Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 3, Lunch Report: Hosts lose 5 wickets before lunch

Zimbabwe lose 5 wickets before lunch

Sri Lanka bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Dilruwan Perera took two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe’s batsmen fell in heap on the third morning of the first Test at Harare Sports Club on Monday. Replying to Sri Lanka’s 537 all out, the hosts had made a promising start in reaching the close of day two on 88 for one. But with Lakmal and Perera striking in quick succession, Zimbabwe fell from 92 for one to 139 for six before Peter Moor and Graeme Cremer stabilised the innings, taking the home side to lunch on 174 for six. A rash shot from opener Tino Mawoyo started the collapse, as he pulled a Lakmal delivery straight to deep midwicket to depart for 45. Masakadza was caught at slip for 33 in Lakmal’s next over, before Rangana Herath claimed the key wicket of Sean Williams when the left-hander picked out Asela Gunaratne in the deep. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test at Harare

With Craig Ervine and Malcolm Waller trapped lbw in consecutive overs from Perera, Zimbabwe slipped deeper into the mire before Moor counter-attack effectively. The wicketkeeper-batsman launched two elegant sixes off the Sri Lankan spinners to go to lunch unbeaten on 25 from 26 balls, while Cremer was on a more sedate 10 not out.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had put up a mammoth 537 during their batting. Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga both scored centuries while Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva and Asela Gunaratne contributed majorly towards the team’s total. Zimbabwe had a decent start on Day Two with 88 runs with the loss of Brian Chari’s wicket at stumps.