SL vs ZIM, 2nd ODI: In a thrilling encounter at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by two wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series. Janith Liyanage emerged as the hero for the home side scoring a match-winning knock of 95 runs.
But it was the ninth-wicket unbeaten partnership of 39 runs in 40 balls between Dushmantha Chameera and Jeffrey Vandersay that took Sri Lanka home in the mouth-watering clash. Richard Ngarava's maiden five-wicket haul was not enough for the visitors to close the game.
Zimbabwe won the toss under overcast skies and chose to bat first. In the first innings, M Theekshana was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 34. His variations troubled the Zimbabwean batters, and he claimed crucial wickets, including that of Tapiwa Mufudzaq and Faraz.
Chameera and Vandersay also contributed to the bowling effort, with Chameera dismissing dangerous batters like Ervine and Burl. The highlight of the innings was Theekshana's delivery to Tapiwa Mufudzaq, where the wrong un deceived the batsman, resulting in a clean bowled.
On the batting front, Ervine showcased his class, scoring a brilliant 82 runs before falling to Chameera. Ryan Burl and Milton Shumba tried to stabilise the innings, but Sri Lanka's bowlers maintained control.
The fielding effort was exceptional, with Samarawickrama taking a spectacular one-handed catch to dismiss Ervine. Additionally, Vandersay's leg break troubled the batters, leading to Raza's dismissal.
Despite some resistance from the Zimbabwean lower order, Sri Lanka's bowlers remained disciplined. In the end, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 208.
In the previous ODI, Sri Lanka posted a total of 273 for 9. Despite having Zimbabwe at 12 for 2 within the first four overs, rain intervened, leading to the abandonment of the match.