PRABATH Jayasuriya picked up his second ten-wicket haul in a Test match to lead Sri Lanka to an innings win over Ireland in Galle in the first Test.

Unbeaten hundreds from Dinesh Chandimal and Sadeera Samarawickrama after Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis’ massive knocks had given Sri Lanka a big total on day two.

Prabath Jayasuriya then went on to dominate the Ireland batters, taking a five-wicket haul on day two and ending with a seven-fer in the innings.

Bowled out for 143, Ireland couldn’t do much better following on, finishing on 168 with Harry Tector, Curtis Campher and George Dockrell getting starts. The innings and 280-run victory gives Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.

Chandimal has been in good form in Test cricket, making over 1000 runs in his last nine Test matches, averaging 91 in the format with three hundreds and five half-centuries.

His unbeaten hundred came after a well-set platform, and led Sri Lanka to a massive first innings total. Chandimal’s purple patch is one he hasn’t managed previously in a career that is more than a decade long.

In seven of these last nine Tests, Chandimal has made at least one fifty-plus score. This includes a career-best 206* against Australia at this very same venue.

Ireland spinners made a decent impression in Bangladesh, but here in Galle, against a strong batting line-up, they couldn’t quite make inroads.

Andy McBrine, George Dockrell and Ben White picked up three wickets between them, but conceded close to 400 runs, each going at more than four runs per over.

Ireland may have managed just 143 and 168 in the two innings here, but across the Bangladesh series and this Test, there was enough on display to suggest that the team can develop its red-ball batting.

The likes of Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher and James McCollum showed the tenacity and resilience required in batters in the longest format. For a group of players who haven’t had too much first-class cricket behind them, these were appreciable performances in alien conditions.

Tucker’s fine century in Bangladesh was followed up by a 73-ball 45 in the first innings here. Tector showed character in both innings, facing over 150 balls across both innings.

In six Tests thus far, Prabath Jayasuriya has five five-wicket hauls in an innings and two match hauls of 10 wickets or more. The left-arm spinner, who won the Player of the Match award, finished with figures of 10/108.

He has already raced to 43 Test wickets, 39 of those coming in Galle alone, where he has now played four Tests and taken five five-wicket hauls.

His tally of 43 wickets after six Tests is the joint-third-best in Test cricket history. Only Charles Turner (50) and Vernon Philander (45) have more after the first six Tests.

The second and final Test begins in Galle from April 24. (ICC Media)