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The quest to recover some pride after Sundays drubbing by the West Indies continues, with Sri Lanka being the opposition in today's 3rd qualifying match. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat, no doubt hoping to build a total far beyond anything Zimbabwe would have a hope of chasing down, and while Zim did get some early wickets in the form of Jayasuriya and Jayawardene, a 3rd-wicket partnership of 165 by Tharanga (110) and Sangakkara (80) threatened to derail Zimbabwe's game. They came back strongly in the final overs, though, eventually pegging Sri Lanka back to 285/7, probably a bit below what Sri Lanka would have wanted, although still a challenging prospect for Zim's unreliable batsmen.

With Zimbabwe's batsmen, you never know what you're going to get - the third ODI against South Africa showed what they were capable of given the opportunity, and if they'd emulated that performance today this could have been an interesting match. Unfortunately, they went more for repeating Sunday's performance, although thankfully weren't quite that bad - but at 23/3 you knew it was going to be the same old story. Taylor and Masakadza both scored 30, building a useful 4th-wicket partnership, but Taylor's wicket was the first of three that fell in quick succession, and after that Zimbabwe shut up shop and tried to play out the innings - no risky shot, no attempt to score the runs required, and no entertainment value for the innings. Wickets continued to fall, however, and Zim we finally bowled out for 141 in the 43rd over, securing Sri Lanka's place in the next round and removing Zim's chance of qualifying.

Bowling and fielding today washugely improved over recent matches, and heartening to see. Batting, however, remains a real achilles heel - for as long as Zimbabwe collapse as soon as someone blinks, they're not going to get anywhere. Assuming West Indies win tomorrow's match, Friday's against Bangladesh is now for the "honour" of being the worst Full Member ODI team (both teams are currently on the same rating, with Zim fractionally ahead when it's calculated out to three decimal places). Zim have show recently that Bangladesh are the one team they can beat - let's hope they can restore some pride there.
Sri Lanka 265/7 (50 overs), Zimbabwe 141 (42.3 overs)
Sri Lanka win by 144 runs

Check below the cut for innings highlights & scorecard.

Sri Lankan Innings
38/1 8.1 overs ST Jayasuriya run out 9 (15b 0x4 0x6) SR: 60.00
Jayasurira's left speechless as some superb fielding by Chigumbura catches him short of his crease - first blood to Zimbabwe, and a good early wicket. Jayawardene is next in for Sri Lanka.

49/1 10.0 overs Reasonably good start from Zim - Sri Lanka are scoring okay, but haven't been able to really step on the gas yet and the wicket of Jayasuriya will boost Zim's confidence.

49/2 10.5 overs DPMD Jayawardene c Taylor b Ireland 4 (10b 0x4 0x6) SR: 40.00
Jayawardene edges behind to a grateful Taylor - would probably have been called a wide if he'd left it alone. Chalk up the second speechless Sri Lankan of the afternoon, and Zim are actually looking on good form for once. Kumar Sangakkara is the next man in.

55/2 12.0 overs Change of bowler - Elton Chigumbura replaces Ireland.
63/2 13.0 overs Change of bowler - Piet Rinke replaces Mupariwa.

95/2 18.0 overs An expensive over by Rinke, who concedes 11, including 2 fours. Are the Sri Lankans beginning to let loose a little?

102/2 19.0 overs Change of bowler - Chamu Chibhabha replaces Rinke.
102/2 20.0 overs Change of bowler - Prosper Utseya replaces Chigumbura. Zim are doing a decent job of keeping a lid on proceedings, but a few more wickets would be nice after their early successes...
105/2 21.0 overs Change of bowler - Tafadzwa Kamungozi replaces Chibhabha.

137/2 30.0 overs A speedy & economical 10 overs as Utseya and Kamungozi do some good work - Kamungozi may be new even by this team's standards, but he's been giving "Parsimonious" Prosper a run for his money in the economy stakes. Still a need for more wickets, though, or Sri Lanka are likely to make some hay towards the end of the innings...

149/2 31.0 overs ...or maybe they won't wait that long. 12 off the over, unusually expensive for Utseya, and the Sri Lankans are looking dangerous.
159/2 32.0 overs Another 10 as Kamungozi gets The Treatment by Tharanga.
175/2 34.0 overs And another 10. Sri Lanka working the singles to good effect here...

178/2 34.3 overs Tharanga brings up his century, but is almost run out one run short - takes a TV umpire decision to confirm he's got there. Good innings for him, his second successive ODI century.

180/2 35.0 overs Change of bowler - Chamu Chibhaba back to replace Kamungozi.
202/2 37.0 overs 15 off the over, including 3 fours, as Utseya gets taken to the cleaners. Time for a change of tactics, maybe?
209/2 38.0 overs Change of bowler - Stuart Matiskenyeri replaces Utseya...

