Sri Lanka thrashes Zimbabwe in 3rd Twenty20 and clinches series 2-1

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Captain Wanindu Hasaranga took four wickets for 15 runs with his leg spin on Thursday to propel Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket win in the third and final T20 cricket match against Zimbabwe and a 2-1 series victory.

Batting first, Zimbabwe was bowled out for only 82 — its lowest total in Twenty20 internationals — with 35 deliveries still remaining.

Pathum Nissanka then hit the winning six as Sri Lanka reached 88-1 with 55 balls to spare.

Nissanka was unbeaten on 39 off 23 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and a six. Kusal Mendis was the only Sri Lankan batter to be dismissed, bowled by left-arm spinner Sean Williams for 33.

Sri Lanka seamer Angelo Mathews (2-15 in two overs) had provided an early breakthrough after Hasaranga won the toss and elected to field. Mathews had Craig Ervin caught by Sadeera Samarawickrama without scoring.

Brian Bennett shared a brisk 34-run stand for the second wicket with Tinashe Kamunhukamwe to take Zimbabwe to 35 in only three overs. But Mathews broke through again, with Bennett caught for 29. His runs came off 12 deliveries and included seven boundaries.

When Kamunhukamwe (12) was caught behind by Kusal Mendis off spin bowler Maheesh Theekshana, Sri Lanka's total was 51-3 in the sixth over.

But a flurry of dismissals followed as the tourists lost their next seven wickets for 31 runs, including the last three in consecutive deliveries in separate overs.

Zimbabwe's score was its lowest in T20 internationals after 84 runs against New Zealand in 2010.

Zimbabwe recorded its first-ever Twenty20 win over Sri Lanka in the second match that ended in a last-over thriller.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket