In the second One-Day International at Stormont, Belfast, Ireland claimed a dramatic 15-run victory over Sri Lanka, securing a 2-0 lead in the series.
Ireland’s innings was anchored by a standout performance from Leah Paul, who scored 81, with strong support from Amy Hunter's 66 and Rebecca Stokell’s unbeaten 53. Their efforts propelled Ireland to a total of 255-5 in their allotted 50 overs.
Sri Lanka, fresh off their Women’s Asia Cup triumph, seemed on track for a comfortable win as Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari put together a solid 126-run partnership, guiding their team to 172-2 after 30.2 overs.
However, the game took a dramatic turn when Freya Sargent dismissed Dilhari for 53, and Anushka Sanjeewani was removed without scoring in quick succession. This double blow set the stage for a tense finish.
Sri Lanka managed to regroup, reaching 210-4, but the match’s decisive moment came when Samarawickrama was run out by Sarah Forbes for 105. This triggered a collapse, with four more wickets falling for just four runs.
Despite a late stand of 26 runs for the final wicket by Nilakshi de Silva and Udeshika Prabodhani, Ireland sealed the victory as Arlene Kelly claimed the final wicket, finishing with impressive figures of 3-41.
Ireland’s win not only secured the series with a game to spare, but also demonstrated their resilience and ability to perform under pressure.