Sipu Jha
TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: At the end of the first innings, Zimbabwe leg-spinner Graeme Cremer voiced confidence about chasing down Sri Lanka’s 178 in their final group match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. “We thought it was a good batting wicket. We feel it’s a very chaseable score. If we bat well, we should be able to get it done,” said Cremer.Every word Cremer said proved prophetic. It was once again the 39-year-old warhorse Sikandar Raza who stepped up and played a blistering 26-ball 45 to set the chase. Opener Brian Bennett (60 not out) stayed at the end to take Zimbabwe with three balls to spare. Zimbabwe defeated co-hosts Sri Lanka by six-wickets and finished the group stage unbeaten with three wins, including a statement victory over Australia.
Captain fantastic
On the sidelines of the SA20, where Raza was playing for Paarl Royals, he had told TimesofIndia.com what it means for him to wear the Zimbabwean jersey. “The World Cup is really crucial in every cricketer’s life. And I always think for Zimbabwe to gain more respect in world cricket, World Cups play a huge part. So we have the mindset to go there and try and do really well so that we can come back with our goals set high and so that our people back home can hold their heads high as well,” Raza had said.On a windy Thursday evening in Colombo, he took matters into his own hands. When he walked into the ground, Zimbabwe needed 81 runs off 50 balls and the match was evenly poised, but Raza decided not today.Sikandar Raza’s innings was a masterclass in control, awareness and ruthless finishing. He began in measured fashion, rotating the strike against the spinners. Against Dunith Wellalage and Dasun Shanaka, he was content to work the ball into gaps, nudging singles and ensuring the asking rate never climbed. His early approach was built on soft hands, late cuts and quiet punches square of the wicket, allowing Zimbabwe to consolidate without risk.As Zimbabwe crossed the 100-run mark, Raza subtly shifted gears. Sensing Sri Lanka’s bowlers searching for breakthroughs, he began manipulating the field with ease.Maheesh Theekshana, brought back to stem the flow, missed his lengths ever so slightly and Raza pounced. A wide full toss was sliced through backward point, followed by a towering lofted drive over long-on. In a blink, a tight over turned expensive and Sri Lanka’s grip on the game loosened.The decisive blow came against Dushan Hemantha. Raza read him early, picked the dragged-down wrong’un and dispatched it over mid-wicket. When Hemantha dared to pitch it up, Raza responded with disdain, launching a 101-metre straight hit back over the bowler’s head. Colombo fell silent as the contest tilted decisively Zimbabwe’s way.Dilshan Madushanka’s variations offered brief resistance, with a slower ball beating Raza’s big swing, but the Zimbabwe captain was already locked in. The very next delivery that sat up was punished, rolled wrists, perfect balance and a ferocious pull dumped over square leg for six.When Raza got out, Zimbabwe needed 12 runs off 10 balls and after a slight hiccup, Tony Munyonga’s six off the first ball of the 20th over sealed the win for Zimbabwe. It was fitting that the winning shot came off Brian Bennett’s bat.Interestingly, the Zimbabwe team did not over-celebrate and their batters walked off as if it were just another match.Watch out, teams in the Super Eight, including favourites India, will face Zimbabwe exactly a week later at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Sri Lanka stutters in the middle
Earlier, Sri Lanka capped their innings with a strong late surge to post an above-par 178 for 7, smashing 30 runs off the final two overs to wrest back momentum after a prolonged middle-overs squeeze.Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka wanted to challenge themselves by setting a target on a surface that wasn’t easy for strokeplay. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera made the most of the harder new ball, timing it sweetly and finding gaps with regularity. Their fluent 54-run opening stand laid a solid foundation before Blessing Muzarabani broke through in the fifth over, dismissing Perera for 22. Despite that setback, Sri Lanka closed the powerplay in a commanding position at 61 for 1.The game shifted decisively after the field spread. Zimbabwe’s spinners tightened the screws on a surface that offered grip and turn, choking the boundary flow and forcing Sri Lanka into a period of consolidation. While runs came largely through sharp singles and twos, the lack of boundaries slowed the scoring rate. Nissanka, continuing his rich vein of form after a century in the previous match, held the innings together with another composed knock, raising a well-crafted half-century.Sri Lanka were pegged back further when Ryan Burl removed Kusal Mendis for a laboured 14 off 20 balls. Soon after, Graeme Cremer accounted for Nissanka, dismissing the opener for 62, a blow that drained momentum. From that point on, the innings stagnated, with Sri Lanka managing just 81 runs in the 11 overs following the powerplay.Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 178 for 7 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 62, Pavan Rathnayake 44; Graeme Cremer 2/27, Blessing Muzarabani 2/38)Zimbabwe: 182 for 4 in 19.3 overs (Brian Bennett 63 not out, Sikandar Raza 45; Dushan Hemantha 2/36)
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