Janith Liyanage’s patient 95-run knock and invaluable lower order contribution guided Sri Lanka to win over Zimbabwe in a nervy chase in the second ODI at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Chasing 209 to win, Avishka Fernando failed to provide a good start once again as Richard Ngarava removed the latter when he was on four via a successful review for a caught behind in the very first over.
Blessing Muzarabani began the second over, shattering the stumps of Kusal Mendis, but it was eventually called a no ball after being recognised as the bowler having overstepped. Sadeera Samarawickrama did not hang in there either as Ngarava removed him, reducing the islanders to 16/2.
Mendis was relieved after Muzarabani dropped him off Ngarava’s bowling when he was on 16. However, it did not last long as Mendis found Burl at backward point in the same over. The first game centurion Charith Asalanka became Ngarava’s next victim before troubling the scores, which reduced the home team to 53/4 in 16 overs. Janith Liyanage and Sahan Arachchige tried to put up a fight, adding 37 runs for the 5th wicket.
Sikandar Raza trapped Arachchige in front of the stumps for 21 before getting rid of Dasun Shanaka for 7, leaving the hosts 112/6. Maheesh Theekshana joined with Liyanage as the duo built up the highest partnership of the innings adding 56 runs.
Ngarava and Muzarabani brought Zimbabwe back into this match, with the wickets of both set batters in the space of 7 balls. Theekshana contributed 18 runs while Liyanage who missed out on his maiden ODI hundred, perished for a patient 95 in 127 balls.
Somehow, Dushmantha Chameera (18* off 25) and Jefrrey Vandersay (19* off 18) managed to take Sri Lanka home after 8 down for 172, with an unbroken 39-run stand.
In the bowling department, Ngarava delivered his best ODI spell, claiming maiden 5-wicket haul while bowling three maidens in his 10 overs. Raza also chipped in with two scalps while Muzarabani bagged a wicket.
Earlier today, the Zimbabwe Skipper Craig Ervine, who won the toss, decided to bat first as the visitors made one change, bringing Joylord Gumbie in place of Takudzwanashe Kaitano at the top of the order, while the hosts were unchanged.
The opening stand between Joylord Gumbie and Tinashe Kamunhukamwe only lasted for three deliveries. Dilshan Madushanka, who castled Kamunhukamwe for a golden duck in the first ODI, removed him for a first-ball duck once again when he found a faint inside edge as the wicket-keeper Mendis completed the catch diving to his left.
Gumbie and Ervine added 60 runs for the second wicket until Maheesh Theekshana clean-bowled the opener for 30 with an attempted wrong-un. Milton Shumba joined with his Captain as the duo stitched together in another half-century stand.
During this period, Ervine got a life when Mendis missed a stumping opportunity off the bowling of Sahan Arachchige in the 18th over. However, Theekshana broke that partnership, dismissing Shumba for 26. The experienced Sikandar Raza came next to bat, but his stay at the crease did not last long as Jerffrey Vandersay removed the veteran for one.
Ervine and Ryan Burl tried to stabilize the innings, building a 65-run stand for the fifth wicket before Sadeera Samarawickrama took a stunning one-handed catch at backward point to remove well-set Ervine, giving Dushmantha Chameera his first scalp. The visiting Captain manufactured his innings brilliantly, accumulating 82 runs while hitting 9 fours and a six in 102 balls.
Soon after, Chameera knocked out the off stump of Burl for 31, which made the downfall of the innings as Vandersay and Theekshana cleaned up the tail to bundle out the opponents for 208, with more than 5 overs to spare.
Theekshana shone with the ball for the hosts, finishing with 4/31 in 9.4 overs including a maiden, while both Chameera and Vandersay snatched a couple of scalps apiece.
The third and final ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will take place at the same venue on Thursday, 11th of January. Stay tuned for more Cricket updates with Sri Lanka’s No. 1 Sports Channel – ThePapare.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joylord Gumbie | b Maheesh Theekshana | 30 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 81.08 |
| Tinashe Kamunhukamwe | c Kusal Mendis b Dilshan Madushanka | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Craig Ervine | c Sadeera Samarawickrama b Dushmantha Chameera | 82 | 102 | 9 | 1 | 80.39 |
| Milton Shumba | c Sahan Arachchige b Maheesh Theekshana | 26 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 57.78 |
| Sikandar Raza | c Janith Liyanage b Jeffery Vandersay | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Ryan Burl | b Dushmantha Chameera | 31 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 83.78 |
| Clive Madande | lbw b Jeffery Vandersay | 14 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Faraz Akram | lbw b Maheesh Theekshana | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Richard Ngarava | not out | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Blessing Muzarabani | run out (Kusal Mendis) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tapiwa Mufudza | b Maheesh Theekshana | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Extras | 17 (b 1 , lb 8 , nb 1, w 7, pen 0) |
| Total | 208/10 (44.4 Overs, RR: 4.66) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dilshan Madushanka | 7 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 3.43 | |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 8 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 5.50 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 9.4 | 1 | 31 | 4 | 3.30 | |
| Janith Liyanage | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5.50 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3.50 | |
| Sahan Arachchige | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 | |
| Jeffery Vandersay | 10 | 1 | 47 | 2 | 4.70 | |
| Charith Asalanka | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 9.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avishka Fernando | c Joylord Gumbie b Richard Ngarava | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Ryan Burl b Richard Ngarava | 17 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 60.71 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | c Craig Ervine b Richard Ngarava | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Janith Liyanage | c Richard Ngarava b Blessing Muzarabani | 95 | 127 | 6 | 2 | 74.80 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Joylord Gumbie b Richard Ngarava | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sahan Arachchige | lbw b Sikandar Raza | 21 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 53.85 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Joylord Gumbie b Sikandar Raza | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 53.85 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | c Faraz Akram b Richard Ngarava | 18 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 58.06 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | not out | 18 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 72.00 |
| Jeffery Vandersay | not out | 19 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 105.56 |
| Extras | 8 (b 0 , lb 2 , nb 2, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 211/8 (49 Overs, RR: 4.31) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Ngarava | 10 | 3 | 32 | 5 | 3.20 | |
| Blessing Muzarabani | 10 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 4.10 | |
| Faraz Akram | 10 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 4.30 | |
| Sikandar Raza | 10 | 1 | 32 | 2 | 3.20 | |
| Tapiwa Mufudza | 7 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 5.43 | |
| Ryan Burl | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 11.50 | |
