught by Kusal Mendis off Jayasuriya, who took his 50th Test wicket.   
He was the second fastest to get 50 Test wickets, overtaking Tom Richardson and Vernon Philander, both of whom also reached the mark in their seventh Test, but Jayasuriya needed lesser number of innings.   

The record holder and the fastest to take 50 Test wickets in just six matches was Charlie Turner between 1887-1888.   
Jayasuriya also overtook the record set up by Alf Valantine, the spinner from West Indies, who was the fastest spinner to take 50 Test wickets in eight Tests.   
Jayasuriya has taken 46 of the 50 wickets at the Galle International Stadium.   

Lorcan Turner, who joined Harry Tector, did not last long either.   

He had some anxious moments facing fast bowler Asitha Fernando, who had a grand spell and bowled really well with lot of fire in the first session on day five.   
Tucker was bowled by Asitha for 78.   

Tector and Campher took the score to 103 runs before Campher was caught at slips by Kusal Mendis off Ramesh Mendis.   
Injured skipper Balbirnie returned to bat and joined Tector at the wicket.   

Both took Ireland to safety by taking the total to 121 for 5 with Balbirnie on 29 and Tector on 35 at lunch.   

After lunch both Balbirnie and Tector took the score to 143 before Balbirnie (57,) going for a lofted shot, was caught by Mathews at mid-off which saw Ramesh Mendis, who had got back to bowling a good line and length, getting his reward.   

The wickets of Andy McBrine and Graham Hume also fell to Ramesh Mendis cheaply, giving him his fourth and fifth wickets respectively.   

Asitha Fernando who bowled some accurate line and length took the last two wickets of Tector (85) and Ben White for a duck to finish off with four wickets in the second innings.