178/6 (19.5)
CR : 8.97
173/6 (20.0)
CR : 8.65
Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Luke Jongwe
2/3225(12)
19.5
6
A Mathews to C Madande
MADANDE WINS IT FOR ZIMBABWE WITH A SIX!! Mathews with another poor half volley. 134 kph on middle and leg. Madande is right behind the line inside the crease and swings across the line. Punishes the bad ball off the middle of the stick clearing the midwicket boundary by some margin! Zimbabwe level the series 1-1!
ZIM won by 4 wickets
10:28 PM IST, Local Time: Madande finishes things off with a biggie. The celebration begins in the camp of Zimbabwe as they come out of a dire situation to win this last-over thriller, leveling the series 1-1. Zimbabwe needed 20 runs off the final over, and they managed to achieve it with one ball to spare. Thanks to Luke Jongwe, for his 12-ball 25* runs cameo.
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start, as they lost four wickets in a jiffy and were reeling at 27/4 in the 5th over. Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews initiated the rescue mission for the hosts, adopting a cautious approach in the first half of the innings. Once settled on the crease, the duo shifted gears to score at a brisk pace, hammering the Zimbabwean bowlers all around the park and notching up their half-centuries in the process. Their partnership of 100+ runs for the fifth wicket was instrumental, with Asalanka departing for 69 runs off 39 balls. On the other hand, Mathews remained unbeaten on 66 runs off 51 balls, helping Sri Lanka post a formidable total of 173/6 in 20 overs.
Blessing Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe claimed a couple of wickets for Zimbabwe, while Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza celebrated a solitary wicket
In pursuit of 173 runs, Zimbabwe lost Tinashe Kamunhukamwe for 12 runs. Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett started building the partnership, and the duo played carefully and kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles. The duo added 70+ runs for the second wicket, and Ervine notched up his half-century in the process, while Bennett departed for 25 runs off 20 balls, falling prey to Theekshana.
Following the wicket of Bennett, Zimbabwe lost Sikandar Raza (8) and Sean Williams (1) in quick succession. Ervine continued his merry ways but departed at the crucial juncture of the game, falling prey to Hasaranga for 70 runs off 54 balls.
Ryan Burl played a cameo of 13 runs but fell prey to Chameera, leaving his side in deep waters. With Zimbabwe needing 30 runs off the last two overs, Luke Jongwe and Clive Madande were at the crease. The duo added 10 runs off the penultimate over, bringing the equation down to 20 runs off the final over. Jongwe smashed Mathews for 16 runs off the first three balls, the first being the no ball, reducing the equation to 3 runs off 4 balls. Madande sealed the game with a maximum on the penultimate ball of the match, helping Zimbabwe secure victory by 4 wickets.
Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera bagged a couple of wickets for Sri Lanka, while Dilshan Madushanka and Wanindu Hasaranga celebrated a solitary wicket.
So, Zimbabwe win by 4 wickets and keep the series alive. Stay tuned for the post-match presentation...
Ryan Burl played a cameo of 13 runs but fell prey to Chameera, leaving his side in deep waters. With Zimbabwe needing 30 runs off the last two overs, Luke Jongwe and Clive Madande were at the crease. The duo added 10 runs off the penultimate over, bringing the equation down to 20 runs off the final over. Jongwe smashed Mathews for 16 runs off the first three balls, the first being the no ball, reducing the equation to 3 runs off 4 balls. Madande sealed the game with a maximum on the penultimate ball of the match, helping Zimbabwe secure victory by 4 wickets.
Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera bagged a couple of wickets for Sri Lanka, while Dilshan Madushanka and Wanindu Hasaranga celebrated a solitary wicket.
So, Zimbabwe win by 4 wickets and keep the series alive. Stay tuned for the post-match presentation...
Luke Jongwe is the player of the match.
Luke Jongwe (Player of the Match): "I don't think I have enough words to describe how I am feeling, I am just grateful to my teammates. We were trying very hard to get that win.
The past 3 months or so I have been in similar situation. I am thankful to god that I managed to win the game today.
The wicket was on the tricky side. We tried to restrict them to 130 but that didn't happen. Credit to Angelo and Asalanka the way they batted."
The past 3 months or so I have been in similar situation. I am thankful to god that I managed to win the game today.
The wicket was on the tricky side. We tried to restrict them to 130 but that didn't happen. Credit to Angelo and Asalanka the way they batted."
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka Captain): "Our top order needs to take more responsibility. Angelo and Charith played good innings. As a batting collective, the top four must contribute more runs, particularly during the powerplay. Losing wickets early on is a critical error, and we've made several mistakes. Although Angelo has faced this situation multiple times, I have consistently supported him."
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe Captain): "The good thing is that these are the group of boys who have made a promise to the fans and tonight was unbelievable.
It didn't slip out of our hands. We knew that the wicket will get better and the first 6-7 overs were tough due to moisture. They played some good cricketing shots as well. I was very calm and as I say, an entertaining game is good for the fans.
I wanted our team to be 80 after 10 without much damage. We were 80 after 11 so I knew we were one over short. We just needed one boundary against one of the fast bowlers and we did the job."
It didn't slip out of our hands. We knew that the wicket will get better and the first 6-7 overs were tough due to moisture. They played some good cricketing shots as well. I was very calm and as I say, an entertaining game is good for the fans.
I wanted our team to be 80 after 10 without much damage. We were 80 after 11 so I knew we were one over short. We just needed one boundary against one of the fast bowlers and we did the job."
Time to conclude our coverage as well. Zimbabwe held their nerve in the clutch situation today, securing a win by 4 wickets in this last-over thriller and keeping the series alive. We hope you enjoyed another thrilling encounter between these two sides. The series is evenly poised, and both teams will face each other in the series decider on Thursday.
For now, this is Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Ninaad Dixit, and scorer/analyst Chandan Kumar Singh. CHEERS!
For now, this is Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Ninaad Dixit, and scorer/analyst Chandan Kumar Singh. CHEERS!