Sri Lanka v Ireland, 2nd Test, Galle, 24-28 April, 2023

The 2nd test starts today.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/ireland-in-sri-lanka-2023-1363445/sri-lanka-vs-ireland-2nd-test-1363448/match-preview

Hadn’t realised there was a second…

Steady progress from the Irish at 162-3.

Good to see Paul Stirling making runs in a test match. He has been a wonderful batsman for Ireland in limited overs internationals.

He is currently 68 not out with Andy Balbirnie 82 not out

Ireland 3/185

Ballburner fell 5 short of his ton.

Stirling retired hurt with cramp on 74*. Paddies 4-252.

Ireland 4/319

Balbirnie 95
Stirling 74 retired hurt
Tucker 78 not out
Campher 27 not out

What is James McCollum's nickname?

Polish?

Hauritz is Ireland's spin bowling coach?!

WideWally wrote:What is James McCollum's nickname?

Polish?

Probably the less inaginative Baz…

Centuries to Stirling and Campher in the end, with Tucker, like Balbirnie, falling just short. Sri Lanka 0-81 in reply to Ireland’s score just shy of 500. Must be a road, and I can still see Ireland having to bat well in its second innings to salvage a draw.

Aye. Expect Lanka to make close to 700 and put the Paddies under pressure in the final 2 sessions.

they're 1/336 and cruising

Yup, 700 looks good.

1/489 at lunch

Kusal Mendis 160*
Nishan Maduska (who is really a Fernando) 202*

skully wrote:Yup, 700 looks good.

At tea

3/650

Dimuth Karunaratne 115
Kusal Mendis 245
Nishan Maduska 205
Angelo Mathews 59*
Dinesh Chandimal 13*

704/3 declared. Wondered if they’d go for their own record or even 1000 at the expense of trying to win it…

At 2-54 the Paddies might struggle to avoid a loss from here.

... as predicted.
Jayasuriya will now likely run through them on day 5 and they will (I’m guessing) be on record as the team with the highest first innings score to still lose by an innings.
Some spectacular bowling figures for Ireland’s Ben White: 34 unsuccessful overs for 203. McBrine was just shy of conceding 200 runs as well ... 4 double centuries in one innings might have been another record!! A game for skully to prise open the stuck-together pages of his stats book whatever happens on day 5.

might be an innings loss still

yep

Unenviable record for the Paddies. Highest score to lose a Test by an innings.

They made 492 to lose today's match by an innings, surpassing England's 477 when they lost by an innings to India at Chennai in 2016.

predictable after day 2