Dhaka

Thisara Perera starred with bat and ball as Sri Lanka ended

their recent dismal run by beating Zimbabwe by five wickets in the tri-nation one-day international

tournament yesterday.Perera claimed

four wickets to lead an

inspired Sri Lankan bowling attack that limited Zimbabwe to 198 all out before his unbeaten 39 helped the islanders to chase down their target in 44.5 overs.

Sri Lanka were in trouble at 145-5 before skipper Dinesh Chandimal (38 not out) and Perera put on an unbeaten 57-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Perera, who bats left-handed, sealed the win with a six to keep Sri Lanka’s tournament hopes alive after they lost against Zimbabwe and hosts Bangladesh.

Zimbabwe paceman Blessing Muzarabani claimed three wickets to

rattle the Sri Lankan top-order after opener Kusal Perera’s dominating 49.

But the day belonged to Thisara Perera, who soon took the attack to the opposition with his 26-ball knock that was laced with a four and 3 sixes.

Chandimal, leading the side in place of injured Angelo

Mathews, played the sheet anchor’s role to perfection during his 71-ball stay.

Earlier Perera ran through the Zimbabwe top-order, grabbing the most vital wicket of Brendan Taylor, who top- scored with 58 before his side were bowled out in 44 overs.

The 28-year old Perera, who bowls medium-pace, was ably supported by fellow paceman Nuwan Pradeep (3-28).

Left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan took two wickets before Pradeep wiped off the Zimbabwe tail including the prized wicket of skipper Graeme Cremer for 34. (AFP)

Thisara Perera stars as Sri Lanka Triumph

Monday, January 22, 2018 SPORTS20

England clinch ODI series

Sydney

A s c i n t i l l a t i n g c e n t u r y from Jos Buttler brought England a

16-run win and a one-day international series victory against Australia in Sydney yesterday.

The hosts, set 303 to win by England after winning the toss and electing to bowl, were always struggling in their chase and eventually managed only 286 for six.

The result gave England an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series, a remarkable turnaround after Australia had trounced the tourists 4-0 in the Ashes Tests.

Australia’s hopes largely rested with Steve Smith (45) and Mitchell Marsh (55), but both were dismissed at a crucial stage of the chase, with Smith falling to a contentious low-down catch by Buttler off the bowling of Mark Wood (2-46).

Marcus Stoinis made a late attempt to lift Australia with a punishing 56, but England managed to hold on despite losing pacemen Liam Plunkett to a leg injury early in the Australian innings.

Buttler, 27, was the only batsman from either team really to get to grips with a slightly slow pitch, and his late surge enabled England to reach a total which had

seemed out of their reach until the final few overs.

Several English batsmen failed to capitalise on promising starts, but Buttler notched his fifth one-day international century from the last ball of the innings as England helped themselves to 38 off the final two overs.

Buttler himself took 28 runs from the last 11 balls he faced. He faced 83 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, in a dashing innings that gathered momentum in the last 10 overs.

Just as England appeared to be struggling against a full-strength Australian attack, Buttler found a willing ally in Chris Woakes late in the innings, the seamer making 53 from 36 balls in a match-winning partnership of 113 in 11.5 overs.

Australia recalled pacemen Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the match, the first time in the one-day series that the trio of Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who spearheaded the Ashes win, had been reunited. (AFP)

BRIEF SCOREEngland 6 for 302 (Buttler 100*, Woakes 53*) beat Australia 6 for 286 (Finch 62, Stoinis 56, Marsh 55) by 16 runs

Sri Lanka 202 for 5 (Kusal

Perera 49, Thisara 39*, Muzarabani

3-52) beat Zimbabwe 198 (Taylor 58, Thisara 4-33, Pradeep 3-28) by five wickets

BRIEF SCORE

London

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele will race Britain’s

Mo Farah in the London Marathon in April.

Bekele is a triple Olympic champion on the track and was second behind Kenyan Daniel Wanjiru in last year’s race.

“I am thrilled to be returning to London for the third year in a row and would love to go one better than last year and win the race,” said Bekele.

“Once again London has brought the best distance runners in the world together so I know it will not be easy.”

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the

reigning Olympic marathon champion, who won the event in 2015 and 2016, will also be competing in London.

Bekele, Farah and Kipchoge have won a combined eight Olympic gold medals and 12 World Championship gold medals between them.

“This is a mouth-watering prospect,” said event director Hugh Brasher.

“Sir Mo, Eliud and Kenenisa could all put forward a persuasive case for being the greatest of all time and now they meet for the first time over the marathon distance.” (BBC)

Bekele to face Farah

in London Marathon

Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera celebrates with teammates

England’s Jos Buttler celebrates after scor-ing a century (Picture courtesy: Reuters)