Sports
Sri Lanka earn World Cup spot with big win over Zimbabwe
Sri Lanka had a few nervous moments against associate nations like Scotland and Netherlands in the World Cup Qualifiers in Bulawayo and there were worries as to how they’d go against the in form Zimbabwe when both the unbeaten teams in the competition met yesterday. But the former champions thrashed the hosts by nine wickets with more than 15 overs to spare to maintain their unbeaten run.
More importantly, now they are certain of a place in this year’s World Cup in India and their last second round game against West indies becomes a dead rubber.It is the bowlers who had given the former champions the edge in the competition, and it was the same story yesterday as Dilshan Madushanka sent down a probing spell of left-arm swing bowling before Maheesh Theekshana ran through the middle order to finish with four wickets.
Zimbabwe lost three wickets inside the first ten overs as Sri Lanka opted to bowl first in helpful conditions. Madushanka should have had a fourth wicket in his first spell, but Sean Williams was dropped by Matheesha Pathirana, who featured in the game replacing the injured Lahiru Kumara.
A 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Sikandar Raza and Williams steadied the Zimbabwe innings briefly but skipper Dasun Shanaka produced the breakthrough and from thereon Theekshana took over.
Bowling wicket to wicket Theekshana dismissed Williams for 56 and the big hit Ryan Burl in his next over.Then Pathirana took two wickets in an over to bury Zimbabwe.During the run chase, Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka added 103 runs for the first wicket to ensure that the batting department didn’t spoil the excellent work of the bowlers.
The partnership was broken when Karunaratne attempted a pull shot and was caught at deep fine leg. Kusal Mendis joined Karunaratne and knocked off the required 63 runs without anymore drama.Nissanka went onto post hist second ODI hundred and scored the winning runs. His 101 came off 102 balls with 14 boundaries. Mendis was unbeaten on 25 off 45 balls.
West Indies are out of the World Cup after shocking defeats to Netherlands, Zimbabwe and Scotland.Those three teams are now now vying for the remaining spot in the World Cup.The sport’s showpiece event will take place in India starting in October.
Playing just his second Test and the first in his team’s starting XI, Pasindu Sooriyabandara made Sri Lanka dream of the rarest of possibilities, but reality imposed itself on the SSC late on day four as India regained their grip on a Test match that had seemed to spiral out of control after the threat of bad weather led them to enforce the follow-on.
After Sooriyabandara put on 58 with Kamil Mishara for the second wicket and 115 with Kamindu Mendis for the third, Sri Lanka were at one stage 209 for 3, or just four runs behind with seven second-innings wickets in hand, on a day-four pitch that was still looking excellent for batting. India’s bowlers were into their 149th over across two consecutive innings, and looking short of both penetration and inspiration against a top order that had never allowed them to settle into their lengths.
Just then, however, Manav Suthar, who had borne the brunt of Sri Lanka’s positive intent, dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and then Sooriyabandara in the space of two overs, the latter out eight short of a maiden Test hundred. Soon after, Saransh Jain trapped Niroshan Dickwella lbw, and Sri Lanka were effectively 5 for 6. By the time rain arrived to bring an early end to the day, Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket pair had only added a further 11 runs to their tally.
If Sri Lanka still retain any hope going into the final day of this series, it will rest on the shoulders of Sonal Dinusha, batting on 7 in his final innings of a remarkable series. Earlier in the day, he had converted his overnight 85 into his second century of the series, with his only other completed innings bringing him 84.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 290 in 89.4 overs (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80, Sonal Dinusha 103; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 229 for 6 in 72.4 overs (f/o) (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92, Kamindu Mendis 55, Sonal Dinusha 7*; Manav Suthar 2-81) lead India 503 for 9 dec by 16 runs
[Cricinfo]
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