A rollicking century from Hamilton Masakadza and a rapid finish from the likes of Sikandar Raza and Peter Moor propelled Zimbabwe to a commanding 310 for 8 in Hambantota. The surface offered little for Sri Lanka's spinners or quicks, but nevertheless, the hosts will have to bat extremely well to avoid going 2-1 down in the series. Until last Friday, no score of over 300 had been successfully pursued.
Masakadza was domineering from the outset, striking at better than a run-a-ball through the first Powerplay, while Zimbabwe lost the wicket of Solomon Mire - the series' other centurion - in that period. Tarisai Musakanda, who was playing his first match of the series, then joined Masakadza at the cease. Together, they struck 127 runs from the next 113 balls, and a robust platform was set down. Wanidu Hasaranga and Asela Gunaratne made breakthroughs through the middle overs to give Sri Lanka some sort of control in the game, but enough of Zimbabwe's middle-order batsmen contributed to ensuring the second-wicket pair's work was not squandered. Sean Williams made a sensible 43, and then Raza and Moor hit the twenties apiece to plunder 47 from the last four overs.
Sri Lanka was slightly hampered at the death by the absence of Nuwan Pradeep, who disappeared into the dressing room clutching a leg midway through the innings, but had been too toothless through much of the remainder of the innings. Lakshan Sandakan, who claimed four wickets in the second ODI, was especially wayward here, leaking 73 runs in his 10 overs (though he was also unexpectedly saddled with the job of bowling the 49th over). Malinga was even more expensive, giving away 71 runs in his nine overs. Gunaratne returned the innings' best figures, with 2 for 53 from his full quota.
Masakadza found runs with deft reverse-sweeps and cute paddles when the spinners eventually came on, but it was the power that defined his innings. He crashed his fourth ball of the day through cover point and was ruthless on errors of length from the seam bowlers. Malinga was hit for four through point and then the square leg, in the fifth over, and neither Pradeep or Dushmantha Chameera could survive him unscathed through the Powerplay overs either.
He moved to fifty in the 15th over, having struck eight boundaries - all of them off quicks. The spinners would soon get their turn, however. Wanidu Hasaranga was reverse-swept for four in the 20th over, before being muscled down the ground next ball. Not long after, Sandakan was launched over long-on for six - the second of the innings, coming to a few overs after Musakanda's strike over long-on.
Particularly worrying for Sri Lanka was how comfortable both batsmen appeared. Sri Lanka had raised several lbw appeals through the early overs, and although several were close calls, none of those "not-out" verdicts would have been overturned on appeal. And the appeals themselves largely came against the run of play, rather than as a result of sustained pressure. Musakanda did not advance quite as quickly as Masakadza but still received enough loose deliveries to stroke into a favoured leg side. Masakadza, meanwhile, was, even more, attacking after reaching his half-century, using up only 36 further deliveries to move into triple figures for the fifth time in his career.
Had the partnership prospered for a further five overs, Zimbabwe might have put themselves on track for a score nearer 350 than 300, but as he has done through the series, Gunaratne provided a vital breakthrough - Musakanda holing out to long-on, in an attempt to hit against the wind. Nearly six overs later, Masakadza was also caught in the deep - at square leg - off the bowling of Wanidu Hasaranga. At his departure, the score was 191 for 2 at the start of the 33rd over.
Williams then worked the ball around until the slog overs approached before he was dismissed attempting acute stroke off Gunaratne in the 45th over. At the end of the 46th over, Zimbabwe was still 263 for 6, and Sri Lanka appeared as if they may restrict them to less than 300. Moor walloped successive sixes off Sandakan's final over, however, and then Raza struck two fours and a six off Malinga's last over, which cost a whopping 17. Zimbabwe will be the much happier of the two dressing rooms in the break.
SQUADS:
Sri Lanka: Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep, Wanidu Hasaranga.
Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine, Hamilton Masakadza, Malcolm Waller, Ryan Burl, Sean Williams, Tarisai Musakanda, Chamu Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, Solomon Mire, Peter Moor, Carl Mumba, Chris Mpofu, Donald Tiripano, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Tendai Chatara
