Sikandar Raza hit a gritty 97 not out to help Zimbabwe recover from a top-order collapse and stretch their second innings lead over Sri Lanka to 262 in the one-off Test yesterday
Raza plays a shot during Day 3 of the one-off Test vs Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday. Pic/AFP
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Sikandar Raza hit a gritty 97 not out to help Zimbabwe recover from a top-order collapse and stretch their second innings lead over Sri Lanka to 262 in the one-off Test yesterday. The visitors were 252 for six at stumps on Day Three, with Raza and Malcolm Waller (57) putting on an unbeaten 107-run stand for the seventh-wicket.
Raza lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious 23-4, followed by 59-5, after Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath rattled the visitors' batting with four early wickets.
Herath bowled Sean Williams for 22 in the second session as Zimbabwe teetered dangerously close to losing their 10-run advantage. It was then that Raza put together 86 runs with Peter Moor (40) for the sixth wicket to turn the tables on Sri Lanka.
Moor fell to paceman Lahiru Kumara. Raza, who registered his fifth Test fifty, used the sweep shot to great effect against the spinners.
Earlier, skipper Graeme Cremer helped Zimbabwe take the lead after claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in a Test. But it was Herath's left-arm spin that undid the fine work from leg-spinner Cremer. Herath registered his 30th Test five-wicket haul in the first innings.
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