Sri Lanka 108 for 3 (Jayasuriya 40) beat Zimbabwe 104 (Matsikenyeri 37, Chandana 3-15) by 7 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sri Lanka made short work of Zimbabwe in the first encounter between the two sides in the Paktel Cup, finishing the match off in less than 52 overs, just over half the scheduled amount. Their victory was set up in the field: after winning the toss Marvan Atapattu put Zimbabwe in on a grassy Rawalpindi pitch and his attack, featuring four seamers, rolled them over for 104 in 33 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya produced some fireworks as Sri Lanka coasted to their target, and gave themselves an afternoon off with an early victory.
Zimbabwe would have had no inkling of how quickly their innings would unravel while Stuart Matsikenyeri was batting in the first hour. Matiskenyeri ignored the early loss of Brendan Taylor, his opening partner, and played the game he knew best. Ball on bat sounded like a rifle shot as he fired off a string of boundaries in the first few overs, and Zimbabwe raced to 50 at nearly five an over. But having reached 37 out of a total of 54, Matsikenyeri grew a shade too adventurous against the accurate medium-pace of Farveez Maharoof, swung across the line, and was bowled.
Thereafter the Zimbabwe batsmen gifted away their wickets with a series of ill-chosen strokes. Maharoof picked up a second wicket, that of Vusi Sibanda with a cutter, and Dilhara Fernando, out of the Sri Lankan side for a while, teased out Mark Vermeulen with the slower ball, bowled with a split-finger grip - one of his specialities. Atapattu saw his chance and brought back Chaminda Vaas for a second spell, a move that brought him another two wickets. Only Dion Ebrahim held one end up as the Sri Lankans easily finished off the tail, and Upul Chandana picked up some cheap lower-order wickets to finish with 3 for 15.
With only 105 to chase, Sri Lanka threw their bats at the bowling and lost a couple of wickets in getting home. Saman Jayantha, who replaced Avishka Gunawardene at the top of the order for today's game, again gave evidence of more than one chink in his technique - hard hands, and a tendency to play across the line of the ball - in making 21 before he miscued a flick horribly and skyed a catch to Tatenda Taibu. Jayasuriya was in better touch, and sent several deliveries searing through the infield on the way to 40, but Zimbabwe had the small satisfaction of picking up three wickets in all before Sri Lanka got home.
The two sides now play each other a second time on October 11, and Zimbabwe will want to put this disappointing performance behind them, and try to demonstrate that they can indeed compete at this level.