4th oDI V SL

[Richard Jenkins]

from cricinfo
Sri Lanka have decided to rest five of their key players, including their captain Marvan Atapattu, for the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe in Harare tomorrow. In Atapattu's absence, Mahela Jayawardene will captain his country for the first time, but even with a second-string team at his disposal, defeat is inconceivable against a side that was bundled out for 35 in the third match on Sunday.



Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Nuwan Zoysa have all been rested to give opportunities to the lesser names in the squad. The uncapped left-hander Thilina Kandamby, the fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara and the legspinner Upul Chandana will all play.





Vaas has been the star of the series so far. He has picked up successive Man-of-the-Match awards on the way to becoming only the sixth bowler in one-day international history to take 300 wickets. "There is probably a lack of experience in the side," admitted Jayawardene, as he looked forward to his captaincy debut. "But the guys who are playing tomorrow have enough experience going on A tours and I hope they use it and do well."



Meanwhile, the onus falls on his opposite number Tatenda Taibu to provide the runs, if Zimbabwe are to be remotely competitive - his first-ball duck on Sunday sounded the death knell for his team's hopes. "The batting in the first 15 overs has been a concern," he admitted. "It is the main area we are concentrating on. We haven't given the bowlers enough runs to play around with. It is up to the individuals really to find out how they can play their best cricket.



"Before this series we said to ourselves we are young, we are inexperienced. Let's not hide from the fact that we will face some tough times and we will have some interesting and good times as well," said Taibu. "But the main thing was to stay together throughout every stage. It is good to see that the boys have listened and are giving their 100 percent."


Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Cricket Union has made a second attempt at conciliation with the 15 rebel cricketers, as the threat of international sanction grows more apparent in the wake of Sunday's humiliation at the hands of Sri Lanka. But, according to the former Zimbabwean allrounder, Doug Marillier, the two sides are still no closer to a resolution.


Last Thursday, Heath Streak and Grant Flower rejected a ZCU-proposed arbitration process, in which a prominent local businessman, Much Masunda, was suggested as the mediator. According to a source close to the ZCU, Streak and Flower turned down the proposal outright, although they agreed to speak to their colleagues about it.



Now, the ZCU has followed up by saying that, if the players make themselves available for selection immediately, "their outstanding grievances [can be] ventilated before an independent mediator". According to the ZCU's latest press release, the most recent discussions with Streak indicated there was hope of a "speedy and amicable resolution of the problem", and that "the players are anxious to come back into the fold".



But, in the opinion of Marillier, who retired shortly before the stand-off began, the players and administrators are no closer to resolving their dispute. "The Zimbabwe Cricket Union seems to be telling everyone things are on the mend," Marillier told the BBC. "But as far as the players are concerned there's nothing going on."



On Sunday, a hugely under-strength team crashed to a record-low score of 35 against Sri Lanka, and the absence of Zimbabwe's wealth of experienced players could not have been more starkly illustrated. "Three of the guys who select the national side have never played above the standard of club cricket," added Marillier. "They are playing with people's careers, people's livelihoods, yet they are not educated in cricket enough to be picking those sides."

"A lot of the players that have been left out deserved to be playing and were left out for reasons other than cricketing reasons," he continued. "When it first started it came in bit by bit and people managed to deal with it because it wasn't that big a thing. But when the whole balance of the side is being picked for reasons that aren't cricketing it doesn't make any sense."

[butchering lee]

matsikenyeri and sibanda have been dropped!!!

that´s really sad, any help from better players surrounding them and i think matsikenyeri would have developed into an acceptable inclusion in any zim side. but put them in this team and they fail (which is almost inevitable) and they´re out. that´s probably the end for them.

BIG MISTAKE streak has said he won´t beleive any concession - thus ruling out any compromise anyway - they dodn´t get lessons in how to handle the press in zim, do they?

[butchering lee]

this is better - to start by fielding. i think hondo and panyangara are ok with the ball - it might give them "some" confidence when batting.

i still imagine a dire defeat and am only curious about the first bowling change - not excited!

[Richard Jenkins]

I hope the first test goes better. Interesting to see the team changes; I can't believe they've dropped these guys,; if it gets any worse i'll expect a call up! Only joking, that really would be dire!!

[butchering lee]

can´t get much worse. panyangara is holding his own - these guys are true international players.

[Richard Jenkins]

37/0 off 19 overs aint a bad start. At least Sri lanka have got to pu the runs on the board and if Zim can aim for a target of under 200 ish it could be possible.
Mpariwa changes bowling

[Richard Jenkins]

Mpariwa to Jayantha, OUT: Gone! fuller ball, tries to loft it over
mid off, misstimed it and Chigumbura takes a lovely catch running
back and takes a blinder. 43/1
Mupariwa first international victim, and one to be proud of.

Mupariwa having trouble bowling to the left hander now, looks difficult.ten off that(14th ) over.

[butchering lee]

well, well , well...

don´t know if mugabe will be that pleased with a win if the main players are an asian a white kid and an ndebele kid...

that´s the situation now at 52/2 in reply. of course they could still all be out for 70 - we have no history on these players to judge

[Richard Jenkins]

100/4 now for Zimbabwe after 223 from Sri Lanka(30th over.)
6.25 off every over now (128 off 120 balls?)
Sri Lanka 150 in 38.5 overs, so work still to be done.

well I've just come back and now its 149/8
Zim need a very difficult 75 runs off 48 balls and run outs galore.
151/8 50( 43 overs) for Ebrahiam well done.ten runs off every over now, looks very hard.
Just hang on in their guys, bat out the 50.

well now its 151/9 bloody hell Ebrahiam get down there and talk to the guy. You could hit those winning runs.
Who am I kidding.

Well clucking bells. 151 all out At least we scored 150 and we really should learn a lot from this, running between the sticks need to be practised
Taylor, Ebrahaim and T Taibu are international class players and Nkala bowling looked ok.