Sri Lanka meet Zimbabwe today

The Sri Lanka team is set to commence their ICC U-19 World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in a Group ‘C’ encounter at the Diamond Hall ground in Kimberley today. Under the leadership of Sineth Jayawardena, the Sri Lankan team had mixed results in the two warm-up matches.

They secured a victory against Bangladesh by 112 runs on the D/L method but suffered a defeat defending champions India by 9 wickets in the second match.

Sri Lanka, in their recent preparations for the ICC U-19 World Cup, faced challenges in the Asia U-19 Tournament played in the UAE, where they lost to the host team and Afghanistan. However, under the guidance of coach Jehan Mubarak, and his assistant Sampath Perera, they underwent rigorous training before heading to South Africa. Despite a defeat to the Indian youth side, they were able to address their weaknesses in preparation for today’s crucial match. Opener Pulindu Perera made a significant impact during the warm-up games by scoring a half century against Bangladesh and contributing effectively against India. Expectations are high on him, and skipper Sineth Jayawardena will rely on Dinura Kaluapahana, who made a useful knock of 34 in the first match and a 67 against India, as well as Vishen Halamabge, Ravishan de Silva, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, Malsha Tharupathi, and Vihas Thewmika in the batting department. Additionally Ganuka Sanketh, Halambage, skipper Jayawardena, and part-time bowler Pulindu will need to combine effectively to contain the Zimbabwe batting lineup.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, led by Matthew Schonken, enters the game with confidence after winning both their matches against Ireland by 27 runs, and against USA by 12 runs, both by D/L method.

Zimbabwe skipper Matthew also has players in the likes of Ryan Kamwemba, Panashe Taruvinga, Campbell Macmillan, and Ronal Patel, who showcased their batting capabilities in the warm-up matches. Ryan Simbi and Anesu Kamuriwo are expected to be key bowlers for the team.