IT TOOK the mastery and guile of three of the world's outstanding bowlers to prevent Ireland from pulling off another massive shock at the home of cricket yesterday as Sri Lanka won this Super Eights tie by nine runs.

It was simply an outstanding performance from Phil Simmons's side, in many respects better than the win over Bangladesh as they restricted Sri Lanka to 144 for nine off their 20 overs, their lowest total so far in the World Twenty 20, a score backboned by Mahela Jayawardene's 78 off 53 deliveries.

Then an opening partnership of 59 put Ireland in a cracking position to push for victory, only for the old master, Muttiah Muralitharan, and young wizard Ajantha Mendis to spin a web that Ireland's batsmen just couldn't extricate themselves from.

And when they finally got through that spell, in came Lasith Malinga to take aim at their toes with a brutal spell of fast bowling that extinguished any last glimmer of hope.

With six overs to go, Ireland needed 56 runs and would have fancied their chances with eight wickets in hand and Niall O'Brien well set after hobbling his way to 30, after again going over on the ankle he injured against Bangladesh in the opening game.

Unable to call on the use of a runner after coming into the game with the injury, O'Brien batted through the pain barrier, putting on 59 with skipper Porterfield for the first wicket and 28 with Andrew White, who was promoted up the order.

But in the space of six deliveries the nature of the game changed as Mendis, the 24-year-old spinning sensation, tempted Kevin O'Brien to flash too hard, too early as he departed for a duck, followed three balls later by older brother Niall who rushed Mendis only to be stumped by Kumar Sangakkara.

Some trademark belligerent batting from John Mooney and Trent Johnston kept Ireland's chances alive, and they entered the last three overs needing 40 for victory with six wickets in hand.

The problem lay in the fact that the doctor of death in bowling was about to make a call as Malinga re-entered the fray with devastating effect.

Two exocets took out Johnston and Andre Botha in successive balls as he rearranged their stumps, with Alex Cusack just getting a splinter of bat to the next delivery to prevent the hat-trick.

Alas, the damage was done, and even though Mooney clubbed 17 out of 18 runs given away by Nuwan Kulasekara in the 19th over, Ireland were left needing 18 off Malinga's final six balls.

They managed eight for the loss of Cusack, with Mooney finishing unbeaten on 31 from 21 deliveries, the third Irish player to make that score after Porterfield and Niall O'Brien.

Simmons was delighted with his side's effort, believing it reinforces Ireland's new position in the world game.

'I'm proud of my team and their efforts today. We've shown we don't look out of place on the world stage. We gave it our all today and we couldn't have done anymore. We've left nothing here,' said Simmons.

Porterfield praised his side's efforts, especially in the field where Alex Cusack took four wickets for 18 from his three overs, while Boyd Rankin (two for 27), Kyle McCallan (two for 33) and Johnston (one for 18 off four) were all outstanding. Niall O'Brien's four dismissals also equalled the T20 world record.

'To restrict a side like Sri Lanka to 140, I think it's a fantastic effort,' said Porterfield. 'I thought we were really good in the field, took some good catches and the bowlers deserve enormous credit. I think we batted very well, but just came up short in the end.'