Zimbabwe Fight Back To Bowl Sri Lanka Out For 236

Zimbabwe Fight Back To Bowl Sri Lanka Out For 236

Prosper Utseya led the fightback for Zimbabwe with two quick wickets

©REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Sri Lanka 236 (Dilshan 78, Tharanga 69) v Zimbabwe
One-Day International Tri-Series, Harare
Scorecard

Sri Lanka raced to 122 without loss before Zimbabwe bowled their way back into contention and dismissed them for 236 in the final One-Day International tri-series group game in Harare.

The same two teams will compete in Wednesday's final after India's elimination and Sri Lankan openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (78) and Upul Tharanga (69) tore into Zimbabwe's opening pace attack as Elton Chigumbura (0-32) and Justice Chibhaba (0-40) conceded 72 runs in eight overs.

Dilshan hit nine fours and two sixes and Tharanga hit five fours before Zimbabwe's spinners brought them back into the game. Former captain Prosper Utseya dismissed Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal (6) in quick succession and thereafter no Sri Lanka batsman could pass 15.

A combination of tight bowling, athletic fielding, poor running and questionable shot selection saw Sri Lanka throw away a position of great strength and leave the match in the balance.

Brendan Taylor typified Zimbabwe's performance in the field by taking three excellent catches in the deep, Charles Coventry took a fine sliding take to end Tharanga's innings and Hamilton Masakadza, bowling for the first time in an ODI this year, celebrated his recent marriage with a wicket and after completing a caught and bowled to dismiss Chamara Kapugedera for 12, he provided a slightly comic moment when he lifted up his shirt to reveal the words 'just married' written on his undershirt.

There were plenty more laughs and celebrations to come for Zimbabwe as leg-spinner Graeme Cremer and pacer Christopher Mpofu joined Utseya in taking two wickets while left-arm spinner Ray Price was the other man to take a wicket.

© Cricket World 2010

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