Craig Ervine fell short of a century before Donald Tiripano contributed with the bat and then removed Sri Lankan opener Oshada Fernando to complete an excellent second day of the first Test for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Harare.

The 31-year-old seamer made a handy 44 not out batting at number eight as Zimbabwe advanced from their overnight 189 for two to 358 all out.

Ervine began the day well set on 55 and looking for his third Test century and progressed comfortably to 85 until pace bowler Suranga Lakmal nipped one through his defence shortly before lunch.

It was the third wicket to fall during the morning session as Lakmal also produced a full inswinger to have Brendan Taylor leg before for 21 and Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams edged left-arm spinner Embuldeniya to Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps.

The left-armer spinner removed Regis Chakabva shortly after lunch but Sikandar Raza and Tiripano then both settled in.

Raza fell for a flighty 41, stumped by Dickwella as he charged at Embuldeniya, who also bowled Kyle Jarvis.

Ainsley Ndlovu was brilliantly snapped up at short-leg by Kusal Mendis off Lahiru Kumara. Lakmal dismissed last man Victor Nyauchi just after the delayed break to finish with three for 53, leaving Tiripano undefeated on 44.

Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, playing in his sixth Test, was the stand-out bowler with five for 114.

When bad light stopped play for the day, Sri Lanka had reached 42 for the loss of Fernando who had his off stump flattened by Tiripano's very first delivery.

Dimuth Karunaratne will resume on 12 and Kusal Mendis on six.

Zimbawbe 1st innings

PS Masvaure c D Karunaratne b Embuldeniya 55

K Kasuza lbw b Kumara 63

C Ervine b Lakmal 85

B Taylor lbw b Lakmal 21

S Williams c Dickwella b Embuldeniya 18

S Raza st Dickwella b Embuldeniya 41

R Chakabva c Mathews b Embuldeniya 8

D Tiripano not out 44

K Jarvis b Embuldeniya 1

A Ndlovuc Kusal Mendis b Kumara 5

V Nyauchic sub b Lakmal 11

Extras: (2nb 4lb) 6

Total: (all out, 148.0 overs) 358

Fall: 1-96 (PS Masvaure), 2-164 (K Kasuza), 3-208 (B Taylor), 4-247 (S Williams), 5-247 (C Ervine), 6-266 (R Chakabva), 7-307 (S Raza), 8-309 (K.Jarvis), 9-328 (A. Ndlovu), 10-358 (V. Nyauchi)

Bowling: RAS Lakmal 27-10-53-3,CAK Rajitha 29- 9-55-0, L. Embuldeniya 42-12-114-5, CBRLS Kumara 29-8-82-2, DM de Silva 21-8-50-0

Sri Lanka 1st innings

D. Karunaratne Not Out 12

O. Fernando b Tiripano 21

K. Mendis Not Out 6

Extras: (3lb) 3

Total: (for one, 14.0 overs) 42

Fall: 1-32 (O. Fernando)

Bowling: K.Jarvis 7-2-20-0, V.Nyauchi 5-1-14-0, D.Tiripano 2-0-5-1