Pacers Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kumara backed up Angelo Mathews' Day 4 double ton to ensure a 10-wicket win for Sri Lanka in their first Test against Zimbabwe on Thursday in Harare. Lakmal picked up four wickets and Kumara took three as Zimbabwe were all out for 170 in their second innings. This left Sri Lanka with 14 runs to win in 13 overs and the openers got to the mark in just three.
Zimbabwe started the day on 30/0, trailing Sri Lanka by 127 runs. The opening stand didn't last long on the final day with Prince Masvaure falling to Lakmal off the second ball of the first session. Two overs later, he dismissed Masvaure's opening partner Brian Mudzinganyama. Craig Ervine became Lakmal's third wicket two overs later after which Brendan Taylor and captain Sean Williams looked to counter the Sri Lankan march.
Taylor was the fourth man to fall to Lakmal in the 45th over and Williams fell to Kasun Rajitha in the next. The Zimbabwean lower order then went about trying to save the Test and ensured that it took more than 40 overs for Sri Lanka to get the last five wickets.
Wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva who came in at number seven, led the effort with a gritty 142-ball knock that produced 26 runs. He was the last man to be dismissed and the second to fall to Embuldeniya. Kumara dismissed the lower order before Chakabva fell.
Sri Lanka have taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test will be played in Harare from January 27 to 31.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 358 & 170 (Sean Williams 39, Brendan Taylor 38; Suranga Lakmal 4/27) vs Sri Lanka 515/9d & 14/0 (Dimuth Karunaratne 10, Oshada Fernando 4)