Paul Stirling, the experienced Irish batter, scored his first Test century on the second day of the ongoing second Test between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Stadium. Stirling is now the third Irish batter, after Kevin O’Brien and Lorcan Tucker, to score a Test century in Ireland’s brief Test history. He also became the 23rd player to score a century in all three international formats.
Stirling scored a brilliant 103 off 181 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. He retired hurt with cramps on the opening day after scoring 74, but returned to the crease on Tuesday. He reached the milestone in style by hitting a six over deep point. After his outstanding performance, he was eventually caught out by Dhananjaya de Silva on the fine-leg boundary.
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Stirling is known for his aggressive style and excellent hand-eye coordination, making him one of the top white-ball batters in the world. This innings, however, demonstrated that he also has the game and temperament to succeed in Test cricket.
A maiden Test match century for Paul Stirling! Brought up in fitting style with a six 💥
Sensational innings, he now has centuries in all formats of international cricket 👏👏
WATCH: https://t.co/uMsnHMi5xS
SCORE: https://t.co/epQHAclj0P#BackingGreen ☘🏏 #SRIvIRE pic.twitter.com/jlqZyla8IL— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) April 25, 2023
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On day two, Sri Lanka’s openers had a comfortable final session, with the hosts ending the day at 81 without loss in reply. The game was stopped due to rain, and Sri Lanka were still 411 runs behind, with Nishan Madushka on 41 and Dimuth Karunaratne, the captain, on 39 not out.