Tags:
Journalism of Courage
KANDY, Jan 11: Off-spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan8217;s best Test performance of 12 wickets helped Sri Lanka to a comprehensive win against Zimbabwe before lunch on the final day of the first Test in Kandy today.Zimbabwe, resuming at an overnight score of 289-7, put up staunch resistance early today to avoid an innings defeat. But they were finally bowled out for 338, leaving Sri Lanka just 10 runs to win the match.But the visitors earned some respect when paceman Heath Streak captured the prized wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya and No 3 bat Roshan Mahanama without conceding a run.
Muralitharan was adjudged Man of the Match for a harvest of 12 wickets for 117 runs.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 469-9 decl.
Zimbabwe 1st innings: 140
Zimbabwe 2nd innings overnight 289-7: Gavin Rennie lbw b Muralitharan 24, Grant Flower b de Silva 38, Murray Goodwin b Muralitharan 70, Andrew Whittall b Muralitharan 14, Andrew Flower c Mahanama b Muralitharan 67, Alistair Campbell lbw b Vaas 40, Craig Wishart b Muralitharan 0, Paul Strang c sub R Arnold b Muralitharan 33, Heath Streak c Kaluwitharana b Pushpakuamara 13, Bryan Strang not out 15, Adam Huckle lbw b Muralitharan 0;
Extras: 5b, 11lb, 8nb 24. Total all out in 126.5 overs 338
Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-68, 3-103, 4-185, 5-261, 6-261, 7-271, 8-297, 9-334
Bowling: Vaas 24-3-65-1 4nb, Pushpakumara 19-2-64-1, Muralitharan 42.5-13-94-7 4nb, de Silva 13-5-25-1, Silva 11-2-35-0, Jayasuriya 16-0-38-0, Atapattu 1-0-1-0
Sri Lanka 2nd innings: Sanath Jayasuriya lbw Streak 0, Maravan Atapattu not out 6, Roshan Mahanama b Streak 0, Aravinda de Silva not out 4.
Total for two wickets in 1.5 overs 10.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0
Bowling: Streak 1-0-4-2, B Strang 0.5-0-6-0
Result: Sri Lankan won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: M Muralitharan
