Thisara stars as Sri Lanka draw first blood

Thisara Perera came up with stellar all-round performance as Sri Lanka stayed alive in the tri-nation one-day tournament, securing a five-wicket win against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Perera's 4-33 wrapped up Zimbabwe innings for 198 before his fluent 26-ball 39 not out helped Sri Lanka race to 202-5 in 44.5 overs. He hit one four and three sixes, the last of which sealed the game.

Opener Kusal Perera was the highest scorer with 49 while captain Dinesh Chandimal was not out on 38.

Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera plays a shot during the Tri-Nation one-day international cricket series against Zimbabwe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)            +10

Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera plays a shot during the Tri-Nation one-day international cricket series against Zimbabwe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Despite losing opener Upul Tharanga cheaply, Sri Lanka cruised to victory as Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis kept the side untroubled, rotating the strike intelligently.

Zimbabwe, however, briefly appeared to turn the game in their favor, courtesy to paceman Blessing Muzarabani who moved the ball admirably on a helpful surface to strike three times in three overs.

He broke through with the wicket of Kusal Perera who scored 49 and shared a 70-run stand with Mendis. Muzarabani followed it up with the wicket of Mendis (36) and Niroshan Dickwella (7) to raise the prospect of another victory over Sri Lanka.

Chandimal resisted but Kyle Jarvis further troubled Sri Lanka with the wicket of Asela Gunratne (9).

Perera helped the side hit back with counterattack and hastened the victory.

Perera's effort with the ball gave Sri Lanka a relatively easy target to chase. Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep played a strong supporting role, claiming a career best 3-28.

Brendan Taylor who returned to the Zimbabwe national team following his three-year stint with Nottinghamshire, was the highest scorer with 58.

He held together the innings after Perera had Zimbabwe wobbling at 56-3.

Left arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan then dismissed the in-form Sikandar Raza, leaving Zimbabwe on 73-4 but Taylor was unfazed by the spirited Sri Lanka side, which needed to win the game to have any chance of joining Bangladesh in the final.

Taylor and Malcolm Waller combined for a 63-run stand for the fifth wicket to resurrect the innings before Sandakan again struck to get rid of Waller on 24

Perera then returned for his second spell to take the prized scalp of Taylor after he had brought up his 33rd half-century, which included six fours.

Taylor's dismissal effectively ended Zimbabwe's hopes of setting a big total.

Pradeep joined the party to clean up the tail, as Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer provided the resistance reaching 34 before seeing his leg-stump uprooted. Playing for the first time in the tournament, Sandakan returned figures of 2-57.

Zimbabwe

 Hamilton Masakadza   c Upul Tharanga b Thisara Perera                  20

 Solomon Mire         c Niroshan Dickwella b Thisara Perera             21

 Craig Ervine         c Upul Tharanga b Thisara Perera                   2

 Brendan Taylor       c Upul Tharanga b Thisara Perera                  58

 Sikandar Raza        c Kusal Mendis b Lakshan Sandakan                  9

 Malcolm Waller       c Niroshan Dickwella b Lakshan Sandakan           24

 Graeme Cremer        b Nuwan Pradeep                                   34

 Kyle Jarvis          b Nuwan Pradeep                                    5

 Tendai Chatara       Not Out                                            2

 Blessing Muzarabani  b Nuwan Pradeep                                    0

 Extras               0b 8lb 0nb 0pen 15w                               23

 Total                (44.0 overs)                             198 all out

Fall of Wickets : 1-44 Masakadza, 2-49 Ervine, 3-56 Mire, 4-73 Butt, 5-139 Waller, 6-140 Moor, 7-171 Taylor, 8-191 Jarvis, 9-198 Cremer, 10-198 Muzarabani

Did Not Bat : Moor

 Bowling           Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Suranga Lakmal     7   0  23   0  3.29

 Nuwan Pradeep      8   2  28   3  3.50  2w

 Thisara Perera     8   0  33   4  4.12  2w

 Akila Dananjaya   10   0  45   0  4.50  2w

 Lakshan Sandakan  10   0  57   2  5.70  5w

 Asela Gunaratne    1   0   4   0  4.00

Sri Lanka 

 Kusal Perera        c (Sub) b Blessing Muzarabani     49

 Upul Tharanga       b Tendai Chatara                  17

 Kusal Mendis        b Blessing Muzarabani             36

 Niroshan Dickwella  c (Sub) b Blessing Muzarabani      7

 Dinesh Chandimal    Not Out                           38

 Asela Gunaratne     c (Sub) b Kyle Jarvis              9

 Thisara Perera      Not Out                           39

 Extras              0b 3lb 1nb 0pen 3w                 7

 Total               (44.5 overs)                   202-5

Fall of Wickets : 1-33 Tharanga, 2-103 Perera, 3-110 Mendis, 4-117 Dickwella, 5-145 Gunaratne

Did Not Bat : Perera, Lakmal, Sandakan, Fernando

 Bowling               Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex

 Kyle Jarvis            9   0  34   1  3.78  2w

 Tendai Chatara       9.5   1  40   1  4.07  1w

 Blessing Muzarabani   10   0  52   3  5.20  1nb

 Sikandar Raza          7   0  44   0  6.29

 Graeme Cremer          9   0  29   0  3.22