Zimbabwe celebrated Tuesday after winning their first T20 international against Sri Lanka in dramatic fashion to square the three-match series in Colombo. Chasing a target of 174, Zimbabwe required 20 runs off the last over bowled by Angelo Mathews, triumphing by four wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mathews, Sri Lanka's hero with the bat with an unbeaten 66, was hit for three sixes in the final over as Zimbabwe knocked off the target with a ball to spare.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Zimbabwe's Luke Jongwe, who smashed 25 not out off 12 balls with two fours and two sixes, was named man of the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I am just lost for words... very pleased with what we did today", said Jongwe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He had also claimed two wickets with the ball, but it was his punchy big hitting in the nail-biting last over that helped Zimbabwe over the line.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jongwe knocked the first ball of the final over for six over long-on -- and Mathews had overstepped as well, so the equation came down to 13 off six balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Next, Jongwe managed a boundary off the free hit, before hitting a six off the next delivery -- making it three runs required off four balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mathews managed a dot ball next. Then, to make matters worse, Jongwe was dropped off the next delivery and the batters completed a single.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Clive Madande was on strike for the penultimate ball, and as Mathews missed the yorker, he swept it for six to finish the match in style.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- 'Kept fighting' -
\r\nZimbabwe's skipper Sikandar Raza said the win was "unbelievable".<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We kept fighting.... We took it to the last and glad we pulled it off," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka were sloppy in the field, dropping a couple of catches, and there were a few misfields as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was opening batsman Craig Ervine who kept Zimbabwe in the hunt, top scoring with 70 off 54 balls with six fours and two sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was Ervine's career best T20I score.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The spinners were Sri Lanka's trump card and Ervine tackled them well, playing the sweep and the reverse sweep to good effect and upsetting their rhythm.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka got off to a poor start as they were 27 for four but a 118-run stand between Mathews and Charith Asalanka bailed them out.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was a record fifth-wicket partnership for Sri Lanka, improving on the 86-run stand between Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa against Bangladesh in Sharjah in 2021.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mathews posted his sixth half-century in T20Is and was unbeaten on 66, while Asalanka hammered his fifth half-century and top scored with 69.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But their efforts proved to be futile as Zimbabwe pulled off an unlikely win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka's captain Wanindu Hasaranga admitted his "top order was a flop and our fielding was very disappointing", but added he was hopeful of winning the series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We will bounce back", he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n