Sports Reporter :
Sri Lanka registered an easy five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the fourth match of the Tri-Nation ODI series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on Sunday.
Chasing Zimbabwe’s modest total of 198 off 44 overs, Sri Lanka reached the winning spot making 202 for the loss of five wickets when they had 31 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka had a modest start as openers Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga added 33 runs in the opening stand before Tharanga was cleanly bowled out by Tendai Chatara.
Then Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis salvaged their team from early debacle adding together 70 runs for the second wicket stand before Perera was caught by Ryan Murray off Blessing Muzarabani when the islanders’ total was 103 for the loss of two wickets.
Perera hit a superb 49. His 57-ball innings was belted with five fours and a sixer.
One-down Mendis hit a fine 36 from 44 balls featuring four fours before he was cleanly bowled out by Muzarabani when Sri Lanka’s score was 110 for the loss of three wickets.
Later, Dinesh Chandimal and Thisara Perera contributed together 57 runs in the unbroken sixth wicket stand to bring their team to the winning spot.
Thisara Perera remained unbeaten with 39. His 36-ball innings had three sixes and a four.
Chandimal remained unbeaten with 38. His 71-ball knock was belted with two fours.Muzarabani captured three wickets instead of 53 runs.
Besides, Kyle Jarvis and Tenadi Chatra took one wicket each for 34 and 40 runs respectively.
Earlier, Zimbabwe made a good start as Hamilton Masakadza and Solomon Mire, the two openers put on together 44 runs in the opening stand before Masakadza ( 20) was caught at the short mid-wicket by Upul Tharanga off Thisara Perera.
Zimbabwe lost their four wickets for 73 runs.
Then Brendan Taylor and Malcolm Waller repaired the damage adding together 66 runs for the fifth wicket partnership before Waller (24) was caught behind by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella off Lakshan Sandakan when Zimbabwe’s total was 139 for the loss of five wickets.Brendan Taylor hit a marvelous 58. His 80-ball innings was laced with six fours. It was Taylor’s 33rd ODI half century.
After Waller’s departure, Peter Moor (0) was run out by a joint-effort of Kusal Mendis and Dickwella when Zimbabwe’s score was 140 for the loss of six wickets.
Taylor and Graeme Cremer contributed 31 runs in the seven-wicket stand before Taylor was caught at the long leg by Upul Tharanga off Thisara Perera when the African side’s total was 171 for the loss of seven wickets.
Then Zimbabwe failed to make any notable partnership.Cremer hit a polished 34 from 42 balls featuring three fours before he was cleanly bowled out by Nuwan Pradeep when Zimbabwe’s score was 198 for the loss of nine wickets.
Blessing Muzarabani was dismissed by Pradeep for a duck and Zimbabwe’s innings came to an end.
Thisara Perera claimed four wickets at the cost of 33 runs, while Pradeep grabbed three wickets instead of 28 runs and Sandakan bagged a pair of wickets for 57 runs.
Thisara Perera was adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-winning all-round performance.
