Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE will have to wait until tomorrow when hosts Pakistan take on Sri Lanka to find out whether they have made it into this weekend final or book an early flight home.
This comes after yet another lifeless performance with the bat as Sri Lanka steamrolled to a nine-wicket victory over the Chevrons at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bat as the Chevrons could put 146 runs on the board during their allotted 20 overs.
The top order whittled from the pressure of a determined Sri Lanka bowling side, led by Maheesh Theekshana’s two wickets for 23 runs.
With the exception of opener Brian Bennet (34), Raza (37) and Ryan Burl (37), none of the Zimbabwe batters seemed to get going.
The duo of Brendan Taylor and Raza even wasted successful reviews only to give away their wickets a couple of balls and overs later.
Taylor survived a leg-before-wicket appeal from Wanindu Hasaranga only to lose his wicket when he paddled a Dasun Shanaka delivery onto his own stumps in the very next over.
Raza also seemed to ride a bit of luck when he was caught at mid-off only for Eshan Malinga’s delivery to be deemed a no ball.
At the time, Raza and Bennett seemed to be on their way to steady the ship with 36-runs off 30 balls in a fourth-wicket stand.
Bennet was dismissed when he hit his own wicket, becoming only the second Zimbabwean after Wesley Madhevere to get out in that fashion.
Each time they seemed to get going and try to build a worthy partnership, Sri Lanka struck back with intent.
In the end, there were only three worthwhile partnerships to talk about with Taylor and Bennet also sharing 36-runs off 28 balls for the fifth-wicket while Burl and Tashinga Musekiwa’s sixth-wicket stand helping Zimbabwe labour to 146 for five.
Their partnership saw the two amass 42 runs off 33 balls as Burl, for the second game in a row, finished unbeaten on 37 runs off 26 balls while Musekiwa made six runs off 14 balls.
Sri Lanka went into their chase of 146 runs with intent as opener Pathum Nissanka led from the front with an explosive 98 runs off 58 balls.
His starring performance featured 11 boundaries and four sixes as the Asians seemed intent on erasing the blemish of their 67-run defeat to Zimbabwe previously and making up for the poor net run-rate.
Nissanka featured in two important partnerships, an opening stand of 59 runs off 34 balls with Kamil Mishara and an unbeaten 89 runs off 64 balls with Kusal Mendis that saw Sri Lanka home.
Raza conceded defeat.
“We were slightly short,” he said.
“We didn’t bowl well in the power play and we didn’t allow the ball to swing. Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have been drawn in the same group at the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
