Lynn McConnell
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12th Match: Ireland Women v Sri Lanka Women at Lincoln, 5 Dec 2000 Lynn McConnell |
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Sri Lanka Women innings:
Ireland Women innings: Pre-game: |
Sri Lanka, by virtue of a superb last five overs, took the win and a huge step towards gaining automatic entry to the next World Cup.
Some fine defensive bowling, backed by determined fielding, saw Sri Lanka back into the game from the 40-over mark.
A smart stumping by wicket-keeper Thanuja Ekanayake from Hiroshi Abeysinghe removed Catherine O'Neill for 11.
That upset the Irish momentum and when Clare Shillington's rearguard action for 13 was ended by Sri Lankan captain Rasanjali Silva's return to the bowling crease, panic entered the Irish cause.
It was a game Ireland lost, just as England lost yesterday, when chasing a low total.
It batted too cautiously in the early stages of its innings.
While Silva's return had immediate benefits, there was even greater reward when Chamani Seneviratne bowled the 49th over.
She claimed two leg before wicket decisions to leave Ireland 115/9.
Ireland went into the last over needing 14 runs to win. But could only produce the ninth run out of the game, to fall 10 runs short.
The nine run outs are thought to be a world record for ODIs.
Her dismissal for 12, in the 26th over, left with her side at 56/2.
Central to Ireland's hopes will be the performance of opening batsman Karen Young. She had been there since the start and when Grealey departed she was 26 not out. By the end of 30 overs she was 28 not out and Ireland was 62-2.
Grealey's departure due to the run out was the sixth dismissal by that method in the game, following five Sri Lankan run outs in their innings.
Some of the Sri Lankan bowling was outstanding in its defensive approach.
Especially effective was Chamani Seneviratne who had bowled seven overs and taken 1-10.
The comparison between the Sri Lankan innings which yielded five run outs and the start made by Ireland, could not have been more vivid.
What was clearly a talented Sri Lankan batting line-up folded under the pressure exerted by an Irish field that didn't really have to work too hard in executing the run outs.
Caitriona Beggs gave the innings a nudge from the outset and scored 14 before she was trapped leg before wicket by Chamani Seneviratne.
Karen Young was struggling to get on top of the bowling and after 15 overs was only on 14 as Ireland reached 34/1.
It is believed the only other occasions in One-Day Internationals when five have been run out in an innings was when Australia lost the first men's World Cup final to the West Indies in 1975 and by New Zealand against Australia in Napier in 1998/99.
Sri Lanka was all out after 47.3 overs for 129.
Not even the Australians in their run chase could have shown the lemming-like qualities at Lord's in 1975 that the Sri Lankans did in this match.
If ever coaches needed an example of how not to run between the wickets then CricInfo's video highlights of this game should be compulsory viewing.
Having seen three of her fellow batters run out, some of them at her hand, Hiroshi Abeysinghe took matters into her own hands and produced a delightful innings which was almost reflecting the Indian innings in yesterday's game.
The Indians scored 155 in their 50 overs, and the Irish would have been mindful of not letting Abeysinghe get too many runs to prevent a repeat of that exercise.
Abeysinghe raised her half century, the first of her international career, after 108 balls and including four boundaries.
Saibh Young broke the developing partnership when seeing a full toss crash into the off stump. Twenty-eight runs were added with Ramani Perera out for eight.
But Sri Lankan hopes were dashed on the very next ball, the start of the 47th over when Hiroshi hit the ball straight down to mid-on fielder Catherine O'Neill to be out for 52.
Three inexplicable run outs removed the Sri Lankan top order while the left-arm medium pace bowling of Isobel Joyce accounted for middle-order batsmen Champa Sugathadasa and Chamani Senevirathne.
A key wicket, Dedunu de Silva, was the third of the run outs in the 18th over. She had batted attractively for her 21 runs but was well run out by Irish captain Miriam Grealey.
Hiroshi Abeysinghe was working hard to effect an improvement in the Sri Lankan scoring rate. After 33 overs, with Sri Lanka 88/5 she was on 28.
The Sri Lankans also struggled against the off-spin of Catherine O'Neill who in her first five overs concened only five runs. Joyce had 2-15 from her eight.
Basic errors in communication made the run outs into suicidal options when the risk need not have been taken.
The second, which removed the dangerous Hiruka Fernando, came as she was considering a third run.
Caught down the pitch when Dedunu de Silva wisely decided the run wasn't on and sent Fernando back. However, Fernando slipped, got up and when just short of her ground, saw the relayed throw from the long-on boundary hit the stumps.
The earlier run out of Kalpana Liyararachchi, wasn't quite as comedic but both fired up de Silva who after 15 overs was 16 not out while Hiroshi Abeysinghe was four not out.
As their confidence grew, the Sri Lankan batsmen were starting to play more adventurous strokes and they were 37/2.
Either Ireland or Sri Lanka will end the day with their hopes of automatic qualification for the next Women's World Cup all but dashed.
Conditions for the game have dawned bright and fine, with Canterbury's perpetual wind in evidence yet again.
Ireland won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat first.
The teams for the game are:
Sri Lanka - Kalpana Liyanarachchi, Dedunu de Silve, Hiruka Fernando, Hiroshi Abeysinghe, Champa Sugathadasa, Chamani Seneviratne, Rasanjali Silva, Indika Kankanange, Tanuja Ekanayake, Sudharshini Sivanathan, Ramani Perera, Janakanthi Mala (12th man).
Ireland - Miriam Grealey, Caitriona Beggs, Catherine O'Neill, Isobel Joyce, Anne Linehan, Barbara McDonald, Ciara Metcalfe, Clare Shillington, Nikki Squire, Karen Young, Saibh Young. Cliodhna Sharp (12th man).
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 05 Dec2000 - 18:38