Openers lead strong Sri Lankan reply after Stirling, Campher centuries

Sri Lanka 81 for 0 (Madushka 41*, Karunaratne 39*) trail Ireland 492 (Campher 111, Stirling 103, Jayasuriya 5-174) by 411 runs

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.

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.

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.