Sri Lanka 211 for 8 (Liyanage 95, Ngrava 5-32) beat Zimbabwe 208 (Ervine 82, Theekshana 4-31) by two wickets by way of DLS technique

Together Chameera and Vandersay whittled down the requirement, earlier than within the penultimate over, Vandersay scooped Faraz Akram over his shoulder, after which drove him via the covers for 4 subsequent ball, in what have been the ultimate dramatic moments in a match that had swung in both course repeatedly.

Of all of the regrets Zimbabwe could have from this match, nonetheless, none can be larger than their collapse from the thirty seventh over onwards. Having been 182 for 4, and headed in direction of a rating of round 250, they misplaced their final six wickets for 26 runs. Captain Ervine, who had made 82 off 102, was the primary to depart in that sequence, having been caught athletically by Sadeera Samarawickrama at backward level.

It was Liyanage's innings that ended up defining the match nonetheless, and he who was most liable for pushing the sport deep as the opposite batters fell round him. (The next-highest rating on the Sri Lankan card was 21.) Although he too struggled in opposition to Ngarava's new-ball bowling, he was affected person till the hittable balls got here, crashing Ngarava to the duvet boundary to begin the seventh over, earlier than pulling him neatly behind sq. a number of balls later, when Ngarava bowled quick.

Janith Liyanage helped regular Sri Lanka after early losses•AFP/Getty Images

Having earlier accomplished his half-century off the eighty fifth ball he confronted, Liyanage appeared headed for a maiden ODI ton in solely his second sport. But with rain coming down within the forty third over, and Sri Lanka behind the DLS charge, Liyanage tried to thump Muzarabani over lengthy off for 4, and wound up solely miscuing it to the fielder. Zimbabwe smelled victory and employed attacking fields with each Vandersay and Chameera but to get off the mark. But these two tailenders' cool heads would defy Zimbabwe.

But it had been Ngarava's tenacity in his first spell that set the tone for what turned an intense defence of their modest whole. He claimed Avishka Fernando's wicket fifth ball with a back-of-a-length supply simply exterior off stump, which Fernando inside-edged via to the keeper.

In Ngarava's subsequent over - one other edge. Sadeera Samarawickrama flashed at a fullish broad ball, and despatched it to Ervine at second slip. Zimbabwe would get solely these two wickets within the first powerplay, however having been 16 for two, Sri Lanka have been compelled to bat with extra warning. In his subsequent spell, he additionally dismissed Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, having constructed additional strain with extra back-of-a-length bowling.

And although there have been errors within the area, and with the ball (Muzarabani bowled Kusal Mendis off a no-ball, for instance), it was their nosedive with the bat that prevented Zimbabwe from posting a aggressive rating. Ervine had pushed superbly via the course of his innings, and had struck up half-century partnerships with Joylord Gumbie, and Ryan Burl.

But when he minimize a Chameera ball too near Samarawickrama, who flung himself explosively on the ball to intercept it, Ervine left the decrease middle-order uncovered, and so they succumbed quickly to the spin of Theekshana and Vandersay. Theekshana picked up 4 for 31 within the innings. Vandersay and Chameera took two wickets apiece.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is a author at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf