Chevrons to play waiting game

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’s final or book an early flight home.

This comes after yet another life-less performance with the bat as Sri Lanka steam-rolled to a nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Not even the cricket gods could save Zimbabwe as Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bat.

The Chevrons could, however, only put 146 runs on the board during their allotted 20 overs.

The top order was whittled down by 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 (LBW) from Wanindu Hasaranga only to lose his wicket when he paddled a Dasun Shanaka delivery onto his own stumps in the very next over.

He would depart for 14 runs off balls 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 ship with a 36-runs off 30 balls fourth-wicket stand.

Zimbabwe’s luck, or lack of, would rear its ugly head as 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 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 a 36-runs off 28 balls fifth-wicket stand while Burl and Tashinga Musekiwa’s sixth-wicket stand helped 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, namely 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.

Mishara and Mendis’ cameos saw the two chip in 12 runs off 15 balls and a run-a-ball 25 respectively, as Nissanka was the clear aggressor and completely dominated the Chevrons.

On top of being awarded the player-of-the-match award, Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s top run-scorer in T20 internationals with 2 326 runs, surpassing Kusal Perera’s 2 305.

“My plan was to play well in the power play, because we had struggled through that phase,” said Perera after the match.

“I analysed my game. There were a few mistakes and I corrected those and it came off.

“It’s not easy to play all three formats and adapt to those, however, I have training for each of them,” he said.

Raza, on the other hand, 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.

“There was variable bounce too but once you bowl too full or too short, it’s easy.

“We haven’t been in a position where we have to rely on others to qualify, so it’s not a good position to be in.

Groups

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman

Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy