Sri Lanka was on 42 for 1 wicket that of Oshada Fernando for 21 at stumps in reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 358 all out on the second day of the first test match at the Harare Sports Club grounds on Monday. Fernando, who batted freely for his 41-ball knock, was undone by a good length ball from Tiripano that reared viciously to hit his middle stump. His brief knock contained 2 boundaries while skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was on 12 having faced 30 deliveries inclusive of a boundary. With him was Kusal Mendis on 6 off 13 deliveries with a boundary.
Zimbabwe stretched their overnight score of 189 for 2 wickets with Craig Irvine going on to convert his overnight 55 to 85 off 187 balls hitting five boundaries and 3 sixes. Sri Lanka’s off spinner Lasith Embuldeniya finished with figures of 5 for 114 for his second 5-wicket Test haul from 42 overs in what proved to be a long toil for the Sri Lankan bowlers as the hosts batted just a few overs short of the final session. The other successful Lankan bowler was paceman Suranga Lakmal who took 3 for 53 off 27 overs.
He accounted for the thorny one drop batsman Irvine whom he clean bowled as Zimbabwe reached 247 for 5 wickets. The host team’s tail wagged with the last pair of Tiripano, who struck an unbeaten 44 off 103 balls containing 4 boundaries, and V,M. Niyauchi, who made 11, adding 30 runs before Lakmal ended the innings having Nyauchi caught by substitute fielder Lakshan Sandakan. Lahiru Kumara had 2 for 82. Zimbabwe’s slow going was reflected by their run rate which was 2.41.
CHIEF SCORES:
Zimbabwe overnight 189/2, all out 358
(148 Overs) Run rate: 2.41
(C.R. Irvine 85, K.T. Kasuza 63, P.S. Masvaure 55, D.T. Tiripano n.o. 44, Sikander Raza 41, B.R.M. Taylor 21, S.C. Williams 18, L. Embuldeniya 5/114, ,R.A.S. Lakmal 3/53, C.B.R.L.S. Kumara 2/82)
Sri Lanka 42/1 at close (14 Overs) Run rate: 3.0
(F.D.M. Karunaratne n.o. 12, B.O.P. Fernando 21, B.K.G. Mendis n.o. 6, D.T . Tiripano 1/5)
By Srian Obeyesekere
-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-
