Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka hit centuries in a record opening stand as Sri Lanka amassed 357/1 on a rain-affected Day III of the second Test against Ireland on Wednesday.
Captain Karunaratne fell on the stroke of lunch after miscuing a pull shot for 115 off seamer Curtis Campher. But Madushka and Kusal Mendis continued the onslaught as the hosts replied soundly to Ireland’s 492 before a downpour halted play shortly before tea.
Madushka, who made just 29 in Sri Lanka’s big win in the first Test last week, looked immovable alongside Kusal, who was unbeaten on 83. The 24-year-old Madushka waved his bat and enjoyed a hug from Karunaratne after bringing up his maiden Test century by hitting Harry Tector over the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Madushka, who survived on 131 when Irish skipper Andy Balbirnie dropped a sitter at first slip off off-spinner Andy McBrine, hit 18 boundaries and a six in his masterful unbeaten 149.
Karunaratne cracked his 16th career ton off 116 balls — the fastest in his career — and second in the series following his 179 in the first match.
The Sri Lanka captain has scored 521 runs in six innings so far this year at 83.50, including two centuries and three half-centuries. His 228-run opening stand with Madushka surpassed the previous best at Galle by Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu registered against South Africa in 2000.
Brief scores: Ireland 492. Sri Lanka 357/1 (N. Madushka 149 batting, D. Karunaratne 115, K. Mendis 83 batting). At stumps, Day III.