From 1877 until World War One
Between the World Wars
Post War to the WSC Revolution
The Professional Era to the New Millennium
The New Millennium and Beyond
Other Pages
Home Page
Article Archive
How the System Works
Frequently Asked Questions
Statistical Points of Interest
Current and Future Series Predictions
Links
Site Map
Contact Us
Get Free e-mail ratings updates
SL win 2 - 0 SL gains 10 points; ZIM loses 10 points
Draw 1 - 1 ZIM gains 5 points; SL loses 5 points
ZIM win 2 - 0 ZIM gains 20 points; SL loses 20 points
Harare
06 - 8 May 2004
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first.� Zimbabwe took the score to 30 before Taylor (19), Ebrahim (1) and Matsikenyeri (10) were out in the space of five runs.� Sri Lanka later dismissed Chigumbura (14) on the stroke of lunch when the score was 4 for 57.� Zimbabwe was unable to find stability during the afternoon session and lost Maregwede (0) and Nkala (2) to be 6 for 85.� However, the tail was able to then string together some valuable partnerships around Utseya.� While Taibu (40) and Mahawire (0) were both out with the total on 118, at tea, Zimbabwe had taken the score to 8 for 145.� Uteseya (45), who was out shortly after tea, Hondo (19) and Panyangara (32*) were able to take the innings total to a barely respectable 199 runs before the last wicket fell.� Muralitharan (6 for 45 from 24.2 overs) was the best of the bowlers and with the final wicket of Hondo he equalled Courtney Walsh as the highest Test wicket taker in history with 519 scalps.� Sri Lanka began their reply and faced 16 overs for 67 runs without loss of wickets before stumps.
The Sri Lankan openers simply exploded on the second morning against a sub Test standard attack.� Adding 163 runs in the session, both Jayasuriya and Atapattu posted centuries.� At lunch, Sri Lanka was completely on top with the score 0 for 230. Sri Lanka continued to give the under strength home side a lesson during the afternoon session.� Although Zimbabwe managed to dismiss Jayasuriya (157) and Sangakkara (11) during the session, the damage had already been dome and at tea, Sri Lanka was 2 for 354 with a lead of 155 runs.� Sri Lanka merely threw the bat in the general direction of the ball after tea and added another 102 runs while losing Jayawardene (37), Atapattu (170), Samaraweera (6), Jayawardene (37) and Dilshan (10).� At stumps, Sri Lanka were cruising to victory with the score 7 for 456 and the lead a more than adequate 257 runs.�
On the third morning, Zimbabwe dismissed Vaas (28), Maharoof (40) and Muralitharan (26) to have Sri Lanka all out for 541 runs.� Panyangara (3 for 101 from 26.1 overs) and Mahwire (3 for 97 from 18 overs) shared the bowling honours.� Zimbabwe began the task of scoring 343 runs merely to force Sri Lanka to bat again disastrously.� After ten overs, Zimbabwe was 5 for 18, having lost Matsikenyeri (11), Ebrahim (2), Taylor (4), Taibu (0) and Chigumbura (0).� Upon dismissing Nkala (24) at 6 for 63, Muralitharan became the highest Test wicket taker in history with 520 wickets.� After Uteseya (0), Maregwede (22) and Mahwire (2) were out in the space of eight runs, Zimbabwe had slumped to 9 for 72.� Zimbabwe managed to push just past the century before Panyangara (18) fell and Zimbabwe was all out for 102 runs, handing Sri Lanka victory by an innings and 240 runs.� Zoysa was the best of the bowlers with 5 for 20 off 9.5 overs.
Second Test
Bulawayo
14 - 17 May 2004
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first.� Zimbabwe managed to post 24 runs before Taylor (5) fell and Vermeulen (0) soon followed as the home side slumped to 2 for 31.� However, Zimbabwe then consolidated and had almost reached an equal position until Matsikenyeri (45) was run out three overs before Zimbabwe went to lunch at 3 for 87.� Zimbabwe lost Taibu (27) in the first hour of the afternoon session at 4 for 134.� However, Sri Lanka made two key breakthroughs in the final half hour before tea when they ran out Maregwede (24) and caught Chigumbura (0) to have Zimbabwe 6 for 184 at tea.� Zimbabwe collectively held out for an hour after tea, with Ebrahim (70), Panyangara (11), Nkala (19) and Hondo (11) being dismissed for Zimbabwe to be all out for 228 runs.� Vaas was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 41 off 19 overs.� Sri Lanka batted through the remaining 13 overs to be no wicket for 18 at stumps.
On the second morning, Sri Lanka reached 50 runs from 21 overs and then took only eight overs more overs to reach 100, when Jayasuriya (48) was caught behind.� Jayasuriya then watched Atapattu and Sangakkara bat all the way through to tea, with Attapattu posting a century along the way.� At tea, the score was 1 for 270 from 70 overs.� During the afternoon session, Sangakkara posted his own century and Attappattu passed 200 as the pair batted through to stumps when the score was 1 for 443 from 103 overs.� In effect, the match was already decided with the lead 215 runs.
Zimbabwe eventually dismissed Atapattu (249) on the third morning at 2 for 538.� The partnership of 438 runs is the sixth highest partnership for any wicket by any nation in history.� Zimbabwe made no further inroads before Sri Lanka went to lunch comfortably placed.� Zimbabwe again only managed one wicket in the afternoon session, that of Sangakkara (270) at 3 for 627.� By tea, it was all academic as Sri Lanka was 3 for 703 with a lead of 475 runs, clearly more than twice what was required to complete an innings victory.� Eventually, Sri Lanka declared at 3 for 713 runs, with Jayawardene (100*) and Samaraweera (32*) the not out batsmen.� Six of the seven Zimbabwean bowlers conceded over 100 runs, a new record.� With 25 overs before stumps and 485 runs needed to avoid an innings defeat, Zimbabwe lost Matsikenyeri (14) and Vermeulen (6) to be 2 for 44 at stumps.
Zimbabwe slid toward the inevitable on the fourth morning, losing Taylor (61), Taibu (0) and Ebrahim (42) before going to lunch at 5 for 154, still 331 runs in arrears. The Zimbabwean innings began to crumble soon after play resumed with Maregwede (28), Nkala (0) and Chigumbura (12) all out with 173 runs on the board in the space of seven balls.� Zimbabwe crawed past 200 before Mupariwa (14) was out and when Hondo (3) fell, Zimbabwe was all out for 231 runs.� Muralitharan was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 79 off 28.1 overs while Sri Lanka's margin was an innings and 254 runs.
