By Srian Obeyesekere
Kamindu Mendis yesterday displayed why he is top rung who went shoulder to shoulder with the late Sir Donald Bradman in test match record feats, as he slammed a spellbinding unbeaten Player of the Match heroic 41 off 16 balls smashing 4 sixes and a boundary in dragging Sri Lanka out of a rut of 125 for 5 requiring 46 off the last four overs to a dramatic 4-wicket triumph with five balls to spare in the first of three T20s against in overhauling another commendably challenging score by Zimbabwe of 175 at for 7 at the Harare Sports Club Grounds.
Zimbabwe’s toil was yet another show of strength by the hosts as in the 2-match ODI series, but yet falling short of necking the Sri Lankans in a thus far lost cause, Kamindu Mendis strode into the battle ground in a late order No.6 stellar performance in producing a bout of stroke making in the left-hander displaying the class of a batsman apart that put him alongside the elite half of Bradman fame of achieving 1000 test runs in 13 innings and becoming the fastest Asian to achieve the milestone and was the fastest Asian to score five Test centuries in 13 innings in 2024.
Upfront, Sri Lanka’s chase was ignited by opener Pathum Nissanka striking his third half century of the tour 55 off 32 with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes, his previous knock a scintillating 122, in setting up the chase on the high of 96 for the first wicket together with Kusal Mendis 38 off 35 with 4 boundaries just past the halfway marks of 10.1 overs.
But Sri Lanka was jolted by a 4-wicket grab in the space of 32 balls as Zimbabwe fought back in a decimation of 5 for 125 into 15.3 overs following Kusal Mendis’ dismissal with the score 96 held by Maposa off fast man Ngarava as Kusal Janith Perera followed soon after for 4 to Ngarava, Nuwanidu Fernando for 7 to Muzarabani and the key wicket of skipper Charith Asalanka to Sikandar Raza who had him caught by Marumani for 6.
The advent of Kamindu Mendis walked into the calamity in taking the score to 142 when Dasun Shanaka fell for 6 to Brad Evans who had him caught by Munyonga before Dushan Hemantha joined Mendis in the victory charge on 14 off 9 with 2 boundaries.
Zimbabwe, put into bat, was reduced to 22 for 1 when Dushmantha Chameera, now at his best following long injury lay off, removed Tadiwanashe Marumani for 7 caught by Nuwanidu Fernando. Sri Lanka struck again reducing the hosts to 59 for 2 into 5.5 overs through Mahees Theekshana who trapped Sean Willims leg before wicket for 14.
However, Brian Bennett was joined by skipper Sikandar Raza in reviving the innings adding 60 for the third wicket off 41 balls before Dushan Hemantha had the Zimbabwe captain caught by Pathum Nissanka with the total 109 after 12.4 overs, but Bennett razored to a power play 32 off 17 to anchoring the hosts by a solid 81 off 57 piercing the field on 12 occasions in what was literally a one man batting show with the next best being Raza’s 28. He was fifth out with the score 162 in the last ball of the 17th over bowled by Chameera who went on to mark his comeback with another 3-wicket take for 30 in his ten overs in the wake of his 3 wicket grab in the final ODI.
Chief Scores:
Zimbabwe 175/7 (20 Overs)
Brian Bennett 81, Sikandar Raza 28, Ryan Burl 17, Sean Williams 14, Tashinga Musekiwa 11, Dushmantha Chameera 3/30, Dushan Hemantha 1/28, Mahees Theekshana 1/38, Nuwan Thushara 1/47.
Sri Lanka 177/6 (19.1 Overs)
Pathum Nissanka 55, Kamindu Mendis n.o. 41, Kusal Mendis 38, Dushan Hemantha n.o. 14, Richard Ngarava 2/19, Sikandar Raza 1/26, Brad Evans 1/30, Blessing Muzarabani 1/41, Tinotenda Maposa 1/47.
