Sri Lanka thrash Ireland by nine wickets at T20 World Cup; Mendis steal the show for Asian Cup champions

Sri Lankan fans cheer as Ireland's Harry Tector fields a ball at the boundary line during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on October 23, 2022. - AFP

HOBART, Australia, Oct 23, 2022 (AFP): Disciplined bowling and an unbeaten half-century by Kusal Mendis powered Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket hammering of Ireland in their opening Super 12 match at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.

Asian champions Sri Lanka restricted Ireland, who qualified for the second round by knocking out two-time champions West Indies, to 128-8 in Hobart.