Home Cricket National Cricket Dimuth scores a ton; Sri Lanka prolongs declaration and it rains

CRICKET-ZIM-SRI — Sri Lanka's batsman Dimuth Karunaratne (C) plays a shot during the first match in a series of two cricket Test matches between Sri Lanka and hosts Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on October 29, 2016. This is the 100th Test match since Zimbabwe began playing international test cricket in 1992. / AFP PHOTO / JEKESAI NJIKIZANA

Dimuth scores a ton; Sri Lanka prolongs declaration and it rains

01/11/2016

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Dimuth Karunarathne stroked his first Test century in 2016 while Dhananjaya De Silva slammed his second Test fifty as Sri Lanka stretched their lead past 400 against Zimbabwe before rain halted play on day four in the first Test match in Harare.

Karunarathne and De Silva pushed the Sri Lankan score to 247 for 6 when rain arrived and by then the lead was 411 for the visitors. More than 30 overs were lost today due to the evening showers experienced in the capital of Zimbabwe.

Karunarathne and De Silva played with great ease on a wearing pitch as they managed to collect 94 runs in 126 deliveries which took Sri Lanka to a commanding place. De Silva in particular stroked runs at a healthy strike rate of just below 80 and upped the scoring rate. Karunarathne scored equally on either of the wicket but drove delicately and played the ball late.

The centurion, Karunarathne was undone by the slower delivery of Christopher Mpofu as he gave a simple return catch to end his 173-ball stay. Karunarathne after being dropped on five by Brian Chari at extra-cover ended up scoring 110 which had 60 singles and 7 boundaries.

Debutant, Carl Mumba took his 4^th wicket in the innings when one of his deliveries stopped on De Silva after the tea break and managed to lob it to the safe hands of Malcolm Waller at cover point. He clobbered 5 fours and a six during his excellent 82-ball 64.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost opening batsman, Kaushal Silva early on when he chopped one on as Mumba struck in the 7^th over of the morning when the score was just 17. The first innings’ centurion, Kusal Perera scored 17 off 35 balls and was involved in a 55-run stand for the 2^nd wicket with Karunarathne.

Part-time off-spinner, Waller got the prized scalp of Perera as he played away from the body without any foot movement and nicked to first slip where Hamilton Masakadza held onto a sharp catch to his left.

Just before lunch, Kusal Mendis became Mumba’s second scalp as a leading edge brought the end to the 39-run stand for the 3^rd wicket and right after lunch, Upul Tharanga drove away from the body and was caught behind by Peter Moor as Mumba struck either side of the lunch break.