Openers lead strong Sri Lankan reply after Stirling, Campher centuries
Paul Stirling and allrounder Curtis Campher struck their nation’s third and fourth Test hundreds respectively, as Ireland stormed past their previous highest Test score early in the day, and on to a mammoth 492 by tea. Although the sheen of Ireland’s excellent first innings was dulled somewhat by the Sri Lanka openers progressing to 81 for no loss by stumps, the hosts will still have to mount a huge score of their own to put pressure on the visitors. In the last match, Ireland had been rolled for 143 and 168.It was the 64-run sixth-wicket stand between Stirling and Campher that kicked off Ireland’s day-two march, before Campher took the lead in a seventh-wicket partnership worth 89 with Andy McBrine. Although these partnerships delivered Ireland to within sight of 500, the tail fell quickly.The hosts’ primary destroyer was once again Prabath Jayasuriya, who bowled a mindboggling 26.3 of Sri Lanka’s 55.3 overs on the day – essentially only taking a break of one over between marathon spells. For those efforts, he completed what already feels like his customary five-wicket haul in Galle – the sixth time he has got a five for, in his seven-Test career. He finished with figures of 5 for 174 from 58.3 overs all up. The seamers, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando, took two apiece.It was Vishwa who struck the day’s first blow, producing perhaps the delivery of the Test so far, to dismiss Lorcan Tucker in the first over. Pitching on a length, he jagged one back in sharply at Tucker, batting on 90, to slip between bat and pad, and clatter into off stump. That dismissal brought Stirling back to the crease. He had retired hurt on 74 on the first afternoon after suffering from debilitating cramps. However, Stirling appeared fairly fluent shortly after his day-two arrival, driving Vishwa for two off-side boundaries early in the day.But he had some nervous moments after he had progressed into the nineties. Asitha delivered an especially intense over to him when he was on 97, hitting him on the shoulder, before getting him to fend another short one away – with his gloves – next ball. At the other end, Campher got to his maiden Test fifty with a slog over deep midwicket off Jayasuriya, before the action returned to Stirling, still on 97.Paul Stirling became the second Ireland batter to have a century in all formats•Getty Images
He backed away, played a T20-style cut, and nailed it. Striking Asitha way over deep point, Stirling became the second Ireland batter to own a century in all three formats, after Kevin O’Brien. Asitha would soon get him with that short ball though. He hurried Stirling into a hook next over, and the top edge settled in the hands of Dhananjaya de Silva at fine leg. Stirling had made 103 off 181 deliveries.Campher, though, found a more-than-capable partner in McBrine, and took the lead in the partnership that truly grew Ireland’s total into a giant one. Jayasuriya bowled some menacing deliveries through this period, but was occasionally flat, perhaps reflecting the difficult nature of the surface he was working with too. Campher increasingly used his feet as he strode towards a hundred, and swept beautifully as well.He was ecstatic when he got to the milestone, roughly midway through the second session, gesturing animatedly to the dressing room. Not ordinarily known for big innings, and in the team largely for his seam bowling, this was Campher’s first century in any competitive senior cricket, List A and first-class included. In fact, his previous best score had been a 72 not out in a T20I.With the wicket of McBrine, who on 35 threw his bat at a Vishwa delivery he needn’t have, Sri Lanka began to reimpose themselves. Jayasuriya took Campher’s edge a few overs later, the chance flying low and to the right of Dhananjaya, who took a spectacular diving catch. Jayasuriya would then get Graham Hume lbw, before debutant Matthew Humphreys holed out slogging.Sri Lanka’s openers then made smooth starts. Nishan Madushka was tight with his defence, but unleashed some rasping cut shots when the seamers strayed wide of off stump. Dimuth Karunaratne picked up his usual leg-side boundaries to get himself moving, and had little trouble picking up runs into the outfield in between. He had sauntered to 39 off 45, and Madushka was 41 off 64, before dark clouds descended on Galle, and forced the close of play an hour earlier than scheduled.