Zimbabwe defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in second T20I

2024.01.17

Zimbabwe defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the second T20I of the ongoing Zimbabwe tour to Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. With this victory, the guests levelled the three-match series (1-1).

Sri Lanka faced early setbacks in their batting, losing two wickets in the second over and Kusal Mendis in the fourth, leaving them struggling at 31/4 by the end of the powerplay. Charith Asalanka, coming in at number 5, displayed resilience alongside Angelo Mathews. Asalanka reached his 5th T20I half-century in 31 balls, amassing 69 runs with five fours and three sixes.

Despite Mathews’ initial struggle, the pair showcased a remarkable 118-run partnership for the 5th wicket. Asalanka’s departure at 69 marked a turning point. With 20 runs off 32 balls at that point, Mathews accelerated in the latter half, reaching his half-century in 45 balls.

Dasun Shanaka joined Mathews, contributing to an aggressive finish in the last two overs. Although Shanaka fell for nine off four balls, Mathews remained unbeaten, accumulating 66 runs in 51 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes. Their efforts propelled the Islanders to a respectable total of 173/6 in their allotted 20 overs

In pursuit of 174 runs, Zimbabwe faced an early setback, with Tinashe Kamunhukamwe departing for 12 runs. Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett then steadied the innings, adding over 70 runs for the second wicket. Ervine reached his half-century, but Bennett fell for 25 runs to Theekshana.

The team lost quick wickets, with Sikandar Raza (8) and Sean Williams (1) departing. Despite Ervine’s impressive 70 runs off 54 balls, he fell to Wanindu Hasaranga at a crucial moment. Ryan Burl‘s brief cameo of 13 runs ended with Chameera’s dismissal.

Needing 30 runs off the last two overs, Luke Jongwe and Clive Madande added ten runs in the penultimate over, setting up a requirement of 20 runs off the final over. Jongwe’s impactful innings, including 16 runs off the first three balls, reduced the equation to 3 runs off four balls. Madande secured the victory with a final-ball maximum, guiding Zimbabwe to a hard-fought win.

@charith