Pathum Nissanka carried on his good form from the last game and smashed another half-century while Pavan Rathnayake drove home the advantage in the middle phase and held the innings together after Nissanka’s departure as they hammered Zimbabwe. Late order cameos also helped the Lankan Lions as they posted 178/7 in 20 overs which is around 20 above par on this pitch. Zimbabwe bowled well but in patches and now has to bat out of their skins to upstage the co-hosts Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka gets off to a flier despite losing Kusal Perera.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first under overcast conditions in Colombo, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera came out to open for Sri Lanka while Sikandar Raza the captain took the new ball for Zimbabwe. Perera crunched the ball by rocking back and cut it past the diving point fielder for a boundary. Blessing Muzarabani had the new ball in hand from the other end. Perera swung it away by heaving it away to the midwicket fence for a boundary. Perera swung the bat again and got an under edge past short fine leg for a boundary.
Wellington Masakadza came into the attack next and was welcomed with a boundary as Nissanka got down on one knee and tried to play the sweep shot and got the top edge that went over short fine leg for a boundary. Nissanka swept well again as he got it over backward square leg for a boundary. Brad Evans came into the attack next. Nissanka tickled the balls onto the pads to the fine leg fence. Nissanka then pulled it away towards deep forward square leg for a boundary. Nissanka once again threw his hands at it and cut it over backward point for a boundary.
Blessing Muzarabani came back into the attack as Perera hung back and pulled it away past deep midwicket for a boundary as the 50 was raised in 4.1 overs for Sri Lanka. Muzarabani broke through for Zimbabwe as he dismissed Kusal Perera for 22 off 14 balls with 4 fours to his name as the attempted pull shot was hit to the short fine leg fielder. Kusal Mendis came out to bat next.
Brad Evans came to bowl the last over of powerplay as Nissanka rid the bounce and opened the bat face to guide it through short third man and backward point for a boundary. Drinks was taken in 5.1 overs as the take-off point had to be repaired and the ground staff used axe to do it. Evans came back after the break and kept it tight for the last 5 balls as Sri Lanka reached 61/1 in 6 overs with Nissanka unbeaten on 34 off 20 balls and Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls.
Pathum Nissanka drives Sri Lanka forward with half century; Zimbabwe hit back with wickets and tightening the screws as well.Â
Sikandar Raza came back into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a decent 7th over. Graeme Cremer came into the attack next. He started with a quiet over. Wellington Masakadza came back into the attack and bowled another quiet over. Cremer continued as Nissanka finally broke the shackles by rocking away and pulled it away between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Nissanka completed yet another half-century off 34 balls and continued his great run as this was his 19th T20I fifty. Nissanka got the outside edge that beat short third man for a boundary.
Sri Lanka were 86/1 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game as Zimbabwe pegged things back a little bit. Raza came to bowl his third over. He bowled a decent over. Wellington continued as a lot of twos were taken by the Sri Lankan batters as the 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 12 overs. Ryan Burl came into the attack for the first time today and he struck straightaway as he removed Kusal Mendis for 14 off 20 balls as the batter was beaten by turn and was stumped by the keeper.
Pavan Rathnayake came out to bat next. Marumani was hit on the throat but he recovered after a check by the physio. Cremer continued as Rathnayake survived a scare as he survived a close stumping appeal as some part of the foot was indeed behind the line. Cremer then got the big fish as he removed the well set Nissanka for 62 off 41 balls with 8 fours to his name as the reverse sweep brought about his downfall as the top edge was found and the catch was taken by backward point fielder.
Drinks was taken after which Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next. Mendis got off the mark with a brace. Ryan Burl came to bowl the 15th over of the innings. Lots of wides were dished out as Kamindu drilled it back hard straight down the ground for a boundary between long-on and long-off. Sri Lanka reached 122/3 in 15 overs with Rathnayake unbeaten on 10 off 11 balls while Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 7 off 4 balls.
Late overs hitting amidst a flurry of wickets helps Sri Lanka post 178/7 in 20 overs.Â
Graeme Cremer continued and he got rid of Kamindu Mendis for 7 off 5 balls with one four to his name as the southpaw spooned it back to the bowler. Captain Dasun Shanaka came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Cremer dropped a tough catch of his own bowling as Shanaka survived a scare. Raza came to bowl his final over as he overstepped but the free hit yielded just a single. Rathnayake managed to get a triple at deep midwicket region.
Rathnayake took it on and heaved it high over deep midwicket for the maximum. Muzarabani came back into the attack and he got rid of Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka for 6 off 7 balls as the pick up shot was miscued and hit it to deep backward square leg. Dunith Wellalage came out to bat next. He got off the mark while Rathnayake pulled it away through forward square leg for a boundary. Brad Evans came to bowl the 19th over as Rathnayake shuffled across and scooped it over short fine leg for a boundary. Rathnayake then went big as he pulled it over square leg for the maximum. Rathnayake again stayed leg side of the ball and went over extra cover for a boundary.
Evans hit back and got rid of Rathnayake for 44 off 25 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the catch was taken at short third man. Dushan Hemantha came out to bat next. Evans got two in two balls as he got rid of Hemantha for a golden duck by playing a miscued lofted shot down to the long-on fielder. Maheesh Theekshana came out to bat next.
Blessing Muzarabani came to bowl the final over. Wellalage hops back and nailed the upper cut over backward point for a boundary. Zimbabwe wasted a review for caught behind appeal against Wellalage. Wellalage managed to get a boundary away as he opened the bat face and threw his hands at it and slicing it past backward point for a boundary. Wellalage finished things off in style by hitting another boundary by helping it on its way over the fielder and away for a boundary. Wellalage remained unbeaten on 15 off 8 balls with 3 fours to his name. Theekshana is unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. 8 extras given by the fielding side as Sri Lanka finished with 178/7 in 20 overs.
Graeme Cremer was the pick of the bowlers with 2/27 in 4 overs. Brad Evans finished with 2/35 in 3 overs. Blessing Muzarabani finished with 2/38 in 4 overs. Ryan Burl finished with 1/16 in 2 overs. Wellington Masakadza finished with 0/23 in 3 overs. Sikandar Raza finished with 0/36 in 4 overs. So, this meant that Zimbabwe need 179 runs to win the contest.
Who’s Winning, Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe?Â
Sri Lanka have got the runs on the board and on a slow pitch turning, this is a very good score. The spinners will come into play in middle phase and Zimabwe will have a lot to do to chase this down. Can they do it? Only time will tell. But for now, we have to say that the Lankans have the advantage at this stage and should go onto win the contest easily.
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