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AFP: A change of format could not bring a change in fortunes for Zimbabwe, as Sri Lanka thrashed them by eight wickets in the first match of a one-day international triangular series at Harare Sports Club on Monday.
Four days after Sri Lanka sealed a 2-0 Test series sweep, the tourists bowled Zimbabwe out for 154 before chasing their target inside 25 overs to claim a bonus-point victory.
As with the Test matches, Zimbabwe suffered from the fragility of their top order, falling to 14 for three in the first five overs.
However, this time around they could at least point to some challenging conditions - Harare experienced heavy rain over the weekend, and cloudy skies on Monday morning gave Sri Lanka’s seamers plenty to work with.
“In losing the toss we knew it was going to be tough, but there were too many soft wickets,” said Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer. “This was not a 150 type of wicket.”
Sri Lanka batsman Dhananjaya De Silva (L) and teammate Kusal Mendis (R) walk off the pitch after their victory in the opening match of the ODI series Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe on November 14, 2016 in Harare - AFP
The collapse began in just the fourth over, when Suranga Lakmal had both Brian Chari and Craig Ervine caught at second slip in the space of three deliveries, and in the next over Sikandar Raza Butt’s careless legside flick off Nuwan Kulasekara found midwicket.
Sean Williams was then bamboozled by Sachith Pathirana’s left-arm spin and was stumped by Niroshen Dickwella, before Nuwan Pradeep dismissed Chamu Chibhabha and Elton Chigumbura in successive overs to leave Zimbabwe 50 for six in the 18th over.
As in the Test series, it was left to Zimbabwe’s lower order to repair the damage.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Moor struck a polished 47 and added 55 for the seventh wicket with Graeme Cremer, and once Moor was trapped lbw by Nuwan Kulasekara, Cremer marshalled the tail to good effect.
The Zimbabwe captain put on 31 for the eighth wicket with Donald Tiripano, who made 19, and was left stranded on 31 not out when No. 11 Tinashe Panyangara attempted one big shot too many.
Panyangara sliced a delivery off Asela Gunaratne to cover to give the allrounder figures of 3 for 21 in 6.3 overs, while Kulasekara, Lakmal and Pradeep finished with two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe were bowled out in 41.3 overs.
“Everyone did really well,” said Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga. “The bowlers stuck to the plan and bowled in the right areas. They knew the wicket would do something.”
With Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera putting on 56 for the first wicket, the result was never in doubt.
Although Perera was well caught at deep square leg by Sikandar Raza for 21 and Niroshan Dickwella fell for 41 with the target in sight, De Silva finished unbeaten on 78 as Sri Lanka romped home in 24.3 overs.
The triangular series also includes the West Indies, who will take on Sri Lanka at the same venue on Wednesday.
Reuters - Batsman Darren Bravo has been dropped from the West Indies squad in Zimbabwe for a triangular one-day international series because of “unacceptable behaviour”, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Saturday.
Bravo was replaced by Jason Mohammed in the 15-man squad one day after he described WICB chairman Dave Cameron as a “Big 
idiot” in a tweet following a disagreement over his playing contract.
In an interview with SportsMax TV, a Caribbean television network, Cameron said that Bravo had been offered a grade ‘C’ contract due to his slipping batting average.
“It is explicit that if your averages are not above a certain level, it tells you what contracts you get,” Cameron had explained. “It is very, very explicit.
“His averages in the last two years have been declining, so what do you do? Reward poor performance or do you encourage him to get better?”
In response, Bravo said he had never been offered a grade ‘A’ contract, tweeting. “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot @davec51.”
On Saturday, the WICB said in a news release that Bravo had been replaced by Mohammed in the tour squad “due to inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour, which is contrary to his contractual obligations to the WICB”.
The board said that Bravo’s contract made clear he was not permitted to make any statement in “print media, television, radio, internet or any social networking media” that “bring yourself, WICB or any official or authorised representative of WICB or the game of cricket into disrepute”.
Bravo was the second-highest run scorer for West Indies in their recent test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, but he had struggled for form in the previous series against India at home, totalling just 139 runs in seven innings.
