Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to move to the top of the Group B points table, thanks to remarkable performances from Brian Bennett and captain Sikandar Raza at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing an ambitious target of 179, Zimbabwe reached the total with four wickets lost in the final after a strong start.
Openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani piled on runs early on, creating a dynamic 69-run partnership for the first wicket.
Sri Lanka found the breakthrough in the ninth over when Dunith Wellalage dismissed Marumani, who scored 34 off 26 deliveries, including five fours and a six.
Ryan Burl then came in and played a quick cameo to ease the pressure, smashing 23 off 12 balls with two fours and a six before being run out by skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Captain Sikandar Raza joined Bennett at the crease and kept the scoreboard going with aggressive stroke play, including consecutive sixes, reducing the equation to 45 runs needed from the last five overs.
The duo added a fiery 50-run stand to put Zimbabwe in a dominant position, with Bennett approaching his half-century in style.
However, Dushan Hemantha broke the crucial partnership in the 19th over, dismissing Raza after a total of 45 off 26 balls, studded with two fours and four sixes, leaving Zimbabwe at 167-3 in 18.2 overs.
Hemantha struck again for the same purpose to dismiss Tashinga Musekiwa, giving Sri Lanka a ray of hope.
Needing eight runs in the final over, Tony Munyonga sealed the contest with a commanding six before returning the strike to Bennett, who finished unbeaten on 63 off 48 deliveries, including eight fours.
Munyonga remained unbeaten on eight off three balls as Zimbabwe secured a memorable six-wicket victory.
Batting first, Sri Lanka got off to a blistering start as openers Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka piled up runs with aggressive strokeplay, putting early pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowling attack and forging a 54-run partnership for the opening wicket.
However, Perera, who looked set, was dismissed by Blessing Muzarabani after scoring 22 off 14 deliveries, including four boundaries, ending the opening stand in the fifth over.
Nissanka remained in sublime touch, accumulating runs regularly to record his 19th T20I half-century and propel the team’s total past the 100-run mark in the 12th over.
Kusal Mendis, batting alongside Nissanka, struggled to rotate the strike and was eventually stumped by Ryan Burl after scoring 14 off 20 deliveries, leaving Sri Lanka at 100-2 in 12.2 overs.
Zimbabwe returned to the contest with the prized wicket of Nissanka, who played a vital knock of 62 off 41 deliveries, laced with eight fours, before being dismissed by Graeme Cremer.
Cremer struck again in his next over, removing Kamindu Mendis for seven off five balls, including a four, as Sri Lanka slipped to 123-4 in 15.2 overs.
The hosts continued to lose wickets as Muzarabani collected his second, dismissing skipper Dasun Shanaka for six off seven deliveries.
Pavan Rathnayake provided a late impetus with 44 off 25 deliveries, featuring three fours and two sixes, but his promising innings was cut short by Brad Evans.
Evans struck again in the same over to remove Dushan Hemantha for a first-ball duck, reducing Sri Lanka to 164-7 in 19 overs.
The innings ended with Dunith Wellalage unbeaten on 15 off eight deliveries, hitting three fours, while Maheesh Theekshana did not face a ball.
For the Chevrons, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans and Graeme Cremer claimed two wickets each, while Ryan Burl chipped in with one.
