Sri Lanka bounce back to beat Zimbabwe by 5 wickets on fine all-round display

Sri Lanka produced a splendid all-round performance to snuff out Zimbabwe by 5 wickets scoring 202 for 5 in 44.5 overs chasing 199 to bounce back in the Tri Nation Series.

The comeback effort was spearheaded by a superb double by all-rounder Thisara Perera who claimed 4 for 33 and struck an unbeaten 39 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka on Sunday. He was named Man-of-the-match.

In a remarkable comeback from two previous defeats in the tournament, the Lankans reversed fortunes since the initial defeat to the Zimbabweans who were bowled out for 198 in 44 overs.

Skipper Dinesh Chandimal remained unbeaten on 38 associating in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 57 runs with Perera who made 39 off 26 hitting a boundary and 3 sixes. Sri Lanka had mounted the victory chase on a 33-run first wicket partnership in 9.1 overs between Upul Tharanga (17, 34b, 2×4), and Kusal Janith Perera (49, 57b, 4×4, 1×6). Perera was in his element carrying the attack to the Zimbabwe bowlers going on to post 69 for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis who rode back to form with a timely 44-ball 36 inclusive of 4 boundaries. It took Sri Lanka to a healthy 103 for 2 in 21.5 overs. After Perera’s exit, Mendis followed 7 runs later, and Niroshan Dickwella making the total 117 for 4 in 25.3 overs. Asela Gunaratne made 9 off 21 balls adding 28 for the fifth wicket with Chandimal who stood rock solid to the end in a calculated captain’s knock off 71 balls targeting the ones and twos hitting 2 boundaries. B.Muzarabani was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers with 3 for 52.

It was the Thisara Perera-Nuwan Pradeep combination of pace bowling that put the skids on Zimbabwe who won the toss and elected to bat. Having posted 44 runs for the first wicket off 10 overs that of Masakadza for 20, Sri Lanka struck again reducing Zimbabwe to 2 for 49 and 3 for 56. Thisara Perera accounted for all three wickets. He got rid of C.R. Irvine for 2 and S.F. Mire for 21. Then Lakshan Sandakan had Sikandar Raza caught by Kusal Mendis for 9 to leave Zimbabwe struggling at 4 for 73. Perera started the slide by having Masakadza caught by Upul Tharanga. He then back Irvine also caught by Tharanga and followed up by inducing Mire to snick one behind to wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella for 2. But Zimbabwe resisted through a fourth wicket alliance of 66 for the fifth wicket between B.R.M.Taylor who top scored with 58 and M.N. Waller who made 24. But Sri Lanka hit back with Sandakan who had Waller edging a delivery to Dickwella to make it 139 for 5. Taylor was seventh out giving Tharanga his third catch of the match off Perera for his fourth wicket. From there Nuwan Pradeep continued the good work clean bowling K.M. Jarvis for 5 and Zimbabwe skipper Greme Cremer for 34 and last man B. Muzarabani for a duck. Pradeep had figures of 3 for 28 and Sandakan 2 for 57.

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-