Match Summary: Zimbabwe 84 for 5 (Musekiwa 21*, Burl 20*, Chameera 3-19) beat Sri Lanka 80 (Mishara 20, Raza 3-11, Evans 3-15, Muzarabani 2-14) by five wickets
ZIMBABWE beat Sri Lanka by three wickets at Harare Sports Club yesterday to level the T20I series 1-1, setting up a thrilling finale today.
The win was anchored by a stellar bowling performance that dismantled the Sri Lankan batting line-up.
Fresh off topping the ICC ODI rankings, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza led from the front with the ball, taking 3/11 in three overs as Sri Lanka was bowled out for a paltry 80 runs.
Seamer Brad Evans was equally impressive, claiming 3/15 in 2.4 overs, while Blessing Muzarabani and Sean Williams chipped in with two and one wicket, respectively.
Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled to build any significant partnerships, with only Kamil Mishara (20), captain Charith Asalanka (18), and Dusan Shanaka (15) reaching double figures.
"We lost too many wickets in the power play. That's not the start we wanted," said Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka.
"When I went to bat I thought it was a 130-140 pitch. In this format, 80 is not enough."
In response, Zimbabwe's chase started strong, with Tadiwanashe Marumani racing to 17 off just 12 balls.
However, Sri Lanka's Dushmantha Chameera struck back, taking two quick wickets in an over—Marumani and Williams—and later dismissing Raza in his next over.
Despite the wobble, Tashinga Musekiwa (21* off 14) and Ryan Burl (20* off 22) steadied the innings.
The pair guided Zimbabwe to a deserved win, reaching 84/5 in 14.2 overs, with Musekiwa hitting the winning boundary off Dusan Hemantha.
Chameera was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, finishing with 3/19 from four overs. Binura Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana each claimed a wicket. Player of the match and captain Sikandar Raza expressed his confidence in the team.
"The good thing about playing good cricket is that cricket rewards you back," he said.
"We weren't panicking. Hopefully, this win will give us belief. We deserve to win a series because we have been playing quality cricket."
Head coach Justin Sammons highlighted the importance of this win.
"The team needed to make crossing the line a habit, and they did so timeously just before the final and will look to seal the series today," Sammons said.