Liyanage 95 gives Sri Lanka hard fought win

COLOMBO: A back-to-the-wall 95 by middle-order batsman Janith Liyanage helped Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by two wickets in the second ODI of the three-match series.

Chasing 209 to win, Sri Lanka struggled as left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava troubled the batsmen with extra bounce. Ngarava claimed the first four Sri Lankan wickets, and picked up a fifth when he dismissed Maheesh Theekshana in his final over.

Sri Lanka were 112, but a 56-run stand for the seventh wicket between Theekshana and Liyanage started the fight back. Ngarava finished with five for 32, his career best figures and Sri Lanka started to breath easier when he completed his 10 overs.

Liyanage, trying to keep up with the required rate, attempted to clear mid-off, but did not get the elevation needed and was dismissed five runs short of his hundred. His 95 came off 127 deliveries with six fours and two sixes. “I wanted get to the hundred but was disappointed,” he said.

When Liyanage was dismissed, Sri Lanka required 37 runs with two wickets in hand. Jeffrey Vandersay (19) and Dushmantha Chameera (18) knocked off the target, adding an unbroken 39 runs for the ninth wicket.

Spin bowler Sikandar Raza backed up Ngarava, claiming two for 32 in his 10 overs, but there was not enough support from the rest of the bowlers. Zimbabwe had opted to bat after winning the toss, with skipper Craig Ervine top scoring with 82 runs. From 182 for four, Zimbabwe collapsed to be 209 all out, losing the last six wickets for 26 runs.

Zimbabwe won the toss

Zimbabwe Innings

Gumbie † b Theekshana 30

Kamunhukamwe b Madushanka 0

Ervine (c) c Saadera b Chameera 82

Shumba c Arachchige b Theekshana 26

Raza c Liyanage b Vandersay 1

Burl b Chameera 31

Madande lbw b Vandersay 14

Akram lbw b Theekshana 1

Ngarava not out 5

Muzarabani run out (†Mendis) 0

Mufudza b Theekshana 1

Extras: (b 1, lb 8, nb 1, w 7) 17

Total: 44.4 Ov (RR: 4.65) 208

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-61, 3-114, 4-115, 5-182, 6-190, 7-202, 8-202, 9-202, 10-208

Bowling: Dilshan Madushanka 7-1-24-1, Dushmantha Chameera 8-0-44-2, Maheesh Theekshana 9.4-1-31-4, Janith Liyanage 2-0-11-0, Dasun Shanaka 4-0-14-0, Sahan Arachchige 2-0-10-0, Jeffrey Vandersay 10-1-47-2, Charith Asalanka 2-0-18-0

Sri Lanka Innings

Fernando c Gumbie b Ngarava 4

Mendis (c)† c Burl b Ngarava 17

Samarawickrama c Ervine b Ngarava 4

Liyanage c Ngarava b Muzarabani 95

Asalanka c †Gumbie b Ngarava 0

Arachchige lbw b Sikandar Raza 21

Shanaka c †Gumbie b Sikandar Raza 7

Theekshana c Faraz Akram b Ngarava 18

Chameera not out 18

Vandersay not out 19

Extras:(lb 2, nb 2, w 4) 8

Total: 49 Ov (RR: 4.30) 211/8

Did not bat: Dilshan Madushanka

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-16, 3-51, 4-53, 5-90, 6-112, 7-168, 8-172

Bowling: Richard Ngarava 10-3-32-5, Blessing Muzarabani 10-0-41-1, Faraz Akram 10-0-43-0, Sikandar Raza 10-1-32-2, Tapiwa Mufudza 7-0-38-0, Ryan Burl 2-0-23-0

Match Result: Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets

Player of the match: Janith Liyanage

Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Raveendra Wimalasiri