Six-wicket Mendis sets up narrow Sri Lanka win
Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis captured a career-best 6-29 as the
tourists edged Zimbabwe by two wickets to take a 4-0 lead in the
five-match one-day series here on Friday.
Mendis helped bowl out Zimbabwe for just 147 in 46.3 overs and they
seemed set fair for a comfortable victory, especially after Zimbabwe had
slumped to low scores of 124 and 67 all out in earlier matches.
But they endured an anxious afternoon as they just managed to
scramble over the line with eight wickets down, making a hard fought
150-8 in 47.3 overs.
For Zimbabwe, Keith Dabengwa top scored with 32 off 59 balls as his
colleagues fell regularly.
For Sri Lanka, their batting hero was Jehan Mubarak, whose 60 not out
came off 99 balls but turned out to be the match winner.
They had been 33-0 and looking secure but they were suddenly reeling
at
33-3, with Elton Chigumbura taking three wickets in one over,
including Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayewardene who failed to score. The
tourists were suddenly on the back foot as they were 55-4, 95-5, 101-6
and then 116-7.
Prosper Utseya chipped in with 1-18 and Ray Price with 1-24, economy
rates which could have proved decisive had the home side had the runs to
play with.
Chigumbura finished with 3-35 and Tawanda Mupariwa 3-34. Had Sri
Lanka had lost they would have been the first losers here since West
Indies more than two years ago.
HARARE, AFP
ZIMBABWE INNINGS
(50 overs maximum)
H Masakadza c Mathews b Prasad 28
V Sibanda lbw b Mendis 21
CJ Chibhabha lbw b Mendis 20
T Taibu c Jayawardene b Thushara 7
S Matsikenyeri lbw b Mendis 0
E Chigumbura b Mubarak 5
KM Dabengwa c Mubarak b Mendis 32
P Utseya c Kapugedera b Mendis 8
RW Price lbw b Mendis 5
T Mupariwa c Fernando b Thushara 3
EC Rainsford not out 0
Extras: (lb2, w12, nb3) 17
TOTAL: (all out; 46.3 overs) 146
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-46 (Masakadza), 2-66 (Sibanda), 3-79 (Taibu), 4-82 (Matsikenyeri), 5-85 (Chibhabha),
6-108 (Chigumbura), 7-132 (Dabengwa), 8-140 (Utseya), 9-144 (Price), 10-146 (Mupariwa)
BOWLING: CRD Fernando 9-1-26-0 (3nb, 3w), KTGD Prasad 6-0-40-1 (3w), BAW Mendis 9-0-29-6 (2w),
T Thushara 8.3-3-13-2 (1w), AD Mathews 8-1-24-0 (1w), J Mubarak 6-0-12-1
SRI LANKA INNINGS
WU Tharanga c Taibu b Utseya 17
ML Udawatte c Matsikenyeri b Mupariwa 14
KC Sangakkara c & b Chigumbura 23
DPMD Jayawardene lbw b Mupariwa 0
CK Kapugedera c Chibhabha b Mupariwa 12
J Mubarak not out 60
AD Mathews b Price 0
T Thushara c Dabengwa b Chigumbura 6
KTGD Prasad c Rainsford b Chigumbura 8
BAW Mendis not out 3
Extras: (lb1, w5, nb1) 7
TOTAL: (8 wickets; 47.3 overs) 150
DID NOT BAT: CRD Fernando
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-33 (Tharanga), 2-33 (Udawatte), 3-33 (Jayawardene), 4-55 (Kapugedera),
5-95 (Sangakkara), 6-101 (Mathews), 7-116 (Thushara), 8-140 (Prasad)
BOWLING: EC Rainsford 7-1-37-0, P Utseya 10-4-18-1 (1nb), T Mupariwa 10-0-34-3 (4w), RW Price 10-2-24-1,
E Chigumbura 9.3-1-35-3 (1w), KM Dabengwa 1-0-1-0 |
