Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara paid tribute to Mahela Jayawardene after the batsman led his side to victory against Ireland.
Sri Lanka skipper already looking ahead to New Zealand
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara paid tribute to Mahela Jayawardene after the batsman led his side to victory against Ireland.
The veteran rescued his side with an innings of 78 from 53 balls with only two other players able to reach double figures against a disciplined attack.
But the Irish run-chase came up nine runs short and Sangakkara and his team can now look forward to a pivotal clash with New Zealand on Tuesday.
"We had to win and maybe we didn't get the greatest of starts," said Sangakkara. "But Mahela Jayawardene batted brilliantly, it was exactly what we needed. He's been doing it for years.
"Our bowling was spot on but maybe there are a few things we could brush up on.
"Ireland had some good partnerships but with our bowlers we are always confident we can pull it back.
"We probably lacked a bit of intensity in the field but New Zealand is going to be an important game for everyone. We hope to keep improving every game."
Proud Porterfield
Ireland skipper William Porterfield was understandably disappointed at falling short but couldn't fault his players.
"The lads gave everything, that's what I asked for before the game and they left nothing out there," he said.
"We are obviously a bit disappointed we lost the game but if you went around every lad in the changing room and asked them 'could you have given any more?', they couldn't have.
"To restrict a side like Sri Lanka to 140-odd was a fantastic effort.
"I thought we were really good in the field and we batted pretty well before just coming up short in the end.
"We're learning with every game, we are learning how to play the game and adjust to Twenty20 cricket.
"I thought we bowled reasonably well and got off to a reasonable start with the bat.
"We're a positive bunch and I thought it was a chaseable total but we just came up short.
"We looked for at least one win from the Super Eights, we came closer today and hopefully will go a step further tomorrow (against Pakistan)."
