Follow UsWhat a finish it was to the first One-Day International (ODI) between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in Harare on August 29 (Friday). Zimbabwe needed 10 to win off the last over, and they had a well-set Sikandar Raza and Tony Munyonga at the crease.
Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka tossed the ball to Dilshan Madushanka, and boy, did he deliver. He cleaned up Raza off the first ball of the over, then Brad Evans lobbed one to the man at short fine-leg and then clean bowled Richard Ngarava off the first ball to complete a well-deserved hat-trick.
By doing so, the pacer became the eighth Sri Lankan to pick up a hat-trick in ODIs.
3 Lasith Malinga
2 Chaminda Vaas
1 Farveez Maharoof
1 Thisara Perera
1 Wanindu Hasaranga
1 Shehan Madushanka
1 Maheesh Theekshana
1 Dilshan Madushanka
This was also the second hat-trick of the year. In January, Madushanka's teammate Maheesh Theekshana got a hat-trick against New Zealand in Hamilton.
Madushanka's hat-trick saw Sri Lanka win by just seven runs and go 1-0 up in the two-match series. He finished with figures of 4/61 from his 10 overs.
Chasing 299, Zimbabwe lost two wickets in the very first over, but fought back well with a 118-run stand between Ben Surran(70) and Sean Williams (57). At 161/5 after 30 overs, it looked pretty even, but Raza then stitched a brilliant 128-run stand for the sixth wicket with Munyonga to take Zimbabwe within touching distance.
However, Sri Lanka showed their experience and hung on to a win, but it may not have been the case with Madushanka and half-centuries earlier in the game from Pathum Nissanka (76), Janith Liyanage (70*) and Kamindu Mendis (57).
The two teams will next clash in the second ODI on August 31 (Sunday) in Harare.