Colombo: Brian Bennett’s measured fifty and Sikandar Raza’s raw power propelled Zimbabwe to a facile six-wicket win over a fancied Sri Lanka as the Africans entered the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup with a clean slate, here on Thursday.
Chasing 179 on a rather sluggish surface, Zimbabwe needed pragmatism and force in equal measure, and those elements were offered to them by Bennett (63 not out, 48 balls) and Raza (45, 26b) respectively.
Zimbabwe scaled down the target in 19.3 overs.
Both the teams have already entered the Super Eights from Group B, and African outfit can be proud their show in the group phase as they also had defeated Australia in an earlier match.
The African side started quite well, reaching 55 for no loss in the Power Play segment, thanks to openers Bennett and Tadi Marumani (34, 26b).
In all, they added 69 runs for the first wicket in 8.3 overs before Marumani fell to Dunith Wellalage, offering the left-arm spinner a return catch.
Ryan Burl ensured that Zimbabwe did not lose the initial momentum, making a quick 12-23 and the highlight was a massive 103-meter six off Wellalage over long-on.
Burl perished to a slower bouncer by pacer Dasun Shanaka but the arrival of Raza changed the complexion of the match.
Bennett reached his fifty in 41 balls but Zimbabwe needed some muscle in their chase.
Raza pummelled pacer Dilshan Madushanka for two sixes in a row, followed by a four in the 15th over to give his side some steam.
The skipper, who suffered cramps in the later part of his innings, then clouted a six and four off spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the 16th over as Zimbabwe brought down the asking rate to 6.5.
Raza was ousted by Dushan Hemantha in the 19th over, and they lost Tashinga Musekiwa two balls later, leaving the visitors to score 8 off the last over.
But a huge pulled six by Tony Munyonga off Theekshana erased all the worries in the Zimbabwe camp.
Earlier, SL batters struggled against Zimbabwe spinners in the middle overs on a slow pitch, but reached a par 178 for seven.
