HARARE: Pathum Nissanka top-scored with a swift 55 as Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in Harare in the first of three Twenty20 Internationals on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe posted 175-7 in 20 overs, thanks mainly to 81 runs from opener Brian Bennett, and Sri Lanka reached 177-6 with five balls to spare. The teams meet again on Saturday and Sunday.
After 27-year-old right-hand bat Nissanka played a pivotal role with a half century and a century in a 2-0 One-day International series victory, he proved equally successful in the shorter format.
His 15th T20 half-century came off 32 balls and included four fours and two sixes before a top edge off the bowling of Tinotenda Maposa was caught by wicket-keeper Tadiwanashe Marumani. His exit triggered a mini-collapse as four Sri Lankan wickets fell in 19 balls with the tourists adding just 10 runs to reach 106-4.
But an unbeaten 41 from Kamindu Mendis off 16 balls, including four sixes, steadied the tourists’ innings. His main support came from Dushan Hemantha (14 not out).
Quick Richard Ngarava, with 2-19 in four overs, was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers at Harare Sports Club.
Bennett fell 10 runs short of his best T20 score as he notched a fifth T20 half century.
Attempting a scoop shot, Bennett was the victim of a yorker from quick Dushmantha Chameera (3-30) that uprooted the middle stump.
The only other Zimbabwe batter to pass the 20-run mark was captain Sikandar Raza, who made 28 before being caught by Nissanka at deep midwicket off the bowling of Hemantha.
Scoreboard
ZIMBABWE:
B. Bennett b Chameera81
T. Marumani c Fernando b Chameera7
S. Williams lbw b Theekshana14
S. Raza c Nissanka b Hemantha28
R. Burl b Chameera17
T. Musekiwa c K. Mendis b Thushara11
T. Munyonga run out0
B. Evans not out0
T. Maposa not out2
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-12)15
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs)175
DID NOT BAT: R. Ngarava, B. Muzarabani
FALL OF WKTS: 1-22 (Marumani), 2-59 (Williams), 3-109 (Raza), 4-160 (Burl), 5-162 (Bennett), 6-173 (Musekiwa), 7-173 (Munyonga)
BOWLING: Thushara 4-0-47-1 (2w), Theekshana 4-0-38-1 (2w), Chameera 4-0-30-3 (3w), Hemantha 4-0-28-1, K.D. Mendis 2-0-15-0, Shanaka 2-0-14-0
SRI LANKA:
P. Nissanka c Marumani b Maposa55
K. Mendis c Maposa b Ngarava38
K. Perera c Bennett b Ngarava4
N. Fernando c Raza b Muzarabani7
C. Asalanka c Marumani b Raza1
K.D. Mendis not out41
D. Shanaka c Munyonga b Evans6
D. Hemantha not out14
EXTRAS (B-3, LB-4, NB-2, W-2)11
TOTAL (for six wickets, 19.1 overs)177
DID NOT BAT: D. Chameera, M. Theekshana, N. Thushara
FALL OF WKTS: 1-96 (Nissanka), 2-102 (K. Perera), 3-103 (K. Mendis), 4-106 (Asalanka), 5-125 (Fernando), 6-142 (Shanaka)
BOWLING: Ngarava 4-0-19-2 (1w), Muzarabani 3.1-0-41-1, Maposa 4-0-47-1 (1w, 1nb), Evans 3-0-30-1, Raza 4-0-26-1, Williams 1-0-7-0
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by four wickets.
