Ireland gave some tremors, to Sri Lanka but the Asian country awoke at just right time, to rise, to the occasion and gave Ireland the taste of reality, where there is a huge difference between calibre and class between both the teams.

Sri Lanka won  the toss and decided, to bat first preferably thinking, it could be a practise platform, for their batsmen, but it proved to be more than a practise, as Ireland were ready  to challenge their opponents and Rankin removed Dilshan for a duck, which epitomised hostile things impending, for Sri Lankan batsmen.

Johnston and Rankin bowled impressively with a new ball, that even Jayasuriya was taught a bit of discipline, in the crease and he even succumbed, to pressure of scoring big runs. Other than Jayawardene no batsmen looked, to be impressive, in their stint with bat and he managed seventy eight runs, in fifty odd balls, to take his side to a respectable total of one forty four runs, which is more than below par, in the placid Lord’s pitch.

Cassack bowled impressively at the death, where he picked four wickets, in his three over spell and Rankin came back well, to script a tight bowling performance, to restrict Sri Lanka below one fifty runs.

Ireland openers Porterfield and Neil O Brein sounded, to have come, with a clear mind, to provide a solid start, to their team and they replicated their thought in action admirably, where they romped to sixty odd runs, without losing a solitary wicket.

. Neil O Brein and White knit an ominous looking partnership after the departure of their captain Porterfield, but dream ended when White, who developed a special liking for Kulasekara got out, to his luring slow medium delivery.

Ireland batsmen had to face Mendis and Muralitharan fiasco in the middle over and it appeared too much, for the novice batting line – up. Mendis was in thick of things again, as he removed ominous brother Kevin O Brein along with Neil O Brein, to remove any thoughts of Irish victory.

Even though Kulasekara, the bowler failed miserably, for Sangakkara,  rest of his bowlers were clinical and Malinga was brought back in the end, to do what he is known, to do the best and Ireland finished  their innings short of nine runs.

Sri Lanka, one of the two teams, which haven’t been beaten has made its claim stronger, in place of semi – finals and ensured, that there is no room for upsets.