Janith Liyanage scored 95 as Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe with an over and two wickets to spare. -AP
Janith Liyanage has scored 95 to head Sri Lanka towards a two-wicket win against Zimbabwe with an over to spare in Colombo.
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Coming in with the hosts 2-16 in the third over of Monday's one-day international he hit six fours and two sixes in a match-turning 127-ball stay as his side finished on 8-211.
Sri Lanka still needed 37 with two wickets left when he was dismissed - caught by Richard Ngarava off Blessing Muzarabani - and it fell to tailenders Dushmantha Chameera (18 not out) and Jeffrey Vandersay (19no) to steer them home.
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine, having won the toss and elected to bat first, led by example making his side's top score of 82, but had insufficient support as Zimbabwe were all out for 208 - losing their last four wickets for just six runs.Â
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana took 4-31 for Sri Lanka.
In reply, Ngarava took a career-best 5-32 that looked like it might be enough but the hosts held their nerve to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rain caused the first match to be washed out on Saturday.
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