Ireland Wolves won the first half of both innings in their opening match of the Tri-series in Abu Dhabi but threw away their advantage to go down to a 45 runs defeat by Sri Lanka A.

After winning the toss, they reduced the Sri Lankans to 134 for six but partnerships of 45 and 53 for the seventh and eighth wickets respectively allowed them to add 130 before they were bowled out in the last over.

In reply Wolves reached 150 for five after 28 overs but the dismissal of Ross Adair and captain Gavin Hoey in the next over was the turning point and they never got close, all out with more than five overs unused.

Adair, batting at number seven, was given licence to hit out from the off and duly cleared the boundary with his third ball, hit his fifth for four and two balls later struck a second maximum (16 off seven balls).

He then took three fours off opening bowler Dilshan Madushanka’s comeback over but from his next ball he was caught in the deep off the spin of Dushan Hemantha for 32 from 18. When Hoey was clean bowled three balls later, suddenly Ireland were 150 for seven.

The leg spinner snared Ben Calitz for 25, 11 balls later, and despite a spirited ninth wicket partnership of 52 between Jordan Neill (38) and Tom Mayes (25 off 27 balls, with two sixes) it wasn’t enough and Hasanka Ratnayake’s fourth wicket wrapped up the innings.

Frustratingly, Neill was one of four batters to get into the 30s but not get out of them, with top scorer Sam Topping (39) and Cade Carmichael (37) putting on 81 for the second wicket after Stephen Doheny had been bowled from the seventh ball of the innings. Topping, it must be said, looked unlucky, adjudged leg before although it appeared to glance his glove first.

The Sri Lanka innings was dominated by Sahan Arachchige who came in at 76 for three at the start of the 15th over and was not dismissed until  the penultimate over, when he holed out to long long-on. He made 78, with just five boundaries, but was the vital backbone after the fall of wickets in the first half of the innings.

Crucially, he was missed on 49, albeit a difficult stumping chance for Topping off Scott Macbeth (2-38) who proved the most economical of the bowlers who all got through their 10 overs.

Jordan Neill was the most expensive although 30 of the 70 runs he conceded came off his first three overs, but a switch of ends gave him the first of his two wickets – his second was thanks to a superb catch by Adair at backward point. With Tom Mayes (3-40) and Liam McCarthy (3-57) also striking early, Ireland had the momentum but It was to prove a false dawn with Ratnayake hitting a run-a-ball 35 from number nine.

Sri Lanka A play Afghanistan A in the second match of the series on Tuesday with the Wolves returning to action on Thursday morning (7am) against the Afghans.