Story by Raynald Ngwarati
THE Zimbabwe national men’s cricket team, the Chevrons, staged a stunning comeback this Saturday with a dominant 5-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club, levelling the three-match series 1-1 and setting the stage for a thrilling decider on Sunday.
Responding to a narrow loss in the opening match, Zimbabwe delivered a clinical all-round performance, bowling out Sri Lanka for a mere 80 runs in 17.4 overs, their lowest-ever T20I total against Zimbabwe.
Brad Evans and Sikandar Raza spearheaded the attack with three wickets apiece, ripping through the visitors’ batting lineup.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers set the stage, and the batters did the rest.
Despite a few stumbles, the chase was steady and calculated. Needing just 81 runs, the Chevrons sealed the win in 14.2 overs.
Sri Lanka, opting for an aggressive wicket-hunting approach instead of defending the modest target, failed to sustain pressure on Zimbabwe’s batters.
The victory now sets up a highly anticipated series decider this Sunday at Harare Sports Club.
With momentum on their side, Zimbabwe will be confident, while Sri Lanka faces questions about their batting depth.
Meanwhile, the Lady Chevrons are the winners of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier after beating Namibia by nine wickets in Windhoek this Saturday.
Loreen Tshuma powered to a half-century, helping Zimbabwe leapfrog the 115-run target with 21 balls to spare, boosting their confidence ahead of the global qualifier.
