Williams ton powers Zimbabwe to 296

Sean Williams' 87-ball 100 and Regis Chakabva's 72 of 81 assisted Zimbabwe with setting a difficult objective for Sri Lanka in the primary ODI in Pallekele on Sunday (January 16). Selecting to bat against a Sri Lankan side that rolled out five improvements from their last ODI, Zimbabwe got done with 296 for 9.

Chakabva, who was put somewhere around Charith Asalanka at first sneak off Nuwan Pradeep when he had scored just 2, made Sri Lanka pay for the miss as he put on a 80-run opening stand with Takudzwanashe Kaitano. Playing his first ODI, the 28-year-old Kaitano was the assailant in the association as he struck normal limits. Kaitano rushed to take care of whatever was short while there were likewise two or three edges that brought about fours. Chakabva, who had scored just 14 off 27 in the initial 10 overs, bettered his hit rate with a couple of limits.

The association, nonetheless, reached a conclusion in the fifteenth over. Kaitano was put somewhere around Nissanka at cover yet couldn't profit by the relief as he bombed a read a googly from Jeffrey Vandersay and was caught in front. Chakabva, in the interim, got to his fourth ODI fifty in the nineteenth over with a solitary, arriving off 49 balls, having struck a six and a four prior in the over. Kamindu Mendis finished Craig Ervine's visit by as the Zimbabwe commander got an inside edge on to the stumps. Be that as it may, the guests gained consistent headway as Chakabva and Sean Williams put on 50 years stand. Williams scored at a strike pace of north of 100 in the third wicket relationship while Chakabva was lively too, as the pair pivoted the hit well alongside convenient limits.

Chakabva's innings reached a conclusion when Vandersay struck in the 30th over to sack his subsequent wicket. The 34-year-old opening batsman attempted to bring a compass from outside off yet wound up gloving the ball to the 'attendant, with Sri Lanka taking the DRS course for the choice to go in support of themselves. Williams didn't permit Sri Lanka to acquire force with the wicket as he got support from Sikandar Raza in a 46-run organization to drive Zimbabwe forward.

A twofold wicket over from Nuwan Pradeep and Wellington Masakadza's run out passed on Williams to do a large portion of the work in the demise overs, and the accomplished left-hander was capable as he targetted debutant Chamika Karunaratne who wound up yielding 16 in the 48th over. The 49th over, which was bowled by Pradeep, yielded just four runs as Williams raised his fifth ODI ton. In any case, he was astounded on the last by Karunaratne, who additionally got the wicket of Blessing Muzarabani. However, Richard Ngarava polished off with a six and a four as Zimbabwe completed near the 300 imprint.