By Tendai Chisiri
Sri Lanka – 298-6 in 50 overs (Pathum Nissanka 76, Janith Liyanage 70*, Kamindu Mendis 57; Richard Ngarava 2/34, Sean Williams 1/26, Sikandar Raza 1/48)
Zimbabwe – 291-8 in 50 overs (Sikandar Raza 92, Ben Curran 70, Sean Williams 57; Dilshan Madushanka 4/62, Asitha Fernando 3/50, Kamindu Mendis 1/33)
Sri Lanka won by seven runs
Zimbabwe came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable comeback, but ultimately fell just seven runs short as Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling victory in the first one-day international at Harare Sports Club on Friday.
Chasing 299 for victory, the hosts were rocked early, losing two wickets without a run on the board.
But fighting century stands – first between Ben Curran and stand-in captain Sean Williams and later Sikandar Raza and Tony Munyonga – gave Zimbabwe hope of a famous win before their charge was halted in the closing stages.
With Craig Ervine sidelined by a calf injury, Williams led the side and chose to bowl first after winning the toss.
Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani opened superbly, conceding just nine runs in the first five overs.
Ngarava struck when Nishan Madushka, yet to get off the mark, slashed and was brilliantly caught overhead by Raza at first slip.
Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis then rebuilt with a 100-run stand for the second wicket.
Mendis made 38 before falling to Williams, while Nissanka struck a fluent 76 off 92 balls with 12 boundaries before Muzarabani deceived him with a slower ball, well held by wicketkeeper Clive Madande.
Madande had replaced Brendan Taylor, who injured a finger early in the innings.
At 161 for four, after Sadeera Samarawickrama was lbw to Raza for 35 and Charith Asalanka departed soon after, Zimbabwe sensed an opening.
But Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis turned the tide with a blistering unbroken partnership of 137 in under 14 overs.
Mendis hammered 57 off 36 balls before Ngarava bowled him with a superb yorker off the final delivery, while Liyanage remained unbeaten on 70 from 47 as Sri Lanka closed on 298 for six.
Ngarava was Zimbabwe’s standout bowler with two for 34 from 7.4 overs, despite briefly leaving the field with cramps.
The hosts’ reply began disastrously when Brian Bennett miscued the first ball to point, and Taylor fell three deliveries later, slashing to cover.
Zimbabwe were nought for two after just four balls.
From there, Curran and Williams staged a spirited recovery, both notching half-centuries as they added 118 for the third wicket.
Williams struck 57 off 54 before sweeping Kamindu Mendis to deep square leg, while Curran followed soon after for 70, top-edging a pull off Asitha Fernando.
Wessly Madhevere contributed eight before Liyanage pulled off a stunning catch at third man off Dilshan Madushanka, leaving Zimbabwe 161 for five.
Raza and Munyonga then launched a superb counterattack.
Their sixth-wicket stand of 128 revived hopes of victory as they whittled the target down to 33 off the last four overs.
Nine runs came from the 47th over, followed by seven in the 48th, leaving 17 required from the last two overs.
Fernando bowled a tight 49th over, conceding only seven, leaving Zimbabwe needing 10 from the final six balls.
The decisive blow came with the first delivery of the last over, when Raza, having scored 91 off 87, with eight fours, was bowled attempting to sweep Madushanka’s fast yorker.
His dismissal triggered a collapse as Brad Evans scooped to short fine leg and Ngarava was bowled to give Madushanka a hat-trick.
Muzarabani could only manage a single, leaving Munyonga with nine required from the last two deliveries.
He scraped just one, as Zimbabwe’s gallant fightback ended on 291 for eight.
Madushanka finished with four for 62, including his hat-trick, while Fernando took three for 50.
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