Zimbabwe’s Innings:

Zimbabwe, winning the toss and opting to bat, faced an early blow as Dilshan Madushanka dismissed opener Joylord Gumbie. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe suffered a second consecutive golden duck. Captain Craig Ervine steadied the ship with a 60-run partnership alongside Gumbie. However, Maheesh Theekshana’s brilliance claimed both their wickets. Sikandar Raza’s departure, courtesy of Jeffrey Vandersay, intensified the pressure. Ryan Burl and Ervine’s resilient 67-run stand for the 5th wicket brought stability. Ervine’s remarkable 82-run innings marked his 20th half-century, but the lower order collapse limited Zimbabwe to 208 runs in 44.4 overs.

Sri Lanka’s Innings:

Sri Lanka’s top order stumbled, losing Avishka for 4 to Ngarava. Kusal Mendis survived early scares, benefiting from a no-ball and a dropped catch. The top-order failure saw Sri Lanka at 49/2 in 13 overs when rain briefly halted play at 7.23 PM, causing a 42-minute interruption without any reduction in overs.

Janith Liyanage emerged as the anchor, scoring a crucial 95 runs. Partnerships with Sahan Arachchige and Maheesh Theekshana steadied the ship, but wickets fell at regular intervals. In a tense climax, the 9th-wicket partnership between Chameera and Vandersay, scoring 18* and 19*, respectively, secured a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka with just 2 runs to spare and 6 balls remaining.

Janith Liyanage’s stellar performance earned him the Man of the Match award. The rain interruption didn’t affect the match’s outcome, and Sri Lanka now leads the 3-match series 1-0. The final showdown is scheduled for January 11 at 2:30 PM, back at the R.Premadasa Stadium.