Sri Lanka rounded out a 5-0 series victory in Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club here Sunday, winning by just 19 runs after struggling to 152 all out having been put into bat.
Zimbabwe, whose spinners had given them a chance on a lifeless pitch at least to try to prevent the whitewash, replied with 133, hardly the stuff of hot batsmanship and indeed they lost their last four wickets for just three runs.
This narrow triumph followed two previous close calls, where Sri Lanka had won by two wickets and then by five runs. The first two matches in the series had ended quickly for the Sri Lankans as they bundled out the home side for 67 and 124.
Zimbabwe almost snatched it, however, in Sunday's final effort before their late collapse. With Prosper Utseya and Keith Dabengwa putting on 72 for the seventh wicket to reach 130, Sri Lanka were showing signs of anxiety until Muralitharan captured the tail-enders amid much celebration from the visitors.
Sri Lanka's innings was a modest effort and neither team managed to achieve a score of 200 runs in the entire series. Captain Mahela Jayawardene had a miserable time here, scoring just 14 runs in four innings. He was out for nought, the same as on Friday.
On this final day only Thinina Kandamby figured prominently with 40 but he required 100 ball to get there. For Zimbabwe Utseya made 31 and Dabenwa 39 and their efforts seemed to be bearing fruit until that final collapse.
Muralitharan finished with 5-29 in his 10 overs. The series, though successful for Sri Lanka, raised questions about their batting. And they could easily have gone home in defeat, so close were the results of three of the matches.
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Scorecard Sri Lanka
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W Tharanga b Rainsford 6
D Jayawardene c Utseya b Mupariwa 0
K Sangakkara c Taibu b Matsikenyeri 28
C Kapugedera c Matsikenyeri b Mupariwa 4
S Kandamby run out (Taibu) 40
J Mubarak c Matsikenyeri b Dabengwa 16
A Mathews c Masakadza b Rainsford 31
K Kulasekara b Price 1
M Muralitharan run out (Taibu) 5
B Mendis not out 0
C Fernando b Rainsford 2
Extras: (b6, lb2, w11) 19
Total: (all out; 48.5 overs) 152
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Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-8, 3-23, 4-62, 5-97, 6-129, 7-132, 8-147, 9-150, 10-152
Bowling: E Rainsford 8.5-3-22-3 (1w), T Mupariwa 7-1-17-2 (1w), E Chigumbura 2-0-18-0 (5w), P Utseya 10-2-15-0 (1w), S Matsikenyeri 10-0-29-1 (2w), R Price 7-0-28-1 (1w), KM Dabengwa 4-0-15-1
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ZIMBABWE
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H Masakadza c Mendis b Fernando 7
V Sibanda lbw b Muralitharan 5
T Taibu lbw b Fernando 14
CJ Chibhabha lbw b Muralitharan 1
S Matsikenyeri lbw b Muralitharan 4
E Chigumbura b Muralitharan 5
KM Dabengwa b Kulasekara 39
P Utseya lbw b Kulasekara 31
RW Price lbw b Muralitharan 3
T Mupariwa c Mendis b Kulasekara 0
EC Rainsford not out 0
Extras: (lb4, w18, nb2) 24
Total: (all out; 44 overs) 133
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