Harare: Zimbabwe bounced back in style to square the Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka T20 series with a dominant five-wicket win in a low-scoring clash at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Sri Lanka collapsed for just 80 runs — their second-lowest total in T20 cricket — as Sikandar Raza (3-11) and Brad Evans (3-15) ripped through the batting order. Kamil Mishara’s 20 was the highest score, while skipper Charith Asalanka added 18, but the visitors never looked in control.
In reply, Zimbabwe overcame early hiccups at 27-3 before Ryan Burl (20*), Tashinga Musekiwa (21*), and Brian Bennett (19) steadied the chase. Musekiwa sealed victory in emphatic fashion, smashing consecutive boundaries in the 14th over to take his side to 84-5 with 34 balls to spare.
Captain Sikandar Raza hailed his team’s resilience, saying: “We have been playing good cricket despite some narrow losses. This win should give us strong belief.”
With the series tied 1-1, the decider promises high drama when the teams meet again on Sunday.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 80 all out in 17.4 overs (K. Mishara 20; Raza 3-11, Evans 3-15)
Zimbabwe 84-5 in 14.2 overs (Musekiwa 21*, Burl 20*; Chameera 3-19)
Result: Zimbabwe won by 5 wickets
