Chronicle EditorSRI LANKA sneaked home by a single run against the West Indies to ensure a place in the cricket tri-series final at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.Evin Lewis set up the chase with a brilliant 148, but the innings fell away with his dismissal in the 41st over.
Needing 32 runs from the final four overs, they lost Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn in 16 balls to limp to 329 for nine.
Terrific death bowling by the Sri Lankan bowlers, who conceded only two boundaries in the last five overs ensured them a place in the final.
Earlier, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis both hit 94 to set Sri Lanka up for a formidable total.
The pair shared in a 107-run partnership for the third wicket, as Sri Lanka racked up 330 for seven after losing the toss and being put in to bat by the West Indies. Scores in the series, which also involves hosts Zimbabwe, had been low in the first four games, with most sides showing caution in the early part of their innings. But Sri Lanka reversed that trend as Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva overcame the early loss of Kusal Perera to score at better than a run a ball in the opening powerplay.
The duo put on 105 for the second wicket before de Silva was caught and bowled by Kraigg Brathwaite for 58.
Dickwella and Mendis capitalised on that platform, keeping the momentum going until West Indies captain Jason Holder broke the stand by trapping Dickwella lbw. Mendis also fell agonisingly short of a hundred when he edged a delivery from Ashley Nurse through to the wicketkeeper. Despite those setbacks, Sri Lanka finished strongly as they added 45 runs in the last five overs, with captain Upul Tharanga falling for a brisk 26 off the final ball of the innings. Both sides went into the match with seven points in the series, three more than Zimbabwe, knowing that victory would assure either of them a place in Sunday’s final regardless of the outcome in Zimbabwe’s game against West Indies tomorrow — AFP.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter