Chronicle EditorPETER MOOR, with a fighting innings of 47, was probably the only Zimbabwe player who will want to remember anything about the opening match of the first match of the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club.The Asians won by eight wickets. The majority of the Zimbabwe batsmen were seemingly spooked by being put in to bat in what they expected to be lethal conditions for batting and only Moor was able to put together a good score and carry the attack back to the tourists.
Set a simple target, the Sri Lanka batsmen ran home with more than 25 overs to spare, treating the Zimbabwe bowlers as they pleased.
Zimbabwe dropped Hamilton Masakadza, with Tino Mawoyo, Malcolm Waller and Chris Mpofu also being omitted and in their places were Carl Mumba, making his ODI debut, Chamu Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza and Tinashe Panyangara, returning after injury.
For Sri Lanka, Asela Gunaratne made his ODI debut, while four other changes were made to their Test team. Rangana Herath has retired from one-day cricket, so Upul Tharanga captained the side.
The conditions were cloudy, there was moisture in the pitch after prolonged rain and as usual conditions favour the bowlers, in the morning and Zimbabwe lost the toss and were put in to bat.
In fact the pitch did not give much movement and there was virtually no swing — it was more the negative expectations of the Zimbabwe batsmen that caused their downfall against bowling that was good, but never lethal.
Chibhabha fought for almost 16 overs to score 18, but then he tried to turn a straight ball from the seamer Nuwan Pradeep across the line to leg and was trapped lbw, a referral merely confirming the decision; 46 for five.
Elton Chigumbura edged a ball from Pradeep to the keeper for one, without moving his feet.
With the conditions easing a little, Moor put up a fight in partnership with Graeme Cremer.
He hit another big six, over square leg this time, when Shehan Jayasuriya pitched a ball on his legs, and in Jayasuriya’s next over a third over long-on. Cremer was left not out with a useful 31.
Scores
Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe in tri-series opener
Zimbabwe: 154 all out in 41.3 overs (Peter Moor 47, Graeme Cremer 31*; Asela Gunaratne 3/21, Suranga Lakmal 2/19, Nuwan Pradeep 2/21, Nuwan Kulasekara 2/23)
Sri Lanka: 155 for 2 in 24.3 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 78*, Niroshan Dickwella 41; Chamunorwa Chibhabha 1/18, Tinashe Panyangara 1/37)
Sri Lanka won by eight wickets — Zimcricket.
Online Reporter