Ireland and Sri Lanka enter the Group A contest after fashioning similar wins in their opening fixtures against Netherlands and Namibia respectively. Both teams chased down a relatively low total with consummate ease after their bowlers put on a fine display in dismantling their opponents.
Higher ranked Sri Lanka (10th) might hold the edge going into the encounter but not by much as Ireland (ranked 12th) will be brimming with confidence after their strong showing against the Netherlands on Monday.
Sri Lankan spin duo Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga shared five wickets between them but not before their fast bowlers – Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera and later Lahiru Kumara – rattled Namibia’s batters with their raw pace. Their performance only highlighted what coach Mickey Arthur had predicted, labelling the attack as ‘almost ideal’ ahead of the tournament.
Ireland would be confident of their bowling attack as well, especially Curtis Campher, who etched his name in history by taking four wickets in consecutive deliveries, becoming only the third bowler in Men’s T20Is after Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan to accomplish the feat. He was complimented extremely well by Mark Adair, who finished with excellent figures of 4-0-9-3. Skipper Andy Balbirnie will be hoping for an encore of that performance against Sri Lanka. However, it will be the Irish batters, who will have their task cut out against the quality and the variety of the Sri Lankan bowling unit.
Fixture details
- Match: Ireland v Sri Lanka
- Time: 7:30 SL time on Wednesday 20 October
- Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Ireland looks a well-settled team and would not want to tinker too much with a winning combination, while they would be hoping for their star batters at the top of the order – Kevin O’brien and captain Balbirnie -come good in the all-important clash against Sri Lanka.
Possible Ireland playing XI: Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien, Andy Balbirnie, Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Ben White
The only area of concern that creates some conundrum in the Lankan camp is the batting department, where there seems to be a reliance on Avishka Fernando, who will bat at number 4. However, coach Arthur announced they will stick with the same top three for this match.
Possible Sri Lanka playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara
Key Players
Gareth Delany has been in scintillating form with bat of late. His unbeaten 88* (50) led Ireland to victory against Bangladesh in the warm-up game and in the opener against Netherlands, he put on a superb display of stroke-making as he smashed 44 off 29 balls, helping his team collect their first two points in the competition. He will once again be a threat for the Lankans, who can take the game away from the opposition in little to no time.
Speedstar Chameera, who clocked close to 145 km/h in the opening game, will once again be a player to watch out for. The Irish should be better placed than Namibia to handle such pace but if Chameera can continue to bend his back and consistently land those bouncers on the right spot, he might offer a stern challenge to Ireland batters
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