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A hard fought contest but in the end, it was Sri Lanka who prevailed by 2 wickets. Zimbabwe should take a lot of heart from their performance, especially defending a pretty low score. Sri Lanka managed to just about get away with a scare and have taken a 1-0 lead in the three match series. Like always, it was a pleasure bringing everything on offer in the second innings. Till the next time, this is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Pradeep. Goodnight! Cheers!
Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka captain): Not too happy with the way they batted. They are determined to put up a better show in the next game. Mendis credited the bowlers but wasn't happy with the batting effort. (Mendis spoke in Sinhalese and the excerpt was provided by the presenter Roshan Abeysinghe).
Craig Ervine (Zimbabwe captain): I thought we batting reasonably well for the majority of the innings, and then we had a decent little platform but we didn't cash in at the backend of the innings. We thought 240 or 250 would've been a decent score, we lost way too many wickets at the backend put us in the backfoot, but credit to the bowlers, they came out all guns firing. Richie taking his maiden fifers, can't blame the bowlers, but the fielding let us down, dropped a few catches, had we taken them, result would've been different.
Janith Liyanage is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: I was thinking to myself, the ball was moving a bit, I took my time but I wanted to stay till the end and if I did, we could've seen the team home but that helped. It was a bit tricky, wicket was on the slower side, pace varied a bit and was a bit tacky. Was thinking we were behind the D/L, was thinking to get the team ahead that.
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets (with 6 deliveries to spare)
At the halfway stage, Sri Lanka looked the outright favourites as a target of 209 didn't look like challenging Sri Lanka. However, the Zimbabwe bowlers came out with a positive frame of mind and bagged two crucial wickets up front to put Sri Lanka on the backfoot. Avishka Fernando who was making a comeback in the ODI team fell cheaply in the first over as Richard Ngarava brought one back in and an inside edge found Joylord Gumbie behind the stumps. Kusal Mendis was castled by Blessing Muzarabani on his very first delivery but he overstepped which gave him a slice of luck early on in his innings.
Sadeera Samarawickrama went for a blazing drive from a full one from Ngarava and ended up giving a simple catch to the slip cordon. Sri Lanka needed a partnership and it was Mendis and newcomer Janith Liyanage who stitched a 35-run stand to steady things. Mendis got another life just after the rain break but couldn't quite capitalize as he was dismissed three deliveries later. Charith Asalanka was the next man in and was dismissed without bothering the scorers. He went flashing at a back of a length delivery from Ngarava and the outside edge found Joylord Gumbie behind the stumps.
Sahan Arachchige looked in good touch and shared a nice stand with Liyanage. Both batted sensibly and took their time which was the need of the hour after Sri Lanka had lost four early wickets. It was Sikandar Raza who broke the 37-run stand with a sharp one that angled in and thudded onto the front pad. It was plumb and the review was wasted by the batter. Dasun Shanaka was the next man in and he couldn't make a significant impact, edging one of Sikandar Raza to the keeper. With the score reading 112/6, the pressure was very much in Sri Lanka. That is when Liyanage in the company of Maheesh Theekshana got them back into the game with a fifty-run stand.
Liyanage batted brilliantly and Theekshana gave him very good support. For someone playing in just his 2nd ODI, it was a classy knock. The reintroduction of Ngarava brought about the departure of Theekshana. A few moments later, a brain fade moment from Liyanage saw him clofting a good length delivery from Muzarabani straight to the mid-off fielder. Sri Lanka was still 36 runs away from the victory target when Dushmantha Chameera and Jeffrey Vandersay came together. They batted sensibly to start with and just when things were getting tight, Vandersay smashed two important boundaries in the penultimate over before Chameera finished it off on the final delivery of that same over by smoking a slot delivery back over the bowler's head for a boundary.
Chameera hits this through the line and it skids away to the straight boundary. What a great partnership to get Sri Lanka over the line. Both of them batted sensibly and in the end, Sri Lanka win by 2 wickets. There were moments of clumsiness which cost Zimbabwe the game. A massive partnership but take nothing away from the Zimbabwean bowlers. They made 209 look a lot more and with the game having ended, the groundsmen are coming in with the covers. Sri Lanka just about managed to get away there and takes a 1-0 lead in the three match series. Zimbabwe will be disappointed as they looked the favorites to win this at one stage.
49
overs
211/8score
0
4
4
0
1
4
runs
Dushmantha Chameera*
18(25)
Jeffrey Vandersay
19(18)
Faraz Akram
0/43
48.6 Faraz Akram to Dushmantha Chameera, FOUR! IT'S ALL OVER! Chameera and Vandersay hold on to their nerve, this ended up being a thriller but Sri Lanka prevail by two wickets as they go 1-0 up in the series. Length delivery on the stumps, in the slot and Chameera belted it straight over the umpire's head, runs away to the ropes in a flash to seal the game.
48.5 Faraz Akram to Jeffrey Vandersay, full toss into the batter, Vandersay misses out as he swings across, but mistimes it to deep square-leg for just one. Sri Lanka need just 2 now!
48.4 Faraz Akram to Jeffrey Vandersay, too full on the off-stump, almost a yorker. Vandersay drilled it straight to the cover fielder for a dot ball.
Goodness gracious! This is a top quality shot from Vandersay and it races away to the extra cover fence. That was absolutely creamed. He did a job with the ball and now he is taking his side home in the cliffhanger.
48.3 Faraz Akram to Jeffrey Vandersay, FOUR MORE! Vandersay is turning it on for Sri Lanka, what a shot this again. Length delivery outside the off-stump, Vandersay strides out and thrashes it through extra-cover and it raced away to the ropes. Sri Lanka now need just three!
What a massive moment in the game, Vandersay takes the risk and it comes off. What a time to produce the shot, moves across off and ramps that over the short fine leg fielder.
48.2 Faraz Akram to Jeffrey Vandersay, FOUR! SHOT! Vandersay you beauty! What a sensational shot to break the shackles here. Back of a length on the middle and leg. Vandersay walks across off-stump and ramps it well over the man inside the ring, goes couple of bounces into the ropes.
48.1 Faraz Akram to Jeffrey Vandersay, back of a length, rising into the batter. Vandersay drives on the up, but finds the short extra-cover for no run.
Faraz Akram [9-0-30-0] is back into the attack.
A very good spell from Muzarabani comes to an end. The equation is getting tighter. Still 11 runs needed off 12 deliveries and the drizzle has been very steady. Some well directed short deliveries from Muzarabani in that over, just three runs coming despite the no ball.
48
overs
198/8score
0
1
1nb
0
1
0
0
runs
Dushmantha Chameera*
14(24)
Jeffrey Vandersay
10(13)
Blessing Muzarabani
1/41
47.6 Blessing Muzarabani to Dushmantha Chameera, STIFLED APPEAL FOR CAUGHT BEHIND! Back of a length outside the off-stump, Chameera waits to cut, but gets beaten.
47.5 Blessing Muzarabani to Dushmantha Chameera, OH! Nasty bumper from Muzarabani, hostile stuff. Short delivery, dug into the track and takes Chameera by surprise as he goes awkwardly ducking under it in time.