Zimbabwe – 406 and 62-1 in 20.5 overs (Prince Masvaure 26*, Regis Chakabva 14*, Craig Ervine 13; Vishwa Fernando 1/9)
Sri Lanka – 293 all out in 119.5 overs (Angelo Mathews 64, Oshada Fernando 44, Dimuth Karunaratne 44; Sikandar Raza 7/113, Donald Tiripano 1/30, Victor Nyauchi 1/40)
Day 3 – Stumps: Zimbabwe lead by 175 runs with nine wickets remaining
Zimbabwe’s off-spinning all-rounder Sikandar Raza took seven Sri Lanka wickets, the second-best innings return by any bowler in Zimbabwe’s Test match history, at Harare Sports Club today, as the national team turned in a fine performance to lead the tourists by 113 runs on the first innings.
The Zimbabwe batsmen scored another 62 runs for the loss of one wicket by the close, putting them in a potentially strong position after three days.
When rain and bad light ended play prematurely on the second day, necessitating an early start on the third, Sri Lanka in their first innings, in reply to Zimbabwe’s first-innings score of 406, were 122 for two wickets, with Kusal Mendis on 19 and Angelo Mathews four.
Carl Mumba opened the bowling for Zimbabwe to Mendis, a maiden over, and then Donald Tiripano at the other end bowled to Mathews, who took a single off the fourth ball.
Sikandar Raza came on for Mumba, and took the wicket of Mendis for 22 in what could be called a freak or unlucky dismissal.
Despite his injury in the first Test, Kevin Kasuza was back fielding at short leg, and a pull from Mendis smashed him on the helmet and the ball bounced up to square leg, where Mumba held the catch; 134 for three.
It looked a more serious injury than in the first Test, as Kasuza remained prone on the ground and had to be stretchered off the field.
He will set up the unfortunate record of being the first player to require a concussion substitute in two consecutive Tests, his replacement this time being Timycen Maruma.
Dinesh Chandimal got off the mark with a mighty blow for six over long-on off Raza.
Two balls later he attempted to drive the ball past mid-off, but mishit it and Raza took a good sharp return catch to his left; 142 for four, and Sri Lanka looked in some difficulty.
At the other end Tiripano was again bowling with superb accuracy and putting pressure on the batsmen, who were unable to score off him.
When he was rested after an hour his innings figures were 18 overs, 11 maidens for nine runs and one wicket.
Dhananjaya de Silva decided he needed to get the runs flowing, and hit Raza for a six and a four in the same over.
A good stand began to develop between Mathews and de Silva, who hit boundaries when they could, but also worked the ball around the field for ones and twos.
The 200 came up with four wickets down in 80 overs.
Mumba and Tiripano took the second new ball, and sometimes troubled the batsmen, but the new ball travelled more swiftly across the ground and for the first time Tiripano’s runs conceded caught up with his number of overs.
Mathews reached his fifty off 128 balls, but then Raza came on and just before lunch removed de Silva, who tried to pull him across the line and was bowled for 42 off a ball that came through rather low; 226 for five.
Zimbabwe tightened their grip further after lunch, as the new batsman Niroshan Dickwella (1) went for an ill-judged sweep against a straight ball from Raza, to be plumb lbw with the score at 228.
But Mathews was still there, with four tail-enders to help him if they could.
Suranga Lakmal stayed a while to make five before Raza took his sixth wicket, slogging a catch at midwicket; 242 for seven.
Two runs later came the wicket Zimbabwe wanted the most: Mathews, trying to turn a ball from Mumba down the leg side, edged a ball to the keeper and was gone.
He had scored 64 off 158 balls with two sixes and three fours, another innings of hard graft with occasional mighty hits when he received a suitable ball.
Lasith Embuldeniya and Vishwa Fernando did their best to hold up the bowlers, with Embuldeniya missed on five when he gave a low chance to Brendan Taylor at slip off Raza.
Then came a comedy of errors, as both batsmen were stranded in mid-pitch, but the fielders failed to keep their heads and threw wildly, allowing the batsmen to escape.
The pair put on a useful 24 together before Embuldeniya hit a half-hearted drive at Raza and the substitute fielder, Brian Mudzinganyama, made a fine run and dive from mid-on to dismiss him for five.
Fernando had been the more aggressive of the two, and he carried on attacking with Lahiru Kumara at the other end.
Finally, however, on 293, Fernando with 38 edged a ball from Nyauchi and Regis Chakabva finished off the innings with a brilliant catch diving to his right.
Raza, who bowled 43 overs altogether (the last 26 without a break), took seven wickets for 113 runs.
Only Paul Strang against New Zealand in 2000/01, with eight for 109, has better figures for Zimbabwe in Test cricket.
Mumba, Tiripano and Nyauchi took one wicket each, with Tiripano the unsung hero with 24 overs for only 30 runs.
Zimbabwe had a lead of 113 on the first innings, and the tea interval was taken at this point.
With Kasuza injured and a decision awaited on his injury, Craig Ervine opened the innings with Masvaure against the bowling of Lakmal and the off-spinner de Silva.
Masvaure began in superb style by driving the first ball of the innings, from Lakmal, straight past the bowler for four.
Masvaure continued to surprise those used to his dogged methods by driving de Silva over wide long-off for six in the fourth over.
Ervine was more sedate and the pair batted well together, but all the time the sky was becoming cloudier and rain clouds could be seen to the south over the city.
The opening pair put on 32 before Ervine (13) drove at Fernando and edged a catch to the keeper.
Chakabva was promoted to number three, but as the light deteriorated the batsmen found it a bit harder to sight the ball.
Fortunately for a while the light improved and the rain moved away, only to return just after 4.40 pm with the score at 62 for one, Masvaure on 26 and Chakabva 14.
That ended play for the day, with Zimbabwe in the happy position of being 175 runs ahead with nine wickets still in hand.
It is a very encouraging position, but the weather could have the final say in this match.