Sri Lanka have secured a place in the Super Sixes of the World Cup Qualifiers after hammering Ireland by 133 runs in Bulawayo. Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne led from the front, scoring his maiden ODI hundred, before leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga picked up a five-wicket haul to help the Lankans wrap up the game. Karunaratne has been in great form with the bat, having scored three half centuries leading up to the Ireland game, which served as a reminder for selectors, who decided to add him to the squad.
The Irish had to win the game to progress to the Super Sixes, but their efforts proved to be futile. It was a disappointing end for a side that had high expectations after they defeated teams like Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in the ongoing tournament. Defeat to Sri Lanka spelled the end of their World Cup dreams, as points against all the teams they would have faced in the next stage will be carried forward, but Ireland won’t be a part of the proceedings.
Karunaratne was ably assisted by Sadeera Samarawickrama, who scored a patient 42. The pair put on a 168-run stand for the third wicket, after Ireland’s Barry McCarthy threatened to derail Sri Lanka’s innings by picking up two wickets in two balls. Sri Lanka went past 300, thanks to some vital contributions from Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva, but the lower order didn’t contribute much as they were bowled out in the 50th over.
The Irish were under pressure to chase down a target of 326, which turned out to be too steep for them. After they lost both their openers early, leg-spinner Hasaranga ran through the Irish middle-order, ending up with figures of five for 79. His five-wicket haul was his third in ODIs and equaled the record set by Pakistani pace bowler Waqar Younis of three consecutive five-fors. Maheesh Theekshana also grabbed two wickets as the Irish were bowled out for 192 in just 31 overs.
The Irish must be wondering about what could have happened had they played to their potential in this tournament. Zimbabwe, Netherlands, and West Indies have already qualified for the Super Sixes from the next round. The Sri Lankans, who had a somewhat patchy start to the tournament, must be pleased to have made it to the next stage. They would, however, like to win their last group game against Scotland to secure more points towards the Super Sixes.
