Match report Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka 2003/04 1st ODI by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka

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At least six or seven of the regular Zimbabwe players, all white, were missing from this match, refusing to play in protest at the sacking of their captain Heath Streak by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. The makeshift side selected in its place was widely expected to suffer humiliation against the Sri Lanka tourists, but in fact acquitted themselves with honour, although losing by the deceptive margin of 12 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis regulations.

 

Sri Lanka, perhaps unmotivated at the prospect of playing a sub-standard team, were also still struggling to acclimatize and only dominated in the first and last half-hours of the match. Marvan Atapattu surprised everybody by putting Zimbabwe in to bat on a good pitch in fine morning weather, when apart from the conditions one would have expected him to seek good batting practice for as many of his players as he could – which would not have been possible had Sri Lanka been chasing the small target they and most other people expected.

 

Zimbabwe’s inexperienced opening pair of Vusi Sibanda and debutant Brendan Taylor proved no match for the expert Sri Lankan new-ball attack of Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa – the former with best ODI figures of eight for 19 when Zimbabwe were bowled out for 38 in Colombo in 2001, the latter the man who took a hat-trick in a Test match at Harare Sports Club on Sri Lanka’s last visit late in 1999.

 

Both openers were gone with only a leg-bye on the board. Sibanda, tempted into a drive outside off stump, edged Zoysa to the keeper, and then Taylor was bowled through the gate by an inswinger from Vaas.

 

This brought together the only two batsmen of any significant experience in the team, the 20-year-old captain Tatenda Taibu and Dion Ebrahim, a batsman whose only two scores of over fifty in ODIs were against Bangladesh. Helped by some generously donated extras and good running between the wickets, they began slowly but then fought back more strongly, with Taibu taking three boundaries in an over off the inexperienced seamer Nuwan Kulasekara.

 

This persuaded Atapattu to bring on Muralitharan for the 12th over of the innings, to bowl in tandem with the immaculate Vaas. It was Zoysa, bowling his second spell, who broke through, though. Ebrahim, battling along with 13 to his credit, moved down the pitch and played a strange sort of chop at a ball almost of half-volley length, which flew off the edge to first slip. Third umpire Russell Tiffin took an age before finally and correctly giving Ebrahim out; 47 for three.

 

Elton Chigumbura, aged 18 and on his debut, hit three good boundaries as he took a positive approach. He made 13 before he tried to pull Zoysa and skyed the ball to deep fine leg, where Muralitharan ran forward and dived to take an excellent catch. Zimbabwe were 64 for four.

 

Stuart Matsikenyeri, whose record is 20 matches at an average of 10, although he is a better batsman than that, struggled against Muralitharan before giving his wicket away for 6. He stretched forward defensively, but dragged his back foot as he missed the ball, giving Kumara Sangakkara an easy stumping; 79 for five.

 

A quick single took Taibu to a highly creditable 50 on his captaincy debut, while Alester Maregwede settled in well and hit a couple of impressive early boundaries. He quickly gained in confidence, and at last, for the first time in the innings, there was authoritative batting in both innings. Maregwede ran to 37 off 44 balls before finally holing out on the long-on boundary off Upal Chandana; 154 for six.

 

Mluleki Nkala continued the fight, starting hesitantly but then hitting out to score an unbeaten 33 off 22 balls, including two sixes over midwicket. Muralitharan was surprisingly ineffective during the later period of the innings, while Vaas, after conceding just nine runs in his first seven-over spell, finished with one for 31 off 10. Zoysa did not bowl at the death, and so was allowed to preserve his excellent figures of three for 21 in seven overs.

 

A total of 211 for six was far more than most had expected from such an inexperienced team, but they played above themselves while Sri Lanka faded away after such a good start. But the shocks were not over yet for the tourists.

 

Sanath Jayasuriya showed Sri Lanka’s intentions when he lashed the first ball of their innings, from Douglas Hondo, through the covers for four. Down the other end, though, he drove at Tinashe Panyangara and edged a catch straight to first slip. He made 9, and Panyangara had taken a wicket with his second ball in international cricket.

 

Jayasuriya was destined to be the only opening batsman in the match to score any runs. In the next over, Hondo struck Atapattu on the pad, above the knee-roll, before he had scored and, although height might have been borderline, umpire Kevan Barbour’s finger went up instantaneously. Sri Lanka, paying the price for complacency, were 9 for two.

 

Panyangara seemed inspired as he bowled an accurate opening spell at a steady pace, outshining the more erratic Hondo, who was plundered by the aggressive Sangakkara. By now, though, the sky was clouding over, there were distant rolls of thunder and some drops of rain. After a few minutes it grew heavy enough to drive the players from the field with Sri Lanka 31 for two off 6.5 overs – this was November rather than April weather. But it has been a strange rainy season in Zimbabwe.

 

In all, 17 overs were lost before play restarted. The target was adjusted to 173, but if anybody knew that before play started, they didn’t let on – another two overs had been bowled before the media heard about it.

 

Sangakkara enjoyed an escape on 24, a hard chance to backward point, but then Mahela Jayawardene (5) obliged Hondo by pulling a short ball down leg side straight down the throat of long leg. Sri Lanka were 44 for three.

 

Sri Lanka now sent in Zoysa as a pinch-hitter. The move was a partial success, as he scored 14 off 17 balls before slogging a low catch to mid-on, giving Chigumbura his first wicket. With Tillakaratne Dilshan as his partner now, Sangakkara ran through to his fifty off 49 balls despite spirited bowling.

 

As predicted, Taibu came on to bowl his skiddy medium-pacers while Maregwede took over the wicket-keeping gloves. Although he bowled capably, his decision proved expensive: Maregwede put down a chance offered by Sangakkara off Hondo when he had 66. As the partnership developed and the 25-over mark required for a contest was passed, Sri Lanka were again in control, keeping well ahead of the required run rate.

 

By now the light was fading rapidly and the umpires offered the batsmen the opportunity to call it a day. 12 runs ahead in the 27th over, the agreed and the match was over. Taibu was Man of the Match, while Sri Lanka owed almost everything to Sangakkara and Dilshan with the bat, and Vaas and Zoysa with the ball.

 

Zimbabwe played astonishingly well on adrenaline, but it would be a surprise if Sri Lanka did not dominate the remaining matches convincingly. They will be acclimatized, they will no longer be complacent, and they, with their experience, will work out the enthusiastic but limited and inexperienced Zimbabwean players much more quickly than the Zimbabweans will work them out.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)