Mendis, Kulasekara bowl Lanka to win
Ajantha Mendis became the fastest bowler to complete 50 wickets in
one-day internationals as Sri Lanka crushed Zimbabwe by 130 runs in a
triangular series match here Monday.
The unorthodox spinner finished with 3-15 off 5.2 disciplined overs
as Sri Lanka dismissed Zimbabwe for a paltry 80 after scoring 210-6.
Mendis, playing his 19th one-day international, broke Indian fast
bowler Ajit Agarkar’s record of 50 wickets in 23 matches.
Extras were the highest contributor in a dismal Zimbabwean batting
performance with 16. Stuart Matsikenyeri (15) was the lone batsman to
reach double-figures. It was Zimbabwe’s fourth-lowest total against Sri
Lanka in 43 one-day internationals.
Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara set up the victory when he grabbed three
wickets in his lively opening spell to send Zimbabwe reeling at 27-3
before Mendis and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (2-4) completed the
job.
Mendis, who was two wickets short of the record before this game,
removed Matsikenyeri and Raymond Price before finishing the match with
the dismissal of last-man Tawanda Mupariwa. Man-of-the-match Angelo
Mathews earlier cracked an unbeaten 52 for his maiden half-century to
help Sri Lanka post a competitive total.
Sri Lanka were struggling at 97-5 following paceman Edward
Rainsford’s three-wicket burst, but the young middle-order batsman came
to his team’s rescue in only his third one-day international.
Mathews, 21, added 69 for the sixth wicket with Jehan Mubarak (31)
and 44 for the unfinished seventh wicket with Thilan Thushara (28 not
out) to steady the innings.
Sri Lanka made a brisk start after being put in to bat as veteran
Sanath Jayasuriya (22) and Upul Tharanga (42) added 51 in just 8.4 overs,
but were pegged back by Rainsford’s triple-strike. Rainsford trapped
both Kumar Sangakkara (four) and Chamara Kapugedera (four) leg-before
and also had skipper Mahela Jayawardene caught by diving wicket-keeper
Tatenda Taibu for no score.
It was the Sri Lankan captain’s third successive duck against
Zimbabwe, including two in Harare in November 2008.
DHAKA, Monday, AFP
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga lbw b Utseya 43
S. Jayasuriya c Masakadza b Chigumbura 22
K. Sangakkara lbw b Rainsford 4
M. Jayawardene c Taibu b Rainsford 0
C. Kapugedera lbw b Rainsford 4
J. Mubarak c Williams b Price 31
A. Mathews not out 52
T. Thushara not out 28
EXTRAS (lb6, w20) 26
TOTAL (for six wickets) 210
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-51, 2-73, 3-78, 4-89, 5-97, 6-166.
BOWLING: Rainsford 10-0-41-3 (w4), Mupariwa 8-0-46-0 (w8), Chigumbura 8-0-42-1 (w2),
Utseya 10-2-28-1, Price 10-3-21-1 (w6), Dabengwa 4-0-26-0.
ZIMBABWE
H. Masakadza lbw b Kulasekara 3
V. Sibanda b Kulasekara 7
S. Matsikenyeri b Mendis 15
T. Taibu b Kulasekara 9
S. Williams b Thushara 8
P. Utseya c Jayawardene b Mathews 8
K. Dabengwa c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 6
E. Chigumbura st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 6
R. Price st Sangakkara b Mendis 2
T. Mupariwa c Tharanga b Mendis 0
E. Rainsford not out 0
EXTRAS (b4, lb6, w6) 16
TOTAL (for all out) 80
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15, 2-16, 3-27, 4-47, 5-53, 6-70, 7-73, 8-78, 9-80.
BOWLING: Kulasekara 7-2-13-3, Thushara 7-1-19-1 (w2), Mathews 6-0-19-1, Mendis 5.2-0-15-3 (w4), Muralitharan 3-1-4-2. |
