Rain forces Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka to share points
Rain arrived a ball after Craig Ervine had punched Sachith Pathirana to the cover fence to take Zimbabwe to 55 for 2 in 13.3 overs in the fourth One-Day International of the triangular series at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Monday (November 21). It was 10.45am local time at that point, and though the showers stopped completely before 1pm, play was called off at 3.05pm because of a wet outfield.
Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe thus ended with two points each from the game, and it did not alter the standings on the table. West Indies is still on top with seven points in two games, while Sri Lanka is second with seven points from three games. Zimbabwe is third with four points in three games, after the home team had tied its previous encounter against West Indies.
It means that the winner of the next game between West Indies and Sri Lanka, on November 23, will qualify for the final, while Zimbabwe would then need to beat West Indies in the final league game to progress. If both the games are washed out or tied then West Indies and Sri Lanka will play the final.
Electing to bat first, Zimbabwe, unchanged from the previous game, made 20 runs in 4.5 overs before Nuwan Kulasekara trapped Chamu Chibhabha in front for 8 with a full-length delivery that swung in. Kulasekara, Sri Lanka’s fifth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, is now nine short of joining the 200 club that already features Muttiah Muralitharan (523), Chaminda Vaas (399), Sanath Jayasuriya (320) and Lasith Malinga (291).
Brian Chari and Ervine added 21 runs before being involved in a mix-up that cost Chari his wicket. Chari played a ball from Dhananjaya de Silva to the midwicket fielder and set off for a run that was never there. Ervine stayed put at his end, forcing Chari to return from the middle of the pitch. He had no chance to beat Kusal Mendis’s sharp throw that Niroshan Dickwella collected at a comfortable height.
There would have been another run out in the 12th over when Ervine played to square leg and ran, but had no response from Sikandar Raza. Dickwella fumbled to give Ervine enough time to return to the crease.
Ervine was on 22 and Raza was on 4 when rain arrived to end the game.