214/3 38.3 overs WU Tharanga b Matsikenyeri 110 (130b 13x4 1x6) SR: 84.61
...and instantly makes the breakthrough, as Tharanga goes for the big swing and misses. The price is his off stump, and that's the end of a fine innings.

219/4 39.4 overs KC Sangakkara c Matsikenyeri b Chibhabha 80 (86b 7x4 0x6) SR: 93.02
That's the other half of Sri Lanka's big partnership gone, and Matsikenyeri's involved again - lofts a drive towards long off is taken comfortably, and Zim have another priceless wicket.

220/4 40.0 overs A few more wickets here and Sri Lanka could have problems putting their foot down to build a big score. Anything less than 300 will be a bit of a moral victory for Zimbabwe, but we'll have to see how it goes...
235/4 42.0 overs Change of bowler - Prosper Utseya returns to replace Matsikenyeri.

235/5 42.1 overs TM Dilshan c Kamungozi b Utseya 6 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
Top edge straight to Kamungozi - he barely had to move to take the catch - sends Dilshan back to the pavilions. Maharoof is next.

236/5 43.0 overs Change of bowler - Anthony Ireland returns to replace Chibhabha.
243/5 44.0 overs Change of bowler - Tafadzwa Kamungozi returns to replace Utseya.

259/6 46.4 overs MF Maharoof lbw b Kamungozi 13 (18b 1x4 0x6) SR: 72.22
Caught plumb LBW - Kamungozi's delivery pitched in line then turned and that was that. Murali is next.

272/6 48.0 overs 11 runs off Ireland's over, as Muralitharan treats him with disdain.

273/7 48.2 overs M Muralitharan c Matsikenyeri b Kamungozi 10 (6b 2x4 0x6) SR: 166.66
One attempt too many to club the ball to the boundary instead goes to Matsikenyeri at long off. Atapattu is next to the middle.

285/7 50.0 overs
And that's that. A decent score on a pitch that may not be the most batsman-friendly around, but Zimbabwe will be pleased it wasn't a lot higher, thanks in no small part to some excellent fielding. Zim now need 286 from their 50 overs, at 5.72/over - although if Zim's batsmen play as well as they did on Sunday, that'll be academic...

Zimbabwean Innings
7/1 1.5 overs HP Rinke b Perera 1 (3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33
Rinke fails to make an impression again, inside edge onto the stumps and he's away back to the pavilion. Chamu Chibhabha is next in.

7/2 2.1 overs TV Mufambisi c Jayawardene b Malinga 5 (9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 55.55
Strong sense of deja vu here - high edge to slip and another one down. Hamilton Masakadza is next.

23/3 6.5 overs CJ Chibhabha c Dilshan b Malinga 4 (12b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33
Good bowling from Malinga that's doing the damage here, really, but still not encouraging for Zimbabwe. Another edge to slip takes care of Chibhabha. Brendan Taylor is next up for Zim.

35/3 10.0 overs First good over of the game for Zim, 11 off it including two fours for Masakadza. These two have the talent to make a good stand, let's see what they make of it. Change of bowler - Fernando replaces Malinga, and Zimbabwe will probably be glad to see him go...

46/3 13.0 overs Change of bowler - Maharoof replaces Perera.

82/3 18.0 overs Another 11-run over, as Taylor's beginning to get in on the action after a slow start. These two have been racing along at 7+/over for the past few overs, which if they were able to stay in and keep it up would be enough to win the game for Zim. What are the odds?

86/4 18.5 overs BRM Taylor b Fernando 30 (59m 40b 4x4 0x6) SR: 75.00
Not good, as the kiss of death strikes. At least Taylor put up some resistance - caught out here by a turner that slipped right past him, onto middle & off. Stuart Matsikenyeri is next up.

86/5 19.1 overs H Masakadza c Sangakkara b Maharoof 30 (86m 56b 5x4 0x6) SR: 53.57
That's the other half of a promising partnership dealt with. Edged behind. Elton Chigumbura comes to the crease.

86/6 19.4 overs E Chigumbura run out 2 (3m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
...and pretty much walks straight back to the pavilion again. Needless runout going for a second that wasn't there. Prosper Utseya is next.

98/6 20.0 overs Statement of intent for Utseya, who hits 2 fours off his first 4 faced, making a total of 12 for the over. If it wasn't for the wickets falling every two minutes, this would be quite promising...
98/6 21.0 overs Change of bowler - Muralitharan replaces Maharoof.

