Sri Lanka edged Zimbabwe by seven runs in a gripping first ODI at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, with left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka producing a last-over hat-trick to silence a packed Castle Corner.
With the hosts needing just 10 runs from the final six balls, Sikandar Raza appeared set to complete a famous chase. The veteran allrounder had anchored Zimbabwe’s innings with a commanding 92, combining with Tony Munyonga to bring the equation down to almost within touching distance as the brass band roared on from the stands.
But Madushanka flipped the contest on its head with three deliveries of precision and nerve. He bowled Raza with the first ball of the over, had Brad Evans caught at short fine leg with the next, and then knocked over Richard Ngarava with a full delivery to complete a stunning hat-trick and seal victory for Sri Lanka.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had been under pressure after being sent in to bat. Reduced to 161 for 5, the visitors were struggling against Zimbabwe’s seamers, with Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani exploiting the extra bounce on the Harare surface. The tide turned when Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis launched a counterattack in the final overs. Their 137-run partnership lifted Sri Lanka to 298 for 6, a total that proved just enough.
Zimbabwe’s reply began disastrously with Brian Bennett and Brandon Taylor falling for ducks in the opening over. Stand-in captain Sean Williams steadied the innings with a composed 57, adding 118 with Ben Curran, who made 70. Raza then took charge, mixing aggression against spin with clever strike rotation, and looked poised to finish the job until Madushanka’s decisive intervention.
What began as a day of hope and noise ended in disbelief for Zimbabwe’s supporters, as the brass band that had played without pause fell silent at the final ball. It was a contest that showcased everything ODI cricket can offer, early collapses, middle-order resilience, and a finish that will be remembered in Harare for years.
Sri Lanka 298 for 6 (Nissanka 76, Liyanage 70, Kamindu 57, Ngarava 2-34) beat Zimbabwe 291 all out (Raza 92, Curran 70, Williams 57, Madushanka 4-62, Fernando 3-50) by 7 runs*
