Dhananjaya De Silva recorded his highest ODI score, 78* off 75 balls to guide Sri Lanka to a comfortable 8-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first match of the Tri-series at Harare Sports Club.
After cleaning up the hosts for a mere 154 as the Lankan seamers used the overhead and pitch conditions brilliantly, the visitors raced to 155 for the loss of only two wickets to secure the bonus point.
“Good feeling. Everyone did really well. The bowlers stuck to the plan and bowled in the right areas. They knew the wicket will do something.” Skipper Upul Tharanga said at the post-match presentation.
De Silva was caught behind by Peter Moor for a no-ball off Tinashe Panayangara in the first ball of the Sri Lanka chase and since then the Lankans went on a rampage scoring runs at will.
De Silva added 56 for the first wicket with Kusal Perera before the latter was caught excellently by Sikandar Raza at deep square-leg for 21 off part-time seamer, Chamu Chibhabha. Wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella played a few eye-pleasing cover drives during his fabulous 38-ball 41 before handing a leading edge to Carl Mumba at third man off Panayangara.
De Silva played with superb panache to continue his excellent run of form to punish the lackluster Zimbabwean bowling attack. He made several flicks, cover drives and pulls to accumulate 12 fours. Kusal Mendis made a six and a four to finish off the chase with more than 25 overs to spare.
Earlier, Brian Chari was caught sharply by diving Kusal Mendis at second slip for 7 and two balls later, Craig Ervine edged to the slip cordon as Suranga Lakmal struck immediately after Tharanga won the toss and elected to field on his captaincy debut.
Sikandar Raza lobbed it to short mid-wicket, Sachith Pathirana off Nuwan Kulasekara as the hosts were restricted to 14 for 3. Sri Lanka opted for spin right after the first Powerplay was over and left-arm spinner, Pathirana induced a thick edge off Sean Williams in the first ball but De Silva dropped a tough chance at first slip but four balls later, Williams danced down the track and missed the delivery while Dickwella dislodged the bails.
Nuwan Pradeep having successfully recovered from a hamstring injury bowled with good pace to trap Chamu Chibhabha plumb in front for 18 and had Elton Chigumbura caught behind as Zimbabwe lost six wickets for just 50 runs in 17.1 overs.
Moor and skipper Graeme Cremer steadied innings with a resilient 55-run stand but Kulasekara returned for his second spell and trapped the former for 47. The Zimbabwe tail tried their best to wag along with their captain Cremer and bat out the fifty overs but the off-cutters of debutant, Asela Gunarathne were tough to put away who took the last three wickets.
Donald Tiripano holed out to Kulasekara at deep long-on after scoring 19 while debutant Mumba was struck plumb in front but was given not out initially but Sri Lanka used the DRS to overrule the on-field decision. Panayangara miscued an attempted slog and was caught easily by Shehan Jayasuriya at cover to end the innings in the 42nd over.
Sri Lanka will next take on West Indies on 16th November at the same venue in the second game of the triangular series.
