Online Reporter
CAPTAIN and all-rounder Sikandar Raza led from the front as Zimbabwe cruised to a convincing 67-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Pakistan T20 Tri Series yesterday.
After choosing to bowl first, Sri Lanka ran into an inspired Brian Bennett who steadied the Zimbabwe innings with a composed 49 from 42 balls before he was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga, falling just short of a deserved half century.
Sikandar Raza then picked up the scoring rate with an elegant display that carried him to 47, although he too departed only a few runs away from fifty. The rest of the batting order struggled to build on the platform, and wickets fell at regular intervals.
Hasaranga finished as the standout bowler with figures of three for 32, while Zimbabwe posted a total of 162 for eight.
The target appeared achievable, but Sri Lanka made a disastrous start. Pathum Nissanka was removed by Richard Ngarava in the opening over without scoring, and Kusal Mendis soon followed after being run out for only six.
The innings never truly recovered. Dasun Shanaka offered the lone significant resistance with a valuable 34 from 25 deliveries, but the remainder of the batting lineup faltered under disciplined Zimbabwe bowling.
Their attack maintained tight lines throughout, with Brad Evans delivering the most impressive return of three wickets for only nine runs, while Sikandar Raza chipped in with a wicket of his own.
The win marked a strong response from Zimbabwe after their defeat to Pakistan in the first match of the Tri Series. They now enjoy a brief break before a rematch with Pakistan on November 23. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, must regroup quickly as they prepare to take on the host nation and attempt to move past this disappointing batting performance.
On receiving the man-of-the-match award, Raza said it was important for him to perform well.
“As a captain you have to lead from the front. Once you see the team captain do all the right things, I need to set an example. Once I can have good work ethics, I feel everyone will follow. You want to be there when the chips are down and be prepared to do the dirty work for the team. If I’m trying, I feel my team is going to try.
“We’ve put ourselves in a decent position to get to the final. We know how good Sri Lanka are. A bad game can happen and I’m glad it happened against us,” he said. – Sports Reporter/ Cricket World.
