RESULT
1st ODI (D/N), Pallekele, January 16, 2022, Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka
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(48.3/50 ov, T:297) 300/5

Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets (with 9 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
75 (91)
dinesh-chandimal
New
SL
Full commentary

10.55pm And with that it's a wrap from me and Sunaadh. It's been a pleasure, join us again on Tuesday when Zimbabwe will be looking to level the series. Good night!

Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka: "I should first of all thank the crowd who came here in numbers, it was great support. 296 is always a tough score, but our batters showed their class in the run chase. I'm also happy with our strength in depth."

Zimbabwe skipper Sean Williams: "Very disappointed. Thought the guys set the platform really well, but Sri Lanka bowled really well at the death and we were about 20-30 runs short. I also thought we missed our lengths and gave away a few too many four balls."

Chandimal: "I'm over the moon about my performance. Disappointed not to have stayed till the end though. I've goone through a lot of ups and downs, but you have to keep practicing hard and keep your fitness at a good level. That's what I've been focusing on and just trying to be the old Chandi - because the last few years haven't been good. I think he's back now and I'm looking forward to doing well in the next few matches as well."

10.45pm Dinesh Chandimal is Man of the Match for his 75 off 91 balls.

10.35pm Well Sri Lanka will be extremely pleased with that display. A string of partnerships meant they always had the chase under control, with a 127-ball 129 between Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka being the pick of the bunch. There were fifties for the pair as well, as well as for Pathum Nissanka at the top of the order. The pitch was conducive for batting throughout, but Sri Lanka will be pleased that all their batters looked in such good nick.

As for the visitors, it was good but not good enough. Sean Williams scored his fifth ODI hundred, while Takudzwanashe Kaitano had a debut to remember. Indeed, the Zimbabwe batters in general did well to subdue the threat of the Lankan bowlers, but having set up an ideal platform they failed to capitalise in the death overs. When a score of 300 had seemed a minimum at one point, in the end it took them 10 runs off the final two deliveries of the innings to even get to 296. That seemed about 30 runs too short at the time, and so it proved. Then with the ball, they failed to ever really threaten the Lankan batters, who found proceedings all too easy, with dismissals generally batter error more than anything else.

48.4
5nb
Muzarabani to C Karunaratne, (no ball) FOUR runs

And Sri Lanka win it in style! Chamika anticipates the short ball, shuffles across the stumps and pulls this hard behind square on the leg side. Man on the boundary barely has time to move.

48.3
1
Muzarabani to Shanaka, 1 run

Short and pulled past square leg, but there's a man on the boundary as well.

48.2
1
Muzarabani to C Karunaratne, 1 run

Back of a length and Chamika drops and runs. Good cricket.

48.1
1
Muzarabani to Shanaka, 1 run

Length ball on the stumps and worked on the onside for a single. That's all they need from here on out.

Sri Lanka need 5 from 12.

That was a great knock by Asalanka, he'll be disappointed not to have stayed till the end.

end of over 487 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 292/5CRR: 6.08 RRR: 2.50 • Need 5 runs from 12b
Dasun Shanaka8 (10b 1x4)
Richard Ngarava 9-0-56-3
Tendai Chatara 9-0-56-0
47.6
W
Ngarava to Asalanka, OUT

Length ball jagging back in and raps Asalanka on the pads. Big appeal, umpire has a long think and eventually gives him out. But it's being reviewed. And he's gone! Umpire's Call on impact is enough.

Charith Asalanka lbw b Ngarava 71 (68b 6x4 2x6 113m) SR: 104.41
47.5
6
Ngarava to Asalanka, SIX runs

Oof! Length on the stumps, and Asalanka added a few kilometres to this, my word! Flicks this behind square off the front foot, flat and far. What a hit.

47.4
1
Ngarava to Shanaka, 1 run

Back of a length, defended on the offside and hares away for a quick single.

47.3
Ngarava to Shanaka, no run

Short and Shanaka hops up and goes for the pull, but ends up flat batting it towards mid-off.

47.2
Ngarava to Shanaka, no run

Goes for the premeditated paddle scoop, but it's the slower ball and outside off to boot.

47.1
Ngarava to Shanaka, no run

Full and driven well, but straight to extra cover.

end of over 477 runs
SL: 285/4CRR: 6.06 RRR: 4.00 • Need 12 runs from 18b
Dasun Shanaka7 (6b 1x4)
Charith Asalanka65 (66b 6x4 1x6)
Tendai Chatara 9-0-56-0
Richard Ngarava 8-0-49-2
46.6
1
Chatara to Shanaka, 1 run

Short again, and this is pulled behind square. Backward square leg comes around to cut off the boundary.

46.5
1
Chatara to Asalanka, 1 run

Full, almost a yorker outside off. It's dug out by Asalanka to the left of mid-off.

46.4
1
Chatara to Shanaka, 1 run

Gets a hold of this though, but this time the pull finds square leg.

46.3
Chatara to Shanaka, no run

Goes for the pull and misses. There is a lot of space in front of square.

46.2
4
Chatara to Shanaka, FOUR runs

Lofts this beautifully over midwicket. It's over pitched on the stumps, Shanaka rolls his wrists and gets a great connection into the gap.

46.1
Chatara to Shanaka, no run

Back of a length outside off. Shanaka tries to dab this down to third man, but can't beat backward point.

end of over 469 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 278/4CRR: 6.04 RRR: 4.75 • Need 19 runs from 24b
Dasun Shanaka1 (1b)
Charith Asalanka64 (65b 6x4 1x6)
Richard Ngarava 8-0-49-2
Blessing Muzarabani 9-0-50-1
45.6
1
Ngarava to Shanaka, 1 run

Length outside off, plays this down to third man with soft hands. Beats a diving backward point.

45.6
1w
Ngarava to Shanaka, 1 wide

Wide down leg, left alone by Shanaka.

21 needed off 25. It's the captain Dasun Shanaka that's the new man in. He'll want to see this off without any further blips.

45.5
W
Ngarava to Chandimal, OUT

And he's got him! Chandimal goes for the pull again, but it's straight to Craig Ervine at short midwicket, who takes a good low diving catch. Is there a lifeline here?

Dinesh Chandimal c Ervine b Ngarava 75 (91b 4x4 1x6 143m) SR: 82.41
45.4
Ngarava to Chandimal, no run

Back of length on the pads. Chandimal goes for the pull and misses. Raps him on the pads, but it's pitching outside and missing the stumps in any case.

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

Over 49 • SL 300/5

Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets (with 9 balls remaining)
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ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League

TEAMMWLPTNRR
NZ241651750.914
ENG241581550.976
BAN241581550.221
IND211361390.782
PAK211381300.108
AUS181261200.785
AFG151131150.573
SA2191098-0.077
WI2491588-0.738
SL2471481-0.369
IRE2461573-0.358
ZIM2461765-0.952
NED2432035-1.179