Raza-inspired Zimbabwe denied as Sri Lanka cling on at the death 

Zimbabwe – 143-5 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 62, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 26, Sean Williams 14; Maheesh Theekshana 2/16, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/19, Dushmantha Chameera 1/38)

Sri Lanka – 144-7 in 20 overs (Angelo Mathews 46, Dasun Shanaka 26*, Kusal Perera 17; Sikandar Raza 3/13, Blessing Muzarabani 2/33, Wellington Masakadza 1/21)

Sri Lanka won by three wickets

A superb all-round performance of 62 runs and three wickets by Sikandar Raza looked to have put Zimbabwe on course for victory, only for Sri Lanka to cling on grimly and deny them off the very last ball in a heart-wrenching finish to the first Twenty20 international match in Colombo on Sunday.

The tourists lost the toss and were put in to bat on a pitch that proved to be rather uneven in bounce and difficult to score on, especially against spin bowlers.

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, opening the batting with Craig Ervine, took good advantage of the power play, hitting up 26 off 18 balls, with two sixes and a four, before he fell to the spin of Maheesh Theekshana, skying a catch at 37 for one in the sixth over.

Ervine quickly followed for 10, which brought together Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams.

Williams was unable to get going, but he fought hard to score 14 off 20 balls before being caught near the midwicket boundary at 83 for three in the 14th over.

Ryan Burl came and went for five.

Raza however stayed in and hit well to make 62 off 42 balls before he mistimed a big hit to be caught in the deep, with the score at 129 for five in the 19th over.

Brian Bennett and Luke Jongwe hit usefully in the last couple of overs and Zimbabwe finished on 143 for five after their 20 overs.

It scarcely looked a total likely to challenge the Sri Lankan batters, but it was a good effort under the conditions.

The Zimbabwe bowlers, though, soon caused some surprises when Sri Lanka replied.

Richard Ngarava again did the trick with an early wicket for Zimbabwe, as with only his third delivery he tempted Pathum Nissanka (2) with a leg-side delivery that the batter obligingly hit to be caught by Wellington Masakadza on the boundary.

Kusal Perera (17) came in to hit, but in the fifth over he chose the wrong stroke against Masakadza himself and sent a catch to Burl at long-on.

One over later it was Blessing Muzarabani’s turn, with Kusal Mendis (17) hitting him straight to Masakadza for another catch.

Then in the eighth over Sadeera Samarawickrama (9) missed an attempted cut against a ball from Raza that just flicked off his bail.

The score was now 51 for four.

Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews applied themselves to dig Sri Lanka out of a hole and were just beginning to look on top of the situation when Raza struck again.

Asalanka miscued a stroke against his bowling to send a catch to the inevitable Masakadza at short extra cover, and two balls later the new man, Wanindu Hasaranga, was bowled out by a skidding off-break.

With Sri Lanka 83 for six wickets after 14 overs Zimbabwe were now right on top, and virtually everything for the hosts depended on the experienced Mathews, joined now by Dasun Shanaka.

He edged two fortunate fours off Muzarabani, 11 runs coming off the over, and with Shanaka hitting desperately, Ngarava went for 12 in the 17th over – 34 needed in the last three.

Jongwe, hitherto expensive, came on to bowl and conceded only eight runs, leaving 26 runs needed off the last two overs.

Ngarava bowled the 19th over, of mixed quality, yielding two fours, two wides and 12 runs, which left 14 to win off the final over from Muzarabani to Mathews.

The first two deliveries it appeared virtually settled the match – a lofted drive and a glide to third man both went for fours.

A slower ball beat Mathews, but then from the fourth delivery the batter went for the slog-sweep, only to hole out on the midwicket boundary – once again to Masakadza!

Six runs were now needed off the last two deliveries and the new batter, Chameera, top-edged a four and chipped a two to deep midwicket to win the match for Sri Lanka.

Raza with three wickets for 13 runs off his four overs was the best of the bowlers, while Masakadza took four catches.

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