By M. Shamil Amit   

Janith Liyanage shone with a fine knock of 95 as Sri Lanka underwent some anxious moments before pulling off a hard fought two-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second ODI encounter played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Sri Lanka in pursuit of a modest target of 209 was made to struggle for their runs in the early part of the innings as left arm pacie Richard Ngarava wrecked the top order batting to have them struggling on 53 for 4 in the 16th over.

Liyanage who cracked six boundaries and a six was unfortunate to miss out on his maiden ton, steadying the innings as he associated in brief partnerships but his dismissal which was the eighth wicket to fall saw Sri Lanka left to get 38 runs in 45 balls which Dushmantha Chameera and Jeffrey Vandersay succeeded in scoring, to steer the side with six balls to spare for Sri Lanka to take a one-nil lead.

Left arm pacie Ngarava who ended with his best figures of 5 for 32 in ten overs with three maidens proved to be in vain.
Earlier in the day Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine after the winning the toss and electing to take first lease of the wicket was star of the side’s batting as he guided them with a 102-ball knock of 82 inclusive of nine boundaries and a six and associated in three fruitful partnerships.

Ervine came to the rescue of his side after they underwent an early setback of losing the first wicket in the third ball of the first over.

Ervine along with Joylord Gumbie put on a valuable 60 runs for the second wicket and then followed with another fine stand of 53 runs for the third wicket with Milton Shumba.
But they underwent a double blow losing two quick wickets in five balls, as from a healthy position of 114 for 2 they slid to 115 for 4.

Ervine found another reliable partner in Ryan Burl with whom he put on a valuable 67 runs for the fifth wicket before skipper Ervine fell victim to Chameera.

The dismissal of Ervine saw the Zimbabwe side losing their remaining five wickets for the addition of just 26 runs with spinners Vandersay and Maheesh Theekshana, who ended with a four wicket haul, doing the damage.

The two sides will play the third ODI on January 11 at the same venue.