Zimbabwe take on Sri Lanka in Tri-series final

Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka face off at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday in the final of the Tri-nations series, the home team having effectively dispatched India earlier with two high scoring victories.

They also beat Sri Lanka in their final series match on Monday, winning with conviction by eight wickets and 13 balls to spare, a result they hope to carry forward and one which Sri Lanka want to confine to dusty record books.

Man of that match Brendan Taylor struck his second career ODI century to add to two previous half centuries in the series.

He is undoubtedly the Sri Lanka target man, and not least because when he was out for just two runs against them in Bulawayo last week, his only failure, the rest of the team folded to 118 all out.

But the overall question to this final is whether the absence of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Lasith Maringa, all rested for this African winter safari, gives the Sri Lanka replacements a little too much to do. Or whether their absence more or less balances the teams up.

Just what a Zimbabwe victory will mean in terms of their international status will be debated here, at the ICC offices in Dubai and among cricketing pundits around the world.

The wicket appears to be full of runs and the bowlers, as in most other previous matches, will consider their roles to be economists rather than wicket snatchers.

Except, that is, during the dangerous first half an hour or so, given the early start because of an early dusk.

Sri Lanka captain Tillekeratne Dilshan won the toss and he has invited Zimbabwe to bat.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Greg Lamb is considered fit after missing the match against Sri Lanka on Monday with a hip problem. He replaces Chamu Chibhabha.

Sri Lanka make three changes. Thisara Perera drops out for Nuwan Kulasekera, having been a real disappointment so far. Ajantha Mendis replaces Thusara Mirando and Angelo Mathews comes in for Lahiru Thirimani.

The teams:

Zimbabwe - Elton Chigumbura (capt), Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Greg Lamb, Tatenda Taibu, Charles Coventry, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Chris Mpoful.

Tillekeratne Dilshan (capt), Upul Tharanga, Tilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapudegera, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM). Match referee Jeffrey Crowe (NZL).

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