MALAHIDE (Ireland): Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said his side will have to be at their best to beat England in the five-match One-day International series which starts on Tuesday.

Mathews was speaking after overseeing a 2-0 ODI series victory over Ireland in Malahide after the second match was won by an emphatic 136-run margin on Saturday.

Opening batsman Kusal Perera — who would have missed the tour had a drugs ban not been rescinded following a faulty doping analysis — made a century to build the platform for his side’s huge total of 377 for 8.

“We still can improve a lot in all departments. It was a pretty convincing victory today, but we need to be at our best to beat England,” said Mathews.

Eoin Morgan’s England have improved dramatically in 50-over cricket since the Sri Lankans thrashed them by nine wickets in Wellington during last year’s World Cup.

Saturday’s win was set up by dynamic top-order batting, and Mathews said: “Perera and Danuska Gunathilaka had a brilliant opening partnership (147) and after that solid foundation it was a tactical decision to bring in the pinch-hitter and take the game forward.”

Seekkuge Prasanna came in a three to pinch-hit in explosive style, bludgeoning nine sixes and five fours to leave his previous best ODI score of 42 far behind with 95 from just 46 balls.

“It was a very good wicket and a tough ask for the bowlers but we stuck to our task,” explained Mathews.

“They had to bowl good lines and lengths. Having said that, after scoring 377 it was a tough ask for the Irish because they had to go at it from ball one, so we had to bowl dot balls and create pressure,” the all-rounder added.

Perera, who hit 16 fours and two sixes during his128-ball knock of 135, and Prasanna both made career-best scores as Sri Lanka enjoy their second heartening win in a matter of days.

Ireland, in reply, were bowled out for 241.

Sri Lanka, again sent into bat as they had been in their 76-run win in the first ODI at Malahide on Thursday, were well-placed at the half-way stage.

And when Suranga Lakmal and the recalled Farveez Maharoof removed Ireland’s top three with just 41 on the board, the rest of the match proved a formality.

John Anderson, an accountant and the only amateur in the Ireland side, showed promise for the future with 34 and Andy McBrine, batting at No 8, finished the innings in some style with 79 from 64 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.

McBrine and Boyd Rankin (18 not out) delayed the inevitable with a last wicket stand of 54 -- both making their highest scores for Ireland and Mathews had to bring himself back to break the partnership and win the match with five overs to spare.

Ireland will now look for an improved showing when they face Pakistan in a two-match home ODI series in August.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

M.D.K.J. Perera c Stirling b Murtagh 135

M.D. Gunathilaka run out 63

S. Prasanna b Murtagh 95

M.D. Shanaka c Murtagh b McBrine 1

M.F. Maharoof c McBrine b McCarthy 29

A.D. Mathews c Wilson b Rankin 24

L.D. Chandimal c Wilson b McCarthy 3

B.K.G. Mendis c McCarthy b Murtagh 8

W.U. Tharanga not out 1

R.M.S. Eranga not out 0

Extras (b-1, lb-8, w-8, nb-1) 18

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 377

FALL OF WKTS: 1-147, 2-308, 3-309, 4-310, 5-364, 6-368, 7-368, 8-377.

DID NOT BAT: R.A.S. Lakmal.

BOWLING: Murtagh 10-1-66-3; Rankin 10-0-86-1 (1nb, 1w); McCarthy 8-1-52-2; O’Brien 8-0-81-0 (4w); McBrine 10-0-60-1 (2w); Stirling 4-0-23-0 (1w).

IRELAND:

W.T.C. Porterfield c Mathews b Lakmal 8

P.R. Stirling c Chandimal b Lakmal 22

E.C. Joyce c Gunathilaka b Maharoof 9

J. Anderson c Mendis b Prasanna 34

K.J. O’Brien c Maharoof b Shanaka 12

S.W. Poynter c Gunathilaka b Lakmal 36

G.C. Wilson b Prasanna 11

A.R. McBrine c Mendis b Mathews 79

B.J. McCarthy b Gunathilaka 5

T.J. Murtagh c Mathews b Lakmal 0

W.B Rankin not out 18

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5) 7

TOTAL (all out, 45 overs) 241

FALL OF WKTS: 1-26, 2-39, 3-41, 4-71, 5-94, 6-112, 7-157, 8-173, 9-187.

BOWLING: Lakmal 10-1-38-4 (3w); Mathews 4-1-34-1 (1w); Maharoof 10-1-60-1; Shanaka 6-0-35-1; Prasanna 8-1-32-2 (1w); Gunathilaka 7-0-40-1.

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 136 runs to win series 2-0.

UMPIRES: M. Hawthorne (Ireland) and B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: P.R. Reiffel (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kusal Perera.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Dasun Shanaka.

FIRST MATCH: Malahide, Sri Lanka won by 76 runs (D/L Method).

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2016