Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka raises his bat and helmet after scoring a century (AFP)
Hambantota - Chasing 311 for victory, the hosts rode on a 229-run opening stand between Dickwella (102) and Gunathilaka (116)
Published: Thu 6 Jul 2017, 4:15 PM
Updated: Fri 7 Jul 2017, 7:18 PM
Openers Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka hit sublime centuries to help Sri Lanka humble Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the third one-day international in Hambantota on Thursday.
Chasing 311 for victory, the hosts rode on a 229-run opening stand between Dickwella (102) and Gunathilaka (116) to canter home in 47.2 overs and earn a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The left-handed batting duo got their maiden ODI hundreds to overshadow Zimbabwe opener Hamilton Masakadza's sparkling 111 in the visitors' 310-8 after being put into bat first.
Masakadza (111) put on a crucial 127-run partnership for the second wicket with Tarisai Musakanda (48) before Sri Lanka's bowlers struck back at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium.
Masakadza's 98-ball knock, laced with 15 fours and a six, had Zimbabwe eyeing 350-plus at one point before a middle-order collapse pulled them back.
Teenage leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who took a hat-trick on his ODI debut in the second match in Galle, and paceman Asela Gunaratne grabbed two wickets each.
Sean Williams contributed with a gutsy 43 while cameos from wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Moor (24) and Sikandar Raza (25 not out) helped Zimbabwe cross the 300-run mark.
Graeme Cremer-led Zimbabwe are looking to go ahead in the five-match series after the hosts won the previous ODI on Sunday to level the series at 1-1.
Scoreboard
Zimbabwe
H. Masakadza c pradeep b Hasaranga 111; S. Mire lbw b Pradeep 13; T. Musakanda c Tharanga b Gunaratne 48; C. Ervine lbw b Hasaranga 16;
S. Williams b Gunaratne 43; M. Waller lbw b Malinga 17; S. Raza not out 25; P. Moor c Mendis b Sandakan 24; G. Cremer run out (Sandakan) 0;
C. Mumba not out 2; Extras (lb2, w8, nb1) 11; Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) 310
Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Mire), 2-166 (Musakanda), 3-191 (Masakadza), 4-206 (Ervine), 5-256 (Williams), 6-263 (Waller), 7-293 (Moor), 8-293 (Cremer)
Bowling: Malinga 9-0-71-1, Pradeep, 6-1-28-1, Chameera 7-0-34-0, Sandakan 10-0-73-1, Hasaranga 7-0-44-2, Gunaratne 10-1-53-2, Gunathilaka 1-0-5-0
Sri Lanka
N. Dikwella c Williams b Waller 102; D. Gunathilaka b Williams 116; K. Mendis not out 28; U. Tharanga not out 44; Extras (b4, lb2, w16) 22;
Total (2 wickets, 47.2 overs) 312
Did not bat: A. Mathews, A. Gunaratne, W. Hasaranga, D. Chameera, L. Sandakan, L. Malinga, N. Pradeep
Fall of wickets: 1-229 (Dickwella), 2-237 (Gunathilaka)
Bowling: Mumba 6.2-0-36-0, Chatara 6-0-47-0, Raza 10-0-55-0, Cremer 7-0-54-0, Williams 8-0-63-1, Waller 8-0-32-1, Mire 2-0-19-0
Toss: Sri Lanka
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