Spinner Ajantha Mendis became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in one-day internationals as Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 130 runs in their first match of the tri-series tournament in Dhaka yesterday.
Set to score a modest 211 for victory, Zimbabwe were all out for 80 in 28.2 overs with just Stuart Matsikenyeri reaching double figures.
Mendis took three for 15, completing his 50-wicket haul in his 19th one-day international and bettering the record of Indian pace bowler Ajit Agarkar who took 23 matches to reach the milestone.
PHOTO: AFP
Medium pacer Nuwan Kulasekera ripped through the Zimbabwean top-order to take three for 13, while Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets.
SLOW WICKET
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was named man-of-the-match. The former under-19 captain toiled hard on a slow wicket to hit an unbeaten 52 off 96 balls in only his third one-day international to lift Sri Lanka to 210 for six.
PHOTO: AFP
Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya had elected to field after winning the toss. Upul Tharanga hit 43 and Jehan Mubarak made 31, sharing in a stand of 69 with Mathews, after Sri Lanka had stuttered to 97 for five following paceman Edward Rainsford’s three-wicket burst.
SIXES
Sri Lanka added 47 in the last 10 overs, with Thilan Thushara swinging spinner Keith Dabengwa for two successive sixes and Mathews smashing Utseya and seamer Tawanda Mupariwa for two sixes in his 96-ball knock.
Zimbabwe beat hosts Bangladesh by 38 runs in the opening match on Saturday after Elton Chigumbura’s fighting 64 and some disciplined bowling helped the tourists post their first ODI win against a Test-playing nation since November 2007.
Bangladesh’s efforts centered around Shakib al Hasan, who scored his side’s only half-century, and the hosts squandered a winning opportunity after having restricted Zimbabwe to an achievable 205
Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh tomorrow in their next match.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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