Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga showcased his exceptional bowling skills by securing his third consecutive five-wicket haul, while opener Dimuth Karunaratne delivered a magnificent century, leading Sri Lanka to a resounding 133-run victory over Ireland in their Group B match at Queens Sports Club. This win ensured Sri Lanka's qualification for the Super Six Stage of the Men's ODI World Cup Qualifiers.
Scotland and Oman also advanced to the Super Six stage as a result of Sri Lanka's triumph, while Ireland joined UAE in being eliminated from contention. Karunaratne's remarkable knock of 103, his maiden ODI hundred, combined with Sadeera Samawickrama's 82 and an unbeaten 42 from Dhananjaya de Silva, propelled Sri Lanka to a formidable total of 325 runs in 49.5 overs, their second 300+ score of the tournament.
Hasaranga then took center stage, weaving a web around Ireland's batsmen and capturing impressive figures of 5/79. Supported by the contributions of other bowlers, Sri Lanka bowled out Ireland for 192 in just 31 overs. Hasaranga's remarkable feat makes him only the second player in the history of ODIs, following Pakistan's fast bowling great Waqar Younis, to achieve three consecutive five-wicket hauls.
Electing to bat first, Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka formed a solid opening partnership of 48 runs before Nissanka fell to a mistimed pull shot against Barry McCarthy. In the very next delivery, McCarthy dismissed Kusal Mendis lbw for a golden duck, leaving Sri Lanka at 58/2 after ten overs.
Samarawickrama provided excellent support to Karunaratne, and together they built a monumental third-wicket stand of 168 runs off 159 balls. This partnership also marked Karunaratne's third consecutive half-century in the tournament. Samarawickrama reached his fifty in the 22nd over as the duo completed their century partnership in just 90 balls.
Ireland's lackluster fielding, including dropped catches, worked in Sri Lanka's favor. Although Gareth Delany dismissed Samarawickrama in the 36th over, Karunaratne achieved his maiden ODI century before being bowled by Mark Adair for 103 in the 38th over.
Charith Asalanka (38) and Dhananjaya de Silva's unbeaten 42 contributed vital runs towards the end, but Sri Lanka's lower-order batsmen failed to provide substantial support, falling short of the potential score of 350 that seemed achievable when Karunaratne and Samarawickrama were at the crease.
In pursuit of the target, Ireland lost openers Paul Stirling (6) and Andy McBrine (17) within the first ten overs. Hasaranga made an immediate impact by dismissing Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie in his first over.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka followed up with the wicket of Lorcan Tucker, leaving Ireland's chase in a precarious position. Although Harry Tector (33) and Curtis Campher (39) offered some resistance, along with George Dockrell's unbeaten 26, their dismissals combined with the quick fall of tailenders ultimately proved the dominance of Hasaranga and the Sri Lankan team. Once again, they showcased why they are a formidable team to contend with in the competition, securing yet another comprehensive victory.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 325 all out in 49.5 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 103, Sadeera Samarawickrama 82; Mark Adair 4/46, Barry McCarthy 3/56) beat Ireland 192 all out in 31 overs (Curtis Campher 39, Harry Tector 33; Wanindu Hasaranga 5/79, Maheesh Theekshana 2/29) by 133 runs