Sri Lanka 144 for 7 (Mathews 46, Shanaka 26*, Raza 3-13) beat Zimbabwe 143 for five (Raza 62, Theekshana 2-16) by three wickets
Sri Lanka stole to their goal for the second time this tour, scoring the profitable runs off the final ball to disclaim a tenacious Zimbabwe defence of a modest goal. A top-edged 4 off the bat of No. 9 Dushmantha Chameera and a chip into the legside outfield had been the ultimate acts of a chase wherein Sri Lanka had struggled to remain afloat.
The ultimate over
The skilled pair of Mathews and Shanaka had come collectively on the finish of the 14th over, with 61 to get off 36 balls, and no recognised batters to come back. As such that they had batted sagely, choosing off boundaries and retaining the requirement manageable, with well-calculated boundaries.
When it got here to the ultimate over, bowled by Blessing Muzarabani who had been economical to this point, Sri Lanka wanted 12. Mathews went deep in his crease and clattered Muzarabani down the bottom for a one-bounce 4 first ball – the bowler punished for lacking his yorker. Then, anticipating Muzarabani to go brief, Mathews stayed on his again foot and performed a tasty late minimize that bisected the keeper and brief third for one more 4.
Sri Lanka solely required six off 4 now, however Muzarabani would bowl a dot ball, after which have Mathews gap out to deep midwicket, attempting to hit the game-winning six.
A few of what occurred subsequent was pure luck. Muzarabani went at Chameera’s physique, and the ball took a prime edge and sailed over the wicketkeeper because the batter swiped at it. Final ball, a fullish one, Chameera chipped in the direction of deep midwicket, and the batters scampered the final two.
Raza rocks it with the bat…
Raza arrived on the crease simply after the powerplay, took a number of balls to get settled, then started to open his shoulders. Three fours – all sq. of the wicket – off Chameera within the ninth over, was his first critical assertion. He was then methodical throughout a 45-run third-wicket stand with Sean Williams whereas the spinners operated (he was simply 31 off 27 balls at one stage), earlier than adopting a extra aggressive mode once more as soon as Williams departed. He slog-swept Wanindu Hasaranga over the deep midwicket boundary, smoked Nuwan Thushara down the bottom to get previous 50, and reaped 31 runs off the final 15 balls he confronted.
…and with the ball
With Richard Ngarava, Wellington Masakadza, and Blessing Muzarabani all having claimed a wicket within the powerplay, Sri Lanka had been already reeling when Raza got here on to bowl. He then delivered a superb spell that decked the remainder of the highest order. He clipped the highest of Sadeera Samarawickrama’s off stump with a pointy offbreak first ball, earlier than in his last over, having Charith Asalanka caught off a vanguard, then sending a skidding offbreak into the stumps of Wanindu Hasaranga. He’d conceded solely a single boundary in his 4 overs.
Sri Lanka’s spinners preserve a lid on Zimbabwe’s scoring
Although Zimbabwe misplaced two powerplay wickets, the Raza-Williams partnership had delivered them to a good place within the center overs. Maheesh Theekshana – who had taken these powerplay wickets – conceded solely 11 in his final two overs. New captain Wanindu Hasaranga took 2 for 19 himself, and completed with glorious figures of two for 19, bowling completely by the center.
Sri Lanka’s glorious floor fielding additionally helped rein the scoring in.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a author at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf
