“NOT OUT! Rajapaksa slid the ball on the ground!!- Twitterati slams umpires for not checking Paul Stirling’s catch
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Paul Stirling and Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Paul Stirling once again starred with the bat when his team failed in front of Sri Lankan bowling. He was equally supported by Harry Tector but their knock didn’t help much their team, as Ireland could put on only 128/8 in their 20 overs on Sunday [October 23] at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
Like most of the team, Ireland also chose to bat first after winning the toss at Blundstone pitch. Opening batters Stirling and Andy Bilbirnie walked out to bat first, but the latter’s innings were short-lived when Lahiru Kumara drew the first ball in the second over. Birbirnie could score only one run off five balls.
Lorcan Tucker became a victim of Maheesh Theekshana‘s short ball in the fifth over. Stirling was the third to walk back; credit goes to Dhananjaya de Silva in the ninth over.
De Silva bowled fullish delivery on the middle and Stirling make room and drove it aerially to go inside out towards the extra cover fence. But he hit it a bit straight and Bhanuka Rajapaksa at the long off ran to his left, covered some ground, and grab a brilliant catch.
Chamika Karunaratne then dismissed Curtis Campher in the 10th over. Karunaratne bowled a shortish delivery around the off. But it was also an off-pace delivery. Campher waited for it a bit and then cut it uppishly to the left of the point fielder; Charith Asalanka there grabbed a sharp catch.
With the wicket of George Dockrell, Sri Lanka sent half of the Irish batters to the pavilion. This happened in the 17th over. Theekshana bowled a fullish and quicker delivery, Dockrell tried to throw it down the ground but missed it; the ball hit the bullseye and Dockrell departed after 1 16-ball 14 runs.
Tector departed after a slow but crucial knock of 45 runs off 42 balls with two fours and a six before Binura Fernando dismissed him with a length ball that was angled around the batter; it was slower as well, making Tector dance down the path to smash it. But he timed it badly and the ball looped up in the air towards mid-off, Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka grabbed an easy catch.
In the end, Ireland could score only 128/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Fernando, Kumara, Karunaratne, and De Silva picked up one wicket each. Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga grabbed two wickets each.
Check how Twitterati reacted to Paul Stirling, Harry Tector’s innings
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