Final-over hat-trick helps Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe

Harare’s first one-day international

Sri Lanka 298-6 (50 overs): Nissanka 76 (92), Ngarava 2-34

Zimbabwe 291-8 (50 overs): Raza 92 (87), Madushanka 4-62

Seven runs later, Sri Lanka won.

In the opening one-day international in Harare, Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by seven runs in the final over of the match thanks to Dilshan Madushanka’s hat-trick.

The seamer bowled Sikandar Raza for 92 runs after Brad Evans was caught and Richard Ngarava’s stumps broke as the hosts needed 10 runs from their final six balls and the game in doubt.

Zimbabwe fell short of their 299-8 target with the 24-year-old giving up just two singles from his final three deliveries.

With a 128-run partnership with Tony Munyonga (43 not out), Raza had a chance to win the match and help his side recover from 161-5 in 30 overs.

Before Zimbabwe could score a run, Ben Curran (70) and captain Sean Williams (57) put on 118 for the third wicket, which was the second rebuild of the innings after Asitha Fernando, who took 3-50, had dismissed Brian Bennett and Brendan Taylor.

In a third-wicket pairing, Pathum Nissanka (76) and Kusal Mendis (38), both scored exactly 100 in the innings of Sri Lanka.

The visitors then dropped to 161-5 as a result of successive deliveries by Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka, but Janith Liyanage (70 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (57) hammered 137 from the final 14 overs.

Ngarava’s final ball of the innings, which Mendis had taken, gave Zimbabwe a slightly overwhelming score of 298-6, but Madushanka’s heroics made it impossible for Zimbabwe to chase.