| After beating Sri Lanka in the final group match of | | | | lost wickets regularly and cheaply. The lower middle |
| the Triangular Series, Zimbabwe was hoping for a | | | | order and tail-end batsmen failed to click as the home |
| similar result when they faced the same opposition in | | | | side subsided to 199 all out off 49 overs - failing to |
| the final. Both teams progressed to the final with a | | | | bat for the full 50 overs. Dilhara Fernando (3/36) was |
| game to spare as India, the third team, managed to | | | | Sri Lanka's best bowler, while Ajantha Mendis and |
| win only one match in the group stage. After a | | | | Jeevan Mendis took two wickets each. |
| reasonable T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had the chance | | | | Sri Lanka opened their innings with Tillekeratne Dilshan |
| to take home a title in a multi-team tournament. | | | | and Upul Tharanga. The Asian islanders had no |
| Zimbabwe would have been pleased to take the title | | | | difficulties negotiating the Harare pitch as they |
| on home soil as a benchmark of their progress. | | | | openers posted a huge first-wicket partnership of |
| Batting first at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe had an | | | | 160. Tharanga scored a brisk 72 runs off 79 balls with |
| ultra-cautious start - failing to make capital of the | | | | eight 4s and one 6 before he fell victim to a run out. |
| first power play. After labouring for 23 balls, Hamilton | | | | Dilshan, who struggled to find form for months, |
| Masakadza (4) fell to Nuwan Kulasekara; Zimbabwe | | | | stroked a confident, unbeaten century. His 108* |
| was 11/1 after 29 balls. Fellow opener Brendan Taylor | | | | came off just 102 balls. The Sri Lankans swept past |
| was next out for 19 off the bowling of Dilhara | | | | the paltry target the home team set for them with |
| Fernando; the score was 29/2. After Craig Ervine | | | | 92 balls to spare and only one wicket down - a |
| was run out for just 9, Tatenda Taibu (71) and Greg | | | | convincing rout by any stretch of the imagination. No |
| Lamb (37) posted a 90-run partnership in just under | | | | Zimbabwe bowler managed to take a wicket. |
| 20 overs. Taibu was cautious, taking 93 balls for his | | | | For his unbeaten century, Dilshan was the player of |
| 71, but Lamb was too pedestrian, only managing his | | | | the match. Zimbabwe actually won something on the |
| 37 runs off 65 balls. | | | | day, with Brendan Taylor pouching the player of the |
| After Taibu departed in the 36th over, Zimbabwe | | | | series award for his outstanding batting. |