Zimbabwe pulled off a big World Cup upset in Colombo, beating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets with 3 balls left. Sri Lanka posted 178/7, but Zimbabwe chased it down with smart batting and calm finishing.
Sikandar Raza led the chase with a brutal 26 ball 45, while Brian Bennett stayed unbeaten to take Zimbabwe home.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 178/7 | 20 |
| Zimbabwe | 182/4 | 19.3 |
| Result | Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets |
Sri Lanka Post 178 After Late Surge
Sri Lanka started well through Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera. They made good use of the powerplay and set a solid base.
Zimbabwe squeezed hard in the middle overs with spin and smart lengths. Sri Lanka still finished strongly and reached 178/7, which looked competitive on this surface.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | SL | 62 | 41 | 8 | 0 |
| Pavan Rathnayake | SL | 44 | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| Brian Bennett | ZIM | 63* | 48 | 8 | 0 |
| Sikandar Raza | ZIM | 45 | 26 | 2 | 4 |
Zimbabwe Chase Turns After Raza Takes Over
Zimbabwe stayed on track early with a steady start, then Sri Lanka found a few quiet overs and made the chase look tricky for a short phase.
Raza then flipped the match. He attacked the spinners, picked the gaps, and hit clean sixes when Sri Lanka missed their lengths. Bennett stayed calm at the other end and made sure Zimbabwe did not panic late. Zimbabwe finished the chase in 19.3 overs.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graeme Cremer | ZIM | 4 | 27 | 2 |
| Blessing Muzarabani | ZIM | 4 | 38 | 2 |
| Dushan Hemantha | SL | 4 | 36 | 2 |
Player of the Match: Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza won Player of the Match for his match-defining 45 off 26 balls. He walked in when the chase felt balanced, then took control and pushed Zimbabwe ahead with fearless hitting.
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