Ireland secured a winning 2-0 lead in the one-day series against Sri Lanka after clinching a dramatic 15-run victory at Stormont.

Player of the match Leah Paul's 81, 66 from Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell's unbeaten 53 helped Ireland reach 255-5 in their 50 overs.

The recent Women's Asia Cup winners looked on course for victory as a 126-run partnership between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari put them on 172-2 after 30.2 overs.

However, Dilhari was then dismissed for 53 by spinner Freya Sargent with Anushka Sanjeewani immediately following for a duck.

Sri Lanka regrouped to reach 210-4 before Harshitha Samarawickrama was run out for 105 by Sarah Forbes in a match-turning moment.

As the tourists appeared to panic, four further wickets fell for the addition of only four runs and while Nilakshi de Silva and Udeshika Prabodhani put on 26 for the final wicket, Ireland secured series victory as Arlene Kelly dismissed the latter.

Kelly finished with bowling figures of 3-41 after taking the last three Sri Lanka wickets as Ireland secured the series with Tuesday's final game to spare.

Ireland were forced to make their second change of captaincy within as many matches as Gaby Lewis - who had taken over from injured Laura Delany for Friday's win in Belfast - was herself ruled out by a quad strain which meant that Friday's matchwinner Orla Prendergast took the leadership role.

After Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field, Achini Kulasuriya dismissed Forbes to leave the hosts on 10-1.

Hunter and Christina Coulter Reilly put on 45 runs for the second wicket before the latter became Kulasuriya's second victim after contributing 24.

Prendergast could only manage nine runs as she departed to leave Ireland on 77-3 before Hunter and Leah Paul produced a 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Hunter was dismissed for 66 by Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu to leave the hosts on 134-4 on 30.3 overs.

Paul and Stokell batted all but five balls of the remainder of the Ireland innings as they produced a partnership of 114.

Paul was eventually out for 81 with Stokell notching her first one-day international half century.

Paul hails 'calming' club-mate Stokell
Skipper Prendergast said her side always believed they could still win the game even when Samarawickrama and Dilhari were producing their big stand.

"Our young spinners Freya [Sargent] and Aimee [Maguire] bowled a lot at that partnership and while it's not an easy job they were challenging them the whole time," said Prendergast

"We knew with one big wicket we’d be right back in it."

Player of the match Paul said being out in the middle with Merrion club-mate Stokell had been a "a calming influence".

"We know each other’s games really well which really helps and I guess know what options are right for each other at the right time," added Paul.

"We also have a bit of fun which calms the nerves at times."

Source: BBC

BDST: 1335 HRS, AUG 19, 2024
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