Sri Lanka wins by four wickets against Zimbabwe
Pathum Nissanka scores 55 to lead the chase
Kamindu Mendis hits 41 not out off 16 balls
Brian Bennett becomes T20I's top scorer between the nations
Sri Lanka edged out Zimbabwe in a thriller, clinching victory by four wickets with five deliveries in hand to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.
After strong performances from Pathum Nissanka, who struck his third half-century of the tour, and Kamindu Mendis' 41 not out off 16, it was debutant Dushan Hemantha who wrapped up the first Test with 14 off nine balls.
Brian Bennett hit 81 off 57 balls to get the hosts moving, but he was eventually bowled by Dushmantha Chameera (who bowled three for 30), as Sri Lanka sent four wickets flying across the final two overs.
Chasing 176, the Lions started strongly thanks to Nissanka (55) and Kusal Mendis (38) in the powerplay.
However, the momentum shifted as Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava led the charge with 2-19, as the hosts' bowlers clawed their way back during the middle overs.
Just when the game looked in the balance, Kamindu Mendis stepped up to swing the contest decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
The turning point came in the 18th over, as Zimbabwe conceded a costly 26 runs, with Mendis making short work of Tinotenda Maposa's bowling.
Data Debrief: Mendis and Bennett post highs
Kamindu Mendis has now registered the most sixes (four) of any batter in a T20I series between these two nations.
Bennett, meanwhile, became the highest-scorer (145) in the history of T20Is between the two sides after his 81-run haul, overtaking Angelo Matthews (116).
Both sides recorded their second-highest totals in T20Is against each other, with Sri Lanka tallying their highest total since 2012.
