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Zimbabwe crash to innings defeat

Tuesday, May 18 2004

Sri Lanka crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 254 runs, their highest win margin ever, on the fourth day of the second Test to wrap up the series 2-0.

Needing 485 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again, after they declared their first innings on 713/3, Zimbabwe struggled to 231, with Muttiah Muralitharan picking up four scalps.

Resuming from an overnight score of 44/2 in the second innings, opener Brendan Taylor and senior batsman Dion Ebrahim played slowly but surely to take the score past hundred.

With the score at 125/2, the partnership was broken, and then followed an expected stumble, as the home side lost six wickets in a span of 12 overs.

Taylor, the only white player in the Zimbabwean side, top-scored with 61, his maiden fifty. Tail-ender Tinashe Panyangara made 40 not out but by then the hosts had given up.

Kumara Sangakkara was named the Man of the Match, while Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu was named Man of the Series.

Zimbabwe 228 and 231 (B R M Taylor 61, D D Ebrahim 42, T Panyangara 40, M Muralitharan 79/4) lost to Sri Lanka 713/3 decl. (M S Atapattu 249, K C Sangakkara 270, M Jayawardena 100*)

Posted by Sudeep