Ireland's hopes of a breakthrough in the T20 World Cup were dashed as Sri Lanka pulled off a last-ball victory over the co-hosts, winning by 20 runs. Despite taking the toss and electing to bowl first, Ireland struggled with their spin attack, allowing Sri Lanka to reach 163-6 after 20 overs.
George Dockrell was the most successful of Ireland's bowlers, taking two wickets for 17 runs in his four-over spell. However, he was well-supported by Gareth Delany and Matthew Humphreys, whose combined efforts restricted Sri Lanka to a respectable total.
Ireland's reply, however, proved to be their undoing. Ross Adair had a disastrous day at the crease, missing a catch that would have given Ireland a crucial wicket. The Irish batting lineup also struggled with dropped catches and misjudged shots, allowing Sri Lanka to pull away from the chase.
The game was effectively over by the end of the 19th over, when Wanindu Hasaranga removed Tector for 40. Ireland were then forced to bat out the final over, requiring 44 runs to take the match into extra time. It was a task that proved beyond them, as Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis finished off the chase with two boundaries.
Ireland's loss leaves their prospects of advancing in the tournament hanging by a thread. They will face Australia next on Wednesday, while Sri Lanka face Oman on Thursday. The result is a significant blow to Ireland's hopes of causing an upset at the T20 World Cup.
George Dockrell was the most successful of Ireland's bowlers, taking two wickets for 17 runs in his four-over spell. However, he was well-supported by Gareth Delany and Matthew Humphreys, whose combined efforts restricted Sri Lanka to a respectable total.
Ireland's reply, however, proved to be their undoing. Ross Adair had a disastrous day at the crease, missing a catch that would have given Ireland a crucial wicket. The Irish batting lineup also struggled with dropped catches and misjudged shots, allowing Sri Lanka to pull away from the chase.
The game was effectively over by the end of the 19th over, when Wanindu Hasaranga removed Tector for 40. Ireland were then forced to bat out the final over, requiring 44 runs to take the match into extra time. It was a task that proved beyond them, as Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis finished off the chase with two boundaries.
Ireland's loss leaves their prospects of advancing in the tournament hanging by a thread. They will face Australia next on Wednesday, while Sri Lanka face Oman on Thursday. The result is a significant blow to Ireland's hopes of causing an upset at the T20 World Cup.
ugh man i was so hyped for ireland in that match but they just couldnt get it together their batting lineup was all over the place and they didnt even make the most of george dockrell's solid spell 
anyway at least kudos to gareth delany and matthew humphreys who stepped up big time on the field 
. still not sure how they'll bounce back after this one tho... facing australia next wont be easy 
! I mean, they had some decent spells from Dockrell and Delany, but it just wasn't enough. That Ross Adair day was mental though - missing a catch like that is a major brain fade 
. And to be honest, it's kinda frustrating when you see the Sri Lankans making such smart decisions under pressure...like not taking risks with the bat and just seeing it through 
. Anyways, gotta be realistic now...Ireland needs to bounce back ASAP against Australia on Wednesday or it'll be a tough ask for them to make a comeback 
The Sri Lankans just played smarter cricket and took their chances when they got them. Now Ireland has a tough one against Australia coming up... not sure how they're gonna turn things around 
! They were so close to pulling off that win, but just couldn't get it done 
What a difference maker that would've been! They need to work on their batting lineup ASAP 
. Now they gotta face Australia, and that's a tough one... 
The average number of runs scored by teams in the 20th over is 24.5! 
That last over is so crucial for any team, and Ireland just couldn't pull it off 
. They had some good moments but couldn't capitalize on them. Ross Adair's mistake is still haunting me 
... a dropped catch that could've changed everything. 
. They gotta regroup, rethink their strategy and come back stronger 
. I mean, they had some great moments with Dockrell and Delany's bowling, but it just wasn't enough. That one dropped catch by Adair though... 
. Anyway, here's hoping Ireland can bounce back against Australia next and show them who's boss 
. They need to regroup and figure some things out if they want to cause an upset against Australia next up. Fingers crossed for them, but this loss is definitely a setback 
. Ross Adair having that dropped catch is still giving me nightmares 
. On the bright side, they've got a tough match coming up against Australia on Wednesday, so let's hope they can bounce back 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how they handle their next match against Oman 
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fingers crossed for irish cricket fans 
...can't blame him, though, those dropped catches are a nightmare to deal with. It's like Ireland just couldn't get into a rhythm and their batsmen were making some weird decisions out there 
...they need to regroup and refocus if they wanna make a run at this tournament 
This last ball win for Sri Lanka was crazy! I mean, come on, 20 runs in 2 balls? It's like they were playing cricket with a different set of rules 
. And what's up with Ireland's batting lineup? Ross Adair missing that catch and then they just give up? Not exactly the most confident bunch 
. Sri Lanka played some solid cricket too, but Ireland's collapse was just too much to handle 
. Guess we'll have to wait and see how they bounce back against Australia next... Fingers crossed!