Sri Lanka repulse spirited Irish challenge

By John Mehaffey

LONDON (Reuters) - Sri Lanka repulsed a gallant challenge from Ireland at Lord's on Sunday to win their Twenty20 World Cup second-round match by nine runs.

Ireland, the only non-test playing nation still in the tournament, restricted the 1996 world one-day champions to 144 for nine after Sri Lanka had won the toss and elected to bat.

The Irish reached 87 for one in pursuit before Sri Lanka's potent bowling trio of Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis took control.

Mystery spinner Mendis dismissed the O'Brien brothers Niall and Kevin in the same over and Malinga bowled Trent Johnston and Andre Botha with successive yorkers.

Ireland needed 18 from the final over but it was always too high a target against the pace of Malinga.

The Irish surpassed themselves in the field at the home of cricket after looking no more than a club side against New Zealand in their opening Super Eight game.

Man-of-the-match Mahela Jayawardene, with 78 from 53 deliveries and the only six of the innings, stroked the ball sweetly but only two other batsmen reached double figures.

Wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien gave a splendid performance with three catches and a swift stumping off Australian-born medium-pacer Alex Cusack, who took four wickets from nine deliveries.

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