Vaas broke Zimbabwe’s back with four early wickets

Harare: Sanath Jayasuriya became Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in one-day Internationals and helped his side to a nine-wicket victory over weakened Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Thursday.

Zimbabwe were dismissed for 136 after being put in to bat. Sri Lanka replied with a whirlwind 139 for one in 20.5 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Veteran left-hander Jayasuriya, out for 31, had gone into his 315th one-dayer needing 28 to pass Aravinda de Silva’s milestone of 9,284, scored in 308 matches.

Jayasuriya claimed the record in the ninth over of Sri Lanka’s reply when he drove a delivery from medium pacer Douglas Hondo high over the cover boundary for six.

The innings also put Jayasuriya in fifth place on the list of all-time run-scorers in one-day Internationals.

The foundations of the win were laid when left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas took four wickets in his opening spell on his way to final figures of four for 38. Off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan mystified the lower order with four for 32.

Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu, who made a career-best 96 not out in the first match of the series on Tuesday, escaped being run out for nought and went on to top-score with 35.

Saman Jayantha scored 74 not out off 64 balls with 12 fours and a six to marshall Sri Lanka’s reply.

Zimbabwe were again fielding a highly inexperienced side after 15 white players made themselves unavailable as part of a selection-process battle with their board.

They had put up an unexpectedly good display in the first game, scoring 211 for six before being edged out on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Taibu said on Thursday: “It was a different story today. Sri Lanka bowled very well early on, particularly Vaas and (Nuwan) Zoysa and we didn’t have any answers to them.”

The next game is in Harare on Sunday. (Reuters)