RESULT
1st T20I, Harare, September 03, 2025, Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe
(19.1/20 ov, T:176) 177/6

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
41* (16)
kamindu-mendis
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Kamindu and Nissanka salvage a victory for Sri Lanka

The visitors had collapsed from 96 for 0 to 125 for 5 in a chase of 175 in Harare

Andrew Fidel Fernando
Andrew Fidel Fernando
03-Sep-2025 • Updated 52 mins ago
Pathum Nissanka whacks the ball, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Harare, September 3, 2025

Pathum Nissanka made a half-century in Sri Lanka's chase  •  Zimbabwe Cricket

Sri Lanka 177 for 6 (Nissanka 55, Kamindu 41, Ngarava 2-19) beat Zimbabwe 175 for 7 (Bennett 81, Chameera 3 for 30) by four wickets
Kamindu Mendis' 41 not out off 16 from No. 6 rescued Sri Lanka from a collapse, and catapulted them to victory in a game that seemed to be slipping away. Sri Lanka needed 46 runs off the last four overs, having slipped from 96 for no loss to 125 for 5.
But Kamindu crashed four sixes and a four, the vast majority of those shots coming behind square on the leg side as Zimbabwe's seamers got their lines wrong at the death. In the end, Sri Lanka cruised home with five balls remaining and four wickets in hand.
Higher up the order, Pathum Nissanka struck his third half century of the tour to set the platform for this chase of 176. It was a competitive total given the conditions, with Brian Bennett's 81 off 57 balls being the primary driver of Zimbabwe's score.
Aside from Richard Ngarava, who took 2 for 19, Zimbabwe's seamers were expensive.

Tinotenda Maposa's horror over

With three overs to go and Sri Lanka still needing 34, Zimbabwe needed a quiet over from Tinotenda Maposa, who had bowled well until that stage. Kamindu manufactured a boundary off a wide yorker by reverse-scooping him for four first ball. Then came the horror deliveries. The next one was a chest-high full toss at the body which Kamindu swatted over the deep fine boundary. Maposa followed up that no-ball with a leg-side wide, and finished the over with another leg-side full toss that Kamindu happily deposited over the deep square leg rope. That 18th over cost Zimbabwe 26 runs, and essentially decided the match.

Sri Lanka's middle-overs wobble

Following Nissanka's outstanding 55 off 32 in which he was typically strong square of the wicket, Sri Lanka went through a period in which they lost six wickets for 46 runs in seven overs, with several Zimbabwe bowlers striking through this spell. The opening stand of 96 had come rapidly however - Kusal Mendis and Nissanka having scored at more than nine an over. This gave Sri Lanka some cover to weather the collapse.

Bennett holds Zimbabwe together

Although his innings began with some lucky edges through deep third, Bennett powered Zimbabwe through an impressive powerplay in which they reaped 59 - Bennett contributing 32 off 17. The deep third area would continue to be productive for Bennett, who used the seamers' pace well. He also reverse-swept the spinners behind square on the offside. He was involved in fifty partnerships with Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl, before Dushmantha Chameera took out Bennett's stumps with the last ball of the 19th over.

Chameera takes three

The best of Sri Lanka's bowlers was Chameera, who finished with figures of 3 for 30. He was effective both in the powerplay and the death, taking the first wicket, before later sending down a series of excellent yorkers. He was good at reading the batters too - twice batters attempted to spring to the offside to drag him to leg, but found that Chameera had sent a rapid yorker at the base of their stumps and rattled them.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf

Language
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Win Probability
SL 100%
ZIMSL
100%50%100%ZIM InningsSL Innings

Over 20 • SL 177/6

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)
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