Zimbabwe record first T20 win over Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Zimbabwe celebrated on Tuesday after winning their first T20 International against Sri Lanka in dramatic fashion to square the three-match series one all in Colombo.

Chasing 174, Zimbabwe required 20 runs off the last over bowled by Angelo Mathews. Mathews failed to live up to expectations as Zimbabwe knocked off the target with a ball to spare.

Zimbabwe’s Luke Jongwe, who smashed 25 off 12 balls with two fours and two sixes was named man of the match. He had also claimed two wickets with the ball, but it was his punchy big hitting in the nail-biting last over that took Zimbabwe over the line.

Jongwe smashed the first ball of the final over for six over long-on -- and Mathews had overstepped as well, so the equation came down to 13 off six balls. Next, Jongwe managed a boundary off the free hit, before smashing a six off the next delivery -- making it three runs required off four balls.

Mathews managed a dot ball next. Then, to make matters worse, Jongwe was dropped off the next delivery and the batters completed a single. Clive Madande was on strike for the penultimate ball, and as Mathews missed the yorker, he swept it for six to finish the match in style.

Sri Lanka were sloppy in the field, dropping a couple of catches, and there were a few misfields as well. It was opening batsman Craig Ervine who kept Zimbabwe in the hunt, top scoring with 70 runs off 54 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Sri Lanka got off to a poor start as they were 27 for four but a 118-run stand between Mathews and Charith Asalanka bailed them out. Mathews posted his sixth half-century in T20 cricket and was unbeaten on 66, while Asalanka hammered his fifth half-century and top scored with 69.