107/7 24.0 overs S Matsikenyeri c Jayasuriya b Fernando 2 (26m 11b 0x4 0x6) SR: 18.18
Short ball, Matsikenyeri can't get out of the way and gloves it behind. Tawanda Mupariwa is next.

117/7 30.0 overs As they do, Zimbabwe have just shut up shop and look to be trying to bat out their overs - no attempt being made to score any significant runs. I'd rather they went out at least trying, myself...

126/8 35.4 overs P Utseya c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 20 (60m 45b 3x4 0x6) SR: 44.44
A doosra gets edged to slip, and that's the end of Utseya's innings. Anthony Ireland is next in.

134/9 39.2 overs AJ Ireland c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 0 (30m 8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Replay of Utseya's demise, as a doosra gets edge to slip again. Tafadzwa Kamungozi is the last man in.

141/10 42.3 overs T Mupariwa b Malinga 20 (68m 67b 2x4 0x6) SR: 29.85
And that's the end of that. Hardly the most thrilling of innings there, as Zim just closed down once they realised they weren't going to win. Mupariwa tries to emulate his four of the previous ball, but misses.

See you for tha Bangladesh game on Friday...

Scorecard

Sri Lanka innings	
WU Tharanga 	b Matsikenyeri			110
ST Jayasuriya 	run out (Chigumbura) 		9
DPMD Jayawardene 	c Taylor b Ireland 	4
KC Sangakkara 	c Matsikenyeri b Chibhabha 	80
MS Atapattu 	not out 			33
TM Dilshan 	c Kamungozi b Utseya 		6
MF Maharoof 	lbw b Kamungozi 		13
M Muralitharan 	c Matsikenyeri b Kamungozi 	10
SL Malinga 	not out 			5
	    Extras 	(b 3, w 6, nb 6) 	15 					
	    Total 	(7 wickets; 50 overs) 	285 					

Did not bat: CRD Fernando, PDRL Perera

Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Jayasuriya, 8.1 ov), 
2-49 (Jayawardene, 10.5 ov), 3-214 (Tharanga, 38.3 ov), 
4-219 (Sangakkara, 39.4 ov), 5-235 (Dilshan, 42.1 ov), 
6-259 (Maharoof, 46.4 ov), 7-273 (Muralitharan, 48.2 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 	
AJ Ireland 	10 	0 	53 	1 	5.30 	(1nb, 1w)
T Mupariwa 	6 	0 	31 	0 	5.16 	(2nb, 1w)
E Chigumbura 	4 	0 	24 	0 	6.00 	(1w)
HP Rinke 	3 	0 	21 	0 	7.00 	
CJ Chibhabha 	5 	1 	25 	1 	5.00 	(1nb)
P Utseya 	10 	0 	58 	1 	5.80 	(2nb, 1w)
T Kamungozi 	10 	0 	55 	2 	5.50 	
S Matsikenyeri 	2 	0 	15 	1 	7.50 	(1w)


Zimbabwe innings
TV Mufambisi 	c Jayawardene b Malinga 		5
HP Rinke 	b Perera 				1
CJ Chibhabha 	c Dilshan b Malinga			4
H Masakadza 	c Sangakkara b Maharoof 		30
BRM Taylor 	b Fernando 				30 
S Matsikenyeri 	c Jayasuriya b Fernando 		2
E Chigumbura 	run out (Maharoof/Perera/Sangakkara) 	2
P Utseya 	c Jayawardene b Muralitharan		20
T Mupariwa 	b Malinga 				20
AJ Ireland 	c Sangakkara b Muralitharan		0
T Kamungozi 	not out 				0
	    Extras 	(lb 1, w 19, nb 7) 		27 					
	    Total 	(all out; 42.3 overs)		141 					

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Rinke, 1.5 ov), 
2-7 (Mufambisi, 2.1 ov), 3-23 (Chibhabha, 6.5 ov), 
4-86 (Taylor, 18.5 ov), 5-86 (Masakadza, 19.2 ov), 
6-89 (Chigumbura, 19.3 ov), 7-107 (Matsikenyeri, 22.6 ov), 
8-126 (Utseya, 35.4 ov), 9-134 (Ireland, 39.2 ov), 
10-141 (Mupariwa, 42.3 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 	
SL Malinga 	9.3 	0 	25 	3 	2.63 	(6w)
PDRL Perera 	6 	1 	27 	1 	4.50 	(3w)
CRD Fernando 	9 	1 	28 	2 	3.11 	(5nb, 1w)
MF Maharoof 	4 	0 	37 	1 	9.25 	(2nb, 2w)
M Muralitharan 	10 	2 	20 	2 	2.00 	(2w)
ST Jayasuriya 	4 	2 	3 	0 	0.75 	(1w)