Paul Stirling won the toss in Colombo and, without too much fuss, decided Ireland would bowl first in this Group B fixture at the R Premadasa Stadium. The pitch, he reckoned, looked “hard and firm” but a shade drier than on their previous visit. “We have got good all-round options in the middle, so we have picked an extra batter tonight. Hope that will come in handy at the backend of the game,” the captain explained. That extra willow meant no place for left-armer Josh Little.
Sri Lanka kept things simple: five recognised batters, five frontline bowlers. Skipper Dasun Shanaka felt “anything over 170 would be very good on this pitch”, a target that hints at decent carry but also a bit of grip for the slower stuff later on. The square boundaries – 71 and 77 metres – aren’t the biggest, yet the straight fence sits a more testing 84 metres away, so there’s a balance for both sides.
Head-to-head numbers lean heavily Sri Lanka’s way: three T20Is, three wins. That record is hardly decisive over such a small sample, though it does underline the scale of Ireland’s task this evening.
Teams
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
A quick thought to finish: Ireland’s longer batting sheet gives them insurance if the new ball misbehaves; Sri Lanka’s extra bowler might be gold dust if dew turns up late. Either way, the opening six overs with the bat should set the mood for this one.
