ZIMBABWE’S Brendan Taylor blasted a commanding century to help his country register a crushing eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the last group game of the Tri-Nation series in Harare. Taylor (119 not out) shared crucial partnerships with Chamu Chibhabha (58) and Tatenda Taibu (42 n.o.) to successfully chase Sri Lanka’s total of 236 all out.
Chris Mpofu, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer took two wickets apiece, while Hamilton Masakadza and Ray Price snared one each to fight back and restrict the hosts to a below-par total after openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (78) and Upul Tharanga (69) got their side off to a flyer.
Sri Lanka drew first blood in the fifth over when Thilan Thushara dismissed Masakadza (three).
But Taylor and Chibhabha steadied the ship for the hosts as they put together 50 runs on the board by the 11th over, before Taylor celebrated the milestone by blasting three fours off Thissara Perera in the 15th over.
The duo dealt in ones and twos after the earlier onslaught and brought the 100 up for their side in the 20th over, with Taylor completing his half-century in the next, with Chibhabha following suit. He reached his 50 soon after taking the hosts to 142 for one at the end of the 30th over.
But Chibhabha soon fell to Dilshan after scoring a well-deserved half-century, before former captain Taibu joined Taylor in the middle and the pair kept Zimbabwe’s run-chase on track.
The opener brought his second one-day international century with a single in the 45th over and the duo took their side home with 13 deliveries to spare.
Earlier, Dilshan gave his side a fast start as he hit Zimbabwe bowlers all over the park in the first power play, smashing his counterpart Elton Chigumbura for three fours in the fourth over and adding one more in the next off Mpofu, posting his side’s 50 in the eighth over along with Tharanga.
Tharanga, who had been a mute spectator until the eighth over, decided to join the party and blasted three fours off Chibhabha in the 10th over, before Dilshan raced to his half-century off just 39 balls in the 13th over, as the duo added 100 runs in the 17th over.
But the Sri Lanka skipper fell to Utseya soon after, bringing an end to his well-paced innings of 78 from 66 deliveries and Dinesh Chandimal could not repeat the magic of his brilliant century against India in his last match, and went cheaply to Utseya in the 25th over.
Unfazed by the two quick wickets, Tharanga completed his half-century in the next, but once again lost his partner when Chamara Kapugedera hit a Masakadza slower ball straight to the bowler.
New batsman Thilan Samaraweera played patiently along with Tharanga in the middle overs as the visitors posted 183 for three at the end of the 35th over, before Sri Lanka’s batting line-up folded in the next 13 overs.
Tharanga failed to get the elevation off a good-length delivery from Cremer and hit it skywards as Charles Coventry took an impressive catch at long-off in the next.
Cremer struck once again and sent Jeevan Mendis (7) packing soon after.
Thilan Samaraweera (16) joined the procession when he ran himself out, leaving Sri Lanka in dire straits after their impressive batting performance in the first 25 overs.
Perera (8) and Lahiru Thirimanne (15) both fell to Mpofu in the 45th over, while Ray Price sent Thushara (7) back to the pavilion in the next and Dilhara Fernando went for a duck in the 48th over as the hosts failed to finish their quota of 50 overs.
The two teams will meet in the final tomorrow.