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Ireland just couldn’t get into groove during T20 World Cup loss to Sri Lanka, says Andrew Balbirnie

Skipper admits it was tricky after loss sets up winner-take-all Namibia duel

In vain: Ireland’s Josh Little celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando. Credit: INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

Andrew Balbirnie walks after Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara takes his wicket. Credit: INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

In vain: Ireland’s Josh Little celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando. Credit: INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

©INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

Andrew Balbirnie walks after Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara takes his wicket. Credit: INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

©INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

In vain: Ireland’s Josh Little celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando. Credit: INPHO/Pankaj Nangia

Ian Callender

October 20 2021 09:30 PM

Ireland face a winner-takes-all match against Namibia on Friday to reach the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup after getting a taste of what they can expect at the business end of the tournament.

Set an imposing 172 for victory, they were bowled out for 101, their fifth lowest total, by an impressive Sri Lanka attack which included two bowlers reaching speeds of 150kph.

Even before they started the match under the Abu Dhabi lights, however, they knew it was a free hit because the Namibians had beaten Netherlands in the early match so even an Ireland win would not have guaranteed their progress to the next stage.

The batsmen certainly knew that and Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling both perished going for big shots and when Gareth Delany was bamboozled by a googly from man of the match Wanindu Hasaranga, Ireland were 32 for three.

Yet they were actually ahead of Sri Lanka at the same stage because the Ireland bowlers had got the perfect start themselves with three wickets in the first two overs. Stirling struck with the second ball of the match and Josh Little continued his superb form on this trip with wickets in successive deliveries to reduce the favourites to eight for three. But there the comparison between the two innings ends.

Hasaranga, who surprised Ireland by coming in at No.5, and opener Pathum Nissanka put on 123 for the fourth wicket in just 14 overs to put Sri Lanka in control. Fourteen overs and one ball after Ireland lost their third wicket they had been bowled out, with only Andrew Balbirnie putting up any resistance.

But the captain, despite scoring 41 at better than a run a ball, admitted even he found it difficult.

“I thought we came back pretty well after we broke the partnership (they scored 41 for four in the last five overs) and it was a total we felt we had a chance of chasing down, it was only par or just above par,” said Balbirnie.

“But our batting didn’t get any momentum and although I was in the middle for a while I found it tricky enough. They are a good team, they deserve to go through but we will be eyeing up the second spot.”

Ireland made one change from the team that defeated Netherlands in the opening game with Craig Young coming in for Ben White and, again, selection was proven right with the North Down opening bowler conceding only one boundary in his four overs — a huge six by Hasaranga — and if Simi Singh’s spell was an accurate guide, the extra spinner certainly wasn’t missed.

Singh was obviously affected by being hit for four successive boundaries in his first over — the last of the powerplay — by Hasaranga and ended up going for 41 runs in his three overs, his joint most expensive T20 figures.

Young received good support from Little and, until his last two balls, Mark Adair, who broke the century stand by players who both recorded their best scores.

After his bowling heroics on Monday it was a bad day at the office for Curtis Campher, who conceded 38 in his four overs and after hitting two fours in his first 10 balls, never threatened the boundary again.

His fourth-wicket stand with Balbirnie passed the 50 mark but it took 51 balls so by the time Campher was bowled by off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana’s quicker ball, the required run rate was over 12 and a thankless task for the lower order.

Balbirnie was eventually dismissed in the 16th over to a stunning reaction catch at backward point but by then the result was known and thoughts were already turning to the make-or-break match tomorrow.

The Namibia dangerman will undoubtedly be David Wiess, who hit an unbeaten 66 from 40 balls (four fours and five sixes) as Namibia won their first World Cup match by six wickets against Netherlands.

Scores: Netherlands 164-4 (M O’Dowd 70, C Ackermann 35) Namibia 166-4 (19 overs, D Wiese 66 not out, G Erasmus 32).

Namibia won by six wickets

Ireland just couldn’t get into groove during T20 World Cup loss to Sri Lanka, says Andrew Balbirnie

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