Zim toil without joy

Brighton Zhawi
Sri Lanka 317-4 (Perera 110, Silva 94); Cremer 3-82
ZIMBABWE toiled hard but with little joy in the country’s milestone100th Test match as Sri Lanka took control of the opening day at Harare Sports Club yesterday.The visitors, who won the toss and elected to bat, ended day one in a commanding position powered by Kusal Perera’s maiden Test hundred (110) and also some missed wicket-taking opportunities by Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka will start day two with Upul Tharanga on 13 and Dhananjaya de Silva (10) after losing centurion Perera minutes before close of play, caught nicely in the covers off Graeme Cremer’s bowling.The hosts picked all of their four wickets, led by captain Graeme Cremer’s 3/82, in the post lunch sessions, but will rue missed opportunities that could have changed the story of the day.

It all started in the second over of the match, bowled by the country’s 100th test player, Carl Mumba, whose first ball got the outside edge of Dimuth Karunaratne and flew over backward point where a back-tracking Sean Williams could not snuffle the chance despite touching the ball. Karunarante, who was under the spotlight for poor form before this Test was dropped on three and together with his opening partner Kaushal Silva, negotiated the always tricky Harare Sports Club first hour, employing patience and pouncing on loose deliveries.

Despite a Donald Tiripano lbw shout, which replays showed should have been given, against Silva, there weren’t many chances created by the bowlers in the first session as Sri Lanka went to lunch on 91 for no loss. The post lunch session was eventful with Zimbabwe breaking the . Silva, in the first over after lunch, brought up his fifty, gliding the ball to backward point and shortly after the two openers reached a century stand, their second of the year, as conditions became batting friendly.

After 37 overs of toiling, the hosts finally got the break-through with skipper Cremer dismissing Karunaratne (56) with a slightly short delivery which the batsman tried to punch through midwicket to gift Tino Mawoyo an easy catch.Sri Lanka were 123-1.
Kusal Perera joined Silva and together they added 75 runs for the second wicket, with Perera getting a reprieve on 15 when wicket-keeper PJ Moor, preferred ahead of specialist keeper Regis Chakabva, reacted slowly to an outside edge.
With a new lease of life, Perera played some lovely drives and scored at a quicker rate.

Moor was at fault again, this time spilling a chance to dismiss a well set Silva on 89, his reaction was slow again.
Arguably the best chance fell to Malcolm Waller who misjudged a Silva hit to long on, diving late, off Masakadza’s bowling.
In the last over before tea, a missed run out chance summarized a frustrating session for Zimbabwe.
Sri Lanka went to tea at 185-1.

Zimbabwe had a perfect start to the last session as Waller had Silva caught on mid–on.Perera brought up his fifty and accelerated at one point, hitting Mumba for five fours in an over. There was a huge lbw shout against Mendis off the bowling of Mpofu, but umpire Ian Gould demurred with replays again, showing it should have been out. However, there were no doubts when Mendis’ attempted cut got his edge and this time Moor clung to the catch to give Cremer his second wicket and break the 84 run stand.
Play resumes today.