When Ireland reduced Sri Lanka A to 43 for five inside the powerplay, defending a below-par 200, they were on course to claim a stunning victory in the Tri-Series final in Abu Dhabi. Just 25 overs later, the Sri Lankans had won the match by five wickets.

An unbeaten partnership of 160 between Milan Rathnayake and his namesake Pavan hurried them to victory, only highlighting the gulf in class between the teams and Sri Lanka A’s superiority in the series.

Ireland had made the final, despite losing their first three games, due to their six wickets victory over Afghanistan A, chasing down 173 in 22.3 overs to leapfrog over the Afghans, who had the won the first game between the teams, on run-rate.

But the Ireland bowlers had no answer to the classy Rathnayakes. Milan played in all three Tests in England last year, scoring 72 on debut, and here he scored 77 not out, from 83 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Remarkably, Pavan, who hit the winning boundary, finished with exactly the same stats, from seven balls fewer.

Milan did enjoy a life, a sharp catch to Stephen Doheny at slip, but he had already reached his half century and the game was heading to its inevitably conclusion.

Yet, Tom Mayes and Liam McCarthy can take great satisfaction from the opening spell as they removed the top five of Sri Lanka’s powerful batting order.

Mayes, struck in his second over, and followed  up in his his fourth over with two in two to leave Sri Lanka A on 39 for three.

McCarthy then joined  the party, to dismiss Sahan Arachchige with the help of a fine diving catch by keeper Sam Topping and then inducing an inside edge from opener Lahiru Udada (second top scorer with 16).

The introduction of Matthew Foster changed the momentum. He started with a no-ball, the free hit went for six and with two more boundaries following, the over went for 18. The Sri Lankans never looked back and they even enjoyed the return of Mayes and McCarthy.

Having been put into bat, Doheny and Cade Carmichael made an impressive start, taking 40 off the first eight overs, with six boundaries, but Milan Rathnayake is a useful bowler as well and inside his first two overs he had removed both openers and when  Sam Topping was bowled in the 12th over, suddenly Ireland were 48 for three.

Chris de Freitas, Ireland’s batter of the series, made a painstaking nine from 26 balls before, trying to break free, he came down the pitch to Hasanka Ratnayaka and only got a leading edge to backward point. His dismissal left Carmichael, who scored 21 today and 151 runs in the series, as Ireland’s leading run-scorer, one ahead of the Balbriggan batter.

It was the Waringstown pair of Morgan Topping and Mayes who allowed Ireland to reach 200. After Jordan Neill, Ross Adair (16 off 11) and Gavin Hoey had all gone cheaply to leave Ireland on 110 for seven, they added 74 for the eighth wicket. Mayes hit two sixes in his 36 and Topping, who then lost McCarthy without scoring, was last man out for 73, from 101 balls with seven fours and six.

For the third time batting first though, Ireland failed to bat out the overs, although this was their longest innings at 47.3. Once again, it wasn’t enough.