COLOMBO: Sri Lanka pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win over Zimbabwe in a last ball thriller in the first Twenty20 Intern-ational in Colombo on Sunday.

       Requiring six runs off the last two balls, tail-ender Dush-ma-ntha Cham-eera smashed a bou-ndary off the penultimate ball.

       Then he pushed the last ball to square leg, scampering for two runs to keep Sri Lanka’s unbeaten record against Zimbabwe in T20Is intact.

       Sri Lanka owed the win to 36-year-old former captain Angelo Mathews who, playing his first T20I in almost three years, top scored with 46.

       Mathews had last featured in a T20I in March 2021, and was recalled to the side as Sri Lanka look to bolster the team with experienced players in the lead up to this year’s T20 World Cup.

       Sri Lanka were 51 for four when Mathews walked out to bat, and added 32 runs off 39 balls for the fifth wicket with Charith Asalanka.

       It was a crucial rebuilding period for Sri Lanka, but they were back to square one when Sikandar Raza struck twice in his last over to reduce Sri Lanka to 83 for six.

       Together with fellow all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, Math-ews then was involved in a 55-run stand to take Sri Lanka close to victory.

       Shanaka, who was axed as captain following last year’s 50-over World Cup, finished unbeaten on 26.

       Sri Lanka required 14 runs off the last over.

       Mathews hit two boundaries from the first two balls bowled by Blessing Muzarabani to bring the equation down to six from four balls.

       He attempted another big hit in the fourth delivery, but failed to clear the mid-wicket boundary and was dismissed for 46, from 38 balls with five fours and one six.

       Chameera knocked off the remaining runs while Sika-ndar Raza’s brilliant all-round performance was in vain.

       The Zimbabwe captain had top scored with 62 in his team’s total of 143 and then picked up three wickets, but that proved to be in vain.

       It was Raza’s 13th T20 half-century. His 62 came off 42 balls with five fours and two sixes.

       The next match is on Tuesday in Colombo.

       SCOREBOARD

       ZIMBABWE:

       T. K’hukamwe c Chameera b Theekshana 26

       C. Ervine lbw Theekshana 10

       S. Williams c S’wickrama b Hasaranga 14

       S. Raza c Shanaka b Chameera 62

       R. Burl b Hasaranga 5

       B. Bennett not out 10

       L. Jongwe not out 13

       EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-1) 3

       TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs) 143

       FALL OF WICKETS: 1-37 (Kamunhukamwe), 2-38 (Ervine), 3-83 (Williams), 4-103 (Burl), 5-129 (Raza)

       DID NOT BAT: C. Madande, W. Masakadza, B. Muzarabani, R. Ngarava

       BOWLING: Mathews 2-0-13-0, Thushara 4-0-43-0, Theekshana 4-0-16-2, Chameera 4-0-38-1, Hasaranga 4-0-19-2, Shanaka 2-0-13-0 (1w, 1nb)

       SRI LANKA:

       P. Nissanka c Masakadza b Ngarava 2

       K. Mendis c Masakadza b Muzarabani 17

       K. Perera c Burl b Masakadza 17

       S. Samarawickrama b Raza 9

       C. Asalanka c Masakadza b Raza 16

       A. Mathews c Masakadza b Muzarabani 46

       W. Hasaranga b Raza 0

       D. Shanaka not out 26

       D. Chameera not out 6

       EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4) 5

       TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs) 144

       FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2 (Nissanka), 2-32 (K. Perera), 3-38 (Mendis), 4-51 (Samarawickrama), 5-83 (Asalanka), 6-83 (Hasaranga), 7-138 (Mathews)

       DID NOT BAT: M. Theekshana, N. Thushara

       BOWLING: Ngarava 4-0-34-1 (2w), Muzarabani 4-0-33-2, Jongwe 3-0-38-0, Masakadza 4-0-21-1 (1w), Raza 4-0-13-3, Williams 1-0-4-0

       RESULT: Sri Lanka won by three wickets.

       PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Angelo Mathews

       Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2024