The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE surrendered the first cricket Test to Sri Lanka on the final day on Thursday, with the tourists winning by a resounding 10 wickets at Harare Sports Club to take one nil lead in the two-match contest.
Skipper Sean Williams top scored in Zimbabwe’s second innings with 39 runs, his partnership with Brendan Taylor who made 38 giving Zimbabwe some glimmer of hope that they could survive. The home team however folded for 170 in 92 overs, giving Sri Lanka a paltry target of 14 runs, which they wiped out in just three overs to record a comprehensive victory.
Resuming on 30 for no loss in 17 overs, Zimbabwe needed to bat the entire day in order to avoid defeat. It was not to be as they lost three quick wickets in succession. Prince Masvaure, Brian Mudzinganyama and Craig Ervine departed early into the final day’s play, all the three left handers removed by pace bowler Suranga Lakmal.
Williams and Taylor on 79 for the fourth wicket but the two perished soon after lunch. Sikandar Raza did not hang around that much, his contribution to Zimbabwe’s cause being 17 runs.
Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe’s only remaining batsman faced 142 balls for his 26 runs and was the last to be dismissed, bowled by left arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya to hand the Sri Lankans victory. Lakmal finished with four wickets for 27 runs in 20 overs with an economy rate of 1.35. He was backed by fellow seamer Lahiru Kumara who had figures of 3/32 in 21 overs.
The teams will three days to reflect on where they could have gone wrong in the first Test before they clash in the second five-day encounter at the same venue which starts on 27 January.
@Mdawini_29
