The Sri Lanka cricket team toured Zimbabwe in January 2020 to play two Test matches.[1][2] It was the first tour of Zimbabwe since the International Cricket Council (ICC) lifted its suspension on Zimbabwe Cricket, due to government interference, in October 2019.[3] Zimbabwe last played Test cricket in November 2018, in a two-match series against Bangladesh.[4][5] The two teams last played a Test match against each other in July 2017, with Sri Lanka winning by four wickets.[6] Zimbabwe have never beaten Sri Lanka in a Test match.[7] Zimbabwe last played a home Test match in November 2017, against the West Indies.[8]
| Sri Lankan cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2019–20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 | ||
| Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | ||
| Dates | 19 – 31 January 2020 | ||
| Captains | Sean Williams | Dimuth Karunaratne | |
| Test series | |||
| Result | Sri Lanka won the 2-match series 1–0 | ||
| Most runs | Sean Williams (217) | Angelo Mathews (277) | |
| Most wickets | Sikandar Raza (11) | Lasith Embuldeniya (13) | |
| Player of the series | Angelo Mathews (SL) | ||
In December 2019, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that the tour would take place following their tour of India.[9][10] In January 2020, Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the tour schedule.[11] Zimbabwe Cricket also named Sean Williams as their new Test captain,[12] replacing Hamilton Masakadza who took up the role of Director of Cricket.[13]
Ten days before the first Test, Zimbabwe Cricket named a provisional squad of twenty-five players for the tour.[14] On 15 January 2020, Zimbabwe named their final squad for the tour, which included five players uncapped at Test level.[15] Three of those five cricketers made their debut in the opening day of the first Test of the series,[16] with Brian Mudzinganyama making his Test debut on day four, as a concussion substitute.[17] Mudzinganyama became the first cricketer to make his Test debut as a substitute.[18] Sri Lanka won the match by ten wickets,[19] to take a 1–0 lead in the series.[20] The second Test finished in a draw, therefore Sri Lanka won the series.[21]
Squads edit
| Tests | |
|---|---|
 Zimbabwe[22]
|
 Sri Lanka[23]
|
Tinotenda Mutombodzi was added to Zimbabwe's squad for the second Test as a replacement to Kyle Jarvis, who was ruled out due to an injury.[24]
Test series edit
1st Test edit
19–23 January 2020
Scorecard |
v
|
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14/0 (3 overs)
Dimuth Karunaratne 10* (13) |
- Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.
- Kevin Kasuza, Ainsley Ndlovu and Victor Nyauchi (Zim) all made their Test debuts.
- Sean Williams captained Zimbabwe for the first time in Tests.[25]
- Zimbabwe's first three batsmen all scored half-centuries in the first innings, the first time the top three had achieved this for the team in the same innings in Tests.[26]
- Craig Ervine (Zim) scored his 1,000th run in Tests.[27]
- Angelo Mathews (SL) scored his 10th century,[28] and his first double century in Tests.[29]
- Brian Mudzinganyama (Zim) replaced Kevin Kasuza as a concussion substitute during day 4 after 43 overs of Sri Lanka's first innings, with Mudzinganyama making his Test debut.[30]
2nd Test edit
27–31 January 2020
Scorecard |
v
|
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- Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.
- Only 54 overs were bowled on day 4 due to rain and bad light.
- Tinotenda Mutombodzi (Zim) made his Test debut.
- Timycen Maruma (Zim) replaced Kevin Kasuza as a concussion substitute during day 3 at the start of Zimbabwe's second innings.[31]
- Sikandar Raza took the second-best bowling figures in an innings for a Zimbabwe bowler in Tests.[32]
Statistics edit
Most runs edit
| Rank | Runs | Player | Innings | Average | High Score | 100 | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 277 | Angelo Mathews |
3 | 138.50 | 200* | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 218 | Kusal Mendis |
3 | 109.00 | 116* | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | 217 | Sean Williams |
4 | 72.33 | 107 | |||
| 4 | 188 | Brendon Taylor |
47.00 | 67 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 5 | 164 | Sikandar Raza |
41.00 | 72 | 1 | |||
| Last Updated: 1 February 2020 | ||||||||
Most wickets edit
| Rank | Wickets | Player | Innings | Best | Average | Economy | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Lasith Embuldeniya |
4 | 5/114 | 34.69 | 3.45 | 1 |
| 2 | 11 | Sikandar Raza |
3 | 7/113 | 21.63 | 2.61 | 1 |
| 3 | 10 | Suranga Lakmal |
4 | 4/27 | 15.10 | 1.73 | 0 |
| 4 | 7 | Lahiru Kumara |
3/32 | 30.28 | 2.65 | ||
| 5 | 5 | Victor Nyauchi |
3/69 | 31.60 | 2.32 | ||
| Last Updated: 1 February 2020 | |||||||
References edit
- ^ "Schedule for inaugural World Test Championship announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Men's Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "'Further sanctions would have been disastrous' - Zimbabwe Cricket chairman". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ "Zimbabwe: Chevrons Set to Bounce Back". The Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "Zimbabwe coach Lalchand Rajput confirms two-match Test series at home against Sri Lanka this month". First Post. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Zimbabwe to host Sri Lanka for two-Test series in January". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Chatara ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests with bicep injury". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Fixtures for Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe announced". The Papare. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka Cricket confirms tour of Zimbabwe". The Papare. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Sri Lanka confirm cricket tour of Zimbabwe". New Zimbabwe. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Zimbabwe to host Sri Lanka for two Tests in January". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Zimbabwe to host Sri Lanka for two Test matches in January". The Cricketer. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ^ "Cricket-Zimbabwe to host Sri Lanka for two tests in hastily arranged tour". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- ^ "Domestic first-class tournament stalls in Zimbabwe". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "No PJ Moor, Ryan Burl as Sean Williams captains Zimbabwe". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka toil hard on batting-friendly Harare wicket". The Papare. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Mudzinganyama replaces Kasuza as concussion substitute". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ "Does Jason Gillespie have the lowest average of any Test double-centurion?". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ "Kumara blows away Zimbawean tail; Sri Lanka win by 10 wickets". The Papare. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka break through Chakabva resistance to take series lead". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Kusal Mendis century guides Sri Lanka to safety and series win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ "Chatara ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Kusal out, Lakmal in – Sri Lanka squad for Zimbabwe tour 2020". The Papare. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka riding on Lahiru Kumara's promise while Zimbabwe lose Kyle Jarvis to injury". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ "Angelo Mathews and Sean Williams in focus as Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka resume a strange rivalry". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "Record-breaking Zimbabwe lay solid platform on opening day against Sri Lanka". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Steady start for Sri Lanka after Embuldeniya five-for". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "Angelo Mathews' century takes Sri Lanka into lead". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ "Mathews hits double-ton as tame draw looms". The Papare. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ "Kevin Kasuza suffers delayed concussion, replaced by Mudzinganyama". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ "Timycen Maruma comes in as Kevin Kasuza's concussion replacement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Sikander Raza seven-for leaves Sri Lanka in a spin". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 29 January 2020.