MATCH REPORT
Follow UsPathum Nissanka's sublime unbeaten 101 propelled Sri Lanka to a place in this year's Cricket World Cup in India as the 1996 winners trounced hosts Zimbabwe by nine wickets on Sunday.
Sri Lanka had bowled out Zimbabwe for a modest 165 inside 33 overs and Nissanka never gave the hosts a hope of victory with his superb innings lifting Sri Lanka to 169 for one in their Super Six stage match. Zimbabwe can still qualify if they beat Scotland on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka's bowlers had performed admirably in skittling the hosts out -- man of the match Maheesh Theekshana taking 4-25.
The Zimbabweans had been up against it from the start after being put into bat by Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka and were left tottering on 30-3 due to a stunning opening spell by Dilshan Madushanka. The hosts had prided themselves on getting through the first ten overs in the previous matches in the tournament virtually unscathed -- they had lost just the one wicket.
However, a fired-up Madushanka gave them a rude awakening reducing them to 8-2, beginning by dismissing Joylord Gumbie for a duck and then Wessley Madhevere for one. He snapped up the key wicket of Craig Ervine for just 14, the 37-year-old with over 100 ODI appearances for the hosts nicking the ball to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis.
Zimbabwe skipper Ervine in the post-match presentation, called that early phase of the game 'challenging' and insisted that the three quick wickets pegged the Chevrons back.
"Was always going to be challenging batting first. There were a couple of soft dismissals too. Losing three wickets early put us on the back foot. Partnership between WIlliams and Raza brought us back in the game. And then he (Theekshana) came on and destroyed us in the middle," Ervine had to say.
Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza steadied the ship -- only after the former had escaped when Matheesha Pathirana dropped a simple chance off Madushanka, prompting a withering look from Sri Lankan coach Chris Silverwood.
They put on a fluent partnership of 68 but just as they were hitting their boot straps Raza on 31 holed out to Madushanka off the bowling of Shanaka to leave the hosts 98-4. They recovered briefly thanks to 19 -- including three sixes -- coming off a Dhananjaya over.
"Because we lost Lahiru, I knew I was going to bowl with the new ball. Dilshan got us three wickets. Sikandar and Sean were batting brilliantly in that period, I knew we needed a wicket. Think I executed the plan and did well. Knew that we had to win all the games in this tournament. We still have two games left and have to win those too," said Maheesh Theekshana, who was influential in Sri Lanka's win over Zimbabwe.
Williams brought up his half century with a beautifully executed four in Shanaka's next over. However, his elation was to turn to despair soon afterwards.
Shanaka made an inspired bowling change bringing on Theekshana for his second spell in place of the expensive Dhananjaya, and with just his fifth ball bowled Williams for 56.
Theekshana struck again dismissing Burl for 16 with a similar type delivery to reduce the hosts to 130-6 and it became 144-7 when he trapped Luke Jongwe lbw for 10. The Zimbabwe tail failed to wag with the unpredictable Matheesha Pathirana taking two of the remaining three wickets in one over.
But Sri Lanka's skipper Shanaka was far from celebrating, insisting that the main focus for this group of Sri Lankan players is the 'World Cup', and added that they are waiting to deliver at the biggest stage of the 50-over format.
"We play one step at a time. Every game we don't take easy. Not going to take it lightly in the next game, want to prove that we are the better team coming here. It's a big achievement. What we have done in the past in World Cups, it's must needed for SL to appear on the big stage. World Cup ahead is the main focus for us. Waiting to deliver there as well," said Shanaka in the post-match presentation.
