Zim let Sri Lanka off the hook

Shehan Madushanka, the fastest of the Sri Lankan bowlers, took the first over, and with his final delivery he knocked Mumba’s off stump out of the ground with a fine delivery before he had added to his score.

There followed a useful partnership between Jongwe and Wellington Masakadza, who again did well enough to show he could become a genuine all-rounder.

He saw off Madushanka, but as soon as Anuk Fernando, the left-handed seamer, came on, he flirted with a ball outside the off stump and edged it to the keeper for 14; 341 for eight. The innings did not last much longer. Dylan Hondo, in trying to get off the mark, was brilliantly run out at the bowler’s end, a direct hit, as had happened to Charles Kunje.

With the last man, Victor Nyauchi, at the crease, Jongwe reached his 50 off 75 balls, but without addition he fished at a ball from Fernando outside his off stump and was caught at the wicket. The Zimbabweans were all out for 349, quite a good score, though it cannot be conclusively evaluated until the opposition has shown what they can do on the same pitch.

There were two wickets each to Fernando, Madushanka and Charith Asalanka, who did not bowl this morning.

With just over half an hour to go until lunch, the Sri Lankans opened their batting with Pabasara Waduge and Hashan Dumindu, to the bowling of Nyauchi and Mumba.

Nyauchi struck in his second over, as Waduge (3) groped for a ball outside the off stump and edged a catch to Nyasha Mayavo, the wicketkeeper; the Sri Lankans were eight for one.

In his next over Nyauchi struck again, trapping Dumindu lbw for four, and the Sri Lankans had lost both openers with only nine runs on