11/20/25 11:30:00
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11/20 11:21 CST Zimbabwe earns biggest win over Sri Lanka in T20 tri-series
Zimbabwe earns biggest win over Sri Lanka in T20 tri-series
By RIZWAN ALI
AP Sports Writer
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) --- Captain Sikandar Raza and fast bowler Brad Evans
inspired Zimbabwe to its biggest Twenty20 win over Sri Lanka on Thursday, by 67
runs.
Sri Lanka was 95 all out on the final ball in its opening match of the
tri-series. Evans took 3-9 and all six bowlers got wickets.
Zimbabwe posted a par total of 162-8 after being sent in to bat; Raza made 47
off 32 balls and opening batter Brian Bennett 49, missing out on a second
successive half-century.
"You want to be there when the chips are down and be prepared to do the dirty
work for the team," Raza said. "If I'm trying, I feel my team is going to try."
Sri Lanka is enduring a horrible white-ball tour of Pakistan. Before the
tri-series, it lost the ODI series to Pakistan 3-0.
Sri Lanka didn't get any momentum once it lost Pathum Nissanka for a five-ball
duck and Kusal Perera top-edged fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa as they limped to
25-2 inside the batting powerplay. Captain Dasun Shanaka (34) was one of two
Sri Lankans to reach double figures.
"The intent was not there from the beginning," said Shanaka, who was made
captain for the tri-series after Charith Asalanka returned home unwell. "We
cannot accept this with the players and experience we've got."
Bennett and Raza put up a spirited fight for Zimbabwe in the opening loss to
Pakistan and featured again on Thursday.
Bennett began with three off-side boundaries in the second over, and combined
with Raza in a 61-run stand.
Raza perished in the death overs, brilliantly caught by Shanaka at wide
long-off, but Zimbabwe flogged 46 runs in the last five overs.
Sri Lanka takes on Pakistan on Saturday.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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