The Sri Lankan cricket team delivered a stellar performance to win the two-match ODI series against Zimbabwe 2-0. In the second and final ODI played at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, Sri Lanka defeated the host team by 5 wickets.
Sports News: Sri Lanka secured the two-match series 2-0 by defeating Zimbabwe by five wickets in the second ODI played in Harare. With this victory, the team achieved a clean sweep. After losing the toss and opting to bat first, Zimbabwe posted a total of 277 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their stipulated 50 overs.
The team got off to a good start with Brian Bennett and Ben Curran, who added 55 runs for the first wicket in 9.4 overs. However, Brian Bennett was dismissed for 21 runs off 29 balls.
Zimbabwe's Strong Start
Opting to bat first after losing the toss, the Zimbabwe team had a brilliant start. Opening batsmen Brian Bennett and Ben Curran put on a 55-run partnership for the first wicket in 9.4 overs. Brian scored 21 runs off 29 balls with the help of two boundaries before returning to the pavilion. Following this, Brendan Taylor came to the crease and, along with Curran, forged a 61-run partnership. However, Taylor could only manage 20 runs off 37 balls. On the other hand, Curran batted magnificently, scoring 79 runs off 95 balls, which included 9 boundaries.
In the middle order, Sikandar Raza played a responsible innings, scoring an unbeaten 59 runs and guiding the team to a respectable total. Zimbabwe ended their innings at 277 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. For Sri Lanka, bowler Dushmantha Chameera was the most successful, picking up 3 wickets in his 10 overs. Asitha Fernando claimed 2 wickets.
Sri Lanka's Response
Chasing a target of 278 runs, Sri Lanka's start was not as impressive. Opener Nuwanidu Fernando was out for just 14 runs, while Kusal Mendis (5 runs) also returned to the pavilion early. By the score of 68, Sri Lanka had lost two crucial wickets. At this juncture, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama steadied the innings. They added 78 runs for the third wicket. Samarawickrama contributed 31 runs.
Subsequently, Pathum Nissanka and captain Charith Asalanka batted brilliantly. They formed a 90-run partnership for the fourth wicket, propelling the team towards victory. Nissanka continued his excellent form, scoring 122 runs off 136 balls, a knock that included 16 boundaries. Asalanka, meanwhile, scored 71 runs off 61 balls, which featured 7 fours. Sri Lanka successfully chased the target, winning the match in 49.3 overs with 5 wickets in hand.
For the host team, Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans picked up 2 wickets each, while Ernest Masuku claimed 1 wicket. However, their efforts were not enough against Sri Lanka's b batting performance.
