With India knocked out of the Micromax Cup, this match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe became a dress rehearsal. Both teams rested key players, and would have looked to see if it was possible to successfully defend a total in this series - in all the matches so far, the team batting second has won (and quite easily). The trend continued, as Zimbabwe easily reached Sri Lanka's target, with Brendan Taylor hitting his second ODI century to continue his good form and set up what should be a good final game between these two teams.
Put in to bat first, Tillekeratne Dilshan exploded into action with three consecutive 4s off a wayward Elton Chigumbura. Upul Tharanga also got into the action (hitting three consecutive 4s off his own), but was content to play second fiddle to Dilshan's blasting. The captain raced to his 50 off just 39 balls, as the Sri Lankan openers pummeled the Zimbabwean pace attack to all corners. After hitting his second six, Dilshan was eventually stumped off Prosper Utseya's bowling for a breezy 78 off 66. The Zimbabwean spinners and fielders choked off the runs, Brendan Taylor and Charles Coventry holding a couple of very good catches in the outfield (the latter to get rid of Upul Tharanga for 69), and Hamilton "Just Married" Masakadza taking a sharp return catch off Chamara Kapugedera. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Thilan Samaraweera was farcically run out, leaving them at 200/6 in the 40th over. Christopher Mpofu took two wickets in an over, and two more fell in a Ray Price over, to bundle the Sri Lankans out for 236 in 47.5 overs, when a much larger score looked likely when Dilshan and Tharanga were accumulating runs.
Masakadza and Taylor usually get Zimbabwe off to great starts, but Masakadza was caught behind for just 2. With Tatenda Taibu keeping wicket for the Sri Lankan innings, Taylor was fresh, and continued his good form. He was joined by Justice Chibhabha, playing his first game of the tournament. With no pressure to score quick runs, the two of them exchanged singles and hit boundaries at will. They put up 114 together, before Chibhabha was LBW to Dilshan for 58. By that point, Zimbabwe needed 89 from 18 overs. Taylor and new batsman Tatenda Taibu engaged in a lot of risky running that successfully ensured the asking rate never climbed. Taylor brought his century up off 125 balls, with seven 4s. He had the pleasure of hitting the winning boundary (with only one run required) to send Sri Lanka packing by eight wickets with two overs remaining.
If anyone expected Zimbabwe to take this game easy and consolidate their efforts for the final, Brendan Taylor single-handedly proved them wrong. There were a few missed run out chances and a couple of catching chances that went begging, but it was another professional and cool performance from the home team, where they have been the team of the tournament. Sri Lanka will not lose too much sleep over this defeat, knowing that Ajantha Mendis, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekera will return for the final - but the way the middle order batsmen surrendered, and the way the bowlers failed to make any inroads, will give Tillekeratne Dilshan and the management some food for thought. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will enter the finals with the morale and the momentum, and look good to clinch the first multi-nation trophy in their history. What a remarkable comeback this has been for them.