Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE seem to enjoy doing things the hard way.
At Harare Sports Club yesterday, the Chevrons tore through Sri Lanka with the ball but still found a way to make their chase of a modest target look far trickier than it should have been.
In the end, Ryan Burl and Tashinga Musekiwa held their nerve to steer Zimbabwe to a five wicket win, levelling the three match T20 series at one game each and forcing today’s decider.
Sikandar Raza stuck with the same XI while Sri Lanka, despite winning the opener, made two changes. Kamil Mishara came in for Kusal Perera and left arm seamer Binura Fernando replaced Nuwan Thushara. Both changes backfired almost immediately.
After Raza won the toss and opted to field, Zimbabwe delivered a near-perfect bowling and fielding display. Sri Lanka were bundled out for 80 in 17.1 overs, their second lowest T20 total in history and their worst against Zimbabwe.
Raza and seamer Brad Evans led the attack with three wickets each. Blessing Muzarabani and Sean Williams added two and one respectively. Only Mishara (20), captain Charith Asalanka (18) and Dasun Shanaka (15) reached double figures as wickets fell in clumps. The only meaningful stand was a sixth wicket partnership of 26 between Asalanka and Shanaka.
With just 81 required, the chase looked like a formality. But Zimbabwe’s batting faltered once more.
Tadiwanashe Marumani scratched to 17 before edging Dushmantha Chameera behind. He had put on 20 with Brian Bennett, but that was as fluent as it got. Chameera then bowled Williams for a duck and Raza for just two, turning the chase into an uncomfortable scrap.
Bennett (19) and debutant Tony Manyonga (3) also departed cheaply, leaving Zimbabwe wobbling at 61 for five.
It took a calm, unbroken sixth wicket stand of 23 between Burl (20 not out) and Musekiwa (21 not out) to seal victory. Their patient, risk-free approach saw Zimbabwe home with 18 balls to spare.
Chameera finished with three for 19 while Theekshana and Fernando picked up a wicket each.
After the game, Raza admitted relief as much as joy.
“The good thing about playing good cricket is that cricket rewards you back,” he said. “We have been playing good cricket. We were a bit upset with the losses because we got close in the previous three games. But we didn’t panic. Hopefully this win will give us belief. The good thing in this environment is that we believe in the players’ abilities. Anyone can have a bad day, but Blessing came back today. We have got to be even better in the next game. We deserve to win a series because we have been playing quality cricket.”
Asalanka was blunt in his assessment.
“We lost too many wickets in the powerplay. That’s not the start we wanted. When I went to bat I thought it was a 130–140 pitch, but in this format 80 runs is not enough,” said the Sri Lankan skipper.
The stage is now set for a tense series decider today, with both sides chasing momentum heading into a busy international calendar.
Peter Tanyanyiwa