Sri Lanka 300 for 6 (Dickwella 116, Gunathilaka 87, Waller 2-44) v Zimbabwe
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Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella added 209 in 35.2 overs © AFP
Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka became the first pair in ODI history to put together two back-to-back double-century partnerships as Sri Lanka ran Zimbabwe ragged. They posted 300 for 6 in the fourth ODI in Hambantota after Angelo Mathews decided to bat on what he thought was a dry surface. In reality, it was anything but, as the openers, who put together 209 in 35.4 overs showed. While Dickwella went on to bring up his second successive century, Gunathilaka fell for 87.
Angelo Mathews, who promoted himself to No. 3, overcame initial struggles to make a 40-ball 42 before falling off the final delivery. The inability of the middle order to come in and strike right from the outset meant Zimbabwe, who were staring at a target of 350 at one stage, had a sniff. They only need to look as far as back as last week, where they became the first side to successfully chase down 300 plus in Sri Lanka, for inspiration.
Full report to follow….
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo