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12-Jan-2009 16:47:00 GMT
Tri-nation tournament in Bangladesh, 2009

Sri Lanka Reached In Final With Big Win Against Zimbabwe

Mirpur: Sri Lanka storm home by 130 runs. Quite a walkover really after Zimbabwe wobbled to Kulasekara early on. Some of the indiscreet shots gave the impression that they had given up already.

Mendis beat Ajit Agarkar's record for the fastest to 50 ODI wickets. Agarkar did it in 22 games but Mendis managed it in just 19. And he has an average of 10.

Set to score a modest 211 for victory, Zimbabwe were all out for 80 in 28.2 overs with just Stuart Matsikenyeri reaching double figures. Mendis took three for 15, completing his 50-wicket haul in his 19th One-Day International and bettering the record of India's Ajit Agarkar who took 23 matches to reach the milestone.

Medium pacer Nuwan Kulasekera ripped through the Zimbabwean top-order to take three for 13 while Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets.

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews was named man-of-the-match. The former under-19 captain toiled hard on a slow wicket to hit an unbeaten 52 off 96 balls to lift Sri Lanka to 210 for six.

Earlier, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field against Sri Lanka in the second match of the tri-series One-Day International tournament on Monday. A fine display from Ed Rainsford and a disciplined performance from the spinners helped Zimbabwe restrict Sri Lanka to 216 in the second match of the Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh. Rainsford struck thrice to cripple Sri Lanka's top order, while captain Prosper Utseya and Ray Price tightened the noose by checking the run-flow in the middle overs.

However, Sri Lanka were handed a lifeline with Sri Lanka U-19 captain Angelo Mathews' timely half-century, and Thilan Thushara's late hitting helped Sri Lanka cross the 200-run mark.

Having being put in by Zimbabwe under hazy conditions, the Sri Lankan openers made a solid start. Sanath Jayasuriya signalled his intent with two fours off Rainsford in the very first over.

Angelo Mathews hit a maiden half-century to help Sri Lanka post a competitive 210/6. Sri Lanka were in deep trouble at 97/5 following paceman Edward Rainsford's three-wicket burst, but the young middle-order batsman came to his team's rescue with an unbeaten 52 in only his third One-Day International.

Mathews, 21, added 69 for the sixth wicket with Jehan Mubarak (31) and 44 for the unfinished seventh wicket with Thilan Thushara (28 not out) to steady the innings. Sri Lanka added 47 in the last 10 overs, with Thushara swinging spinner Keith Dabengwa for two successive sixes and Mathews smashing spinner Prosper Utseya and seamer Tawanda Mupariwa for two sixes in his 96-ball knock.

Zimbabwe beat hosts Bangladesh by 38 runs in the opener of the four-match event on Saturday.


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