Mendis duo fashions Lanka’s crushing win over Zimbabwe

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka: Spinner Ajantha Mendis took a record six wickets for just eight runs as hosts Sri Lanka humbled Zimbabwe in the opening match of the World Twenty20 yesterday.
Mendis, 27, marked his international return after an eight-month injury lay-off with the devastating haul to wreck Zimbabwe for 100 in 17.3 overs in the Group C match in Hambantota.
Zimbabwe could never cope with Mendis’s unreadable deliveries and they collapsed like a pack of cards in pursuit of the daunting target of 183 set by Sri Lanka at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium.
Sri Lanka, who lost the toss and were sent into bat, owed their total of 182-4 to Kumar Sangakkara (44) and Jeevan Mendis (43 not out), who shared a 94-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Ajantha Mendis struck two blows in his first over, removing Vusi Sibanda (11) and Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor (0) off successive deliveries. He next had Zimbabwe’s top-scorer Hamilton Masakadza (20).
He returned for his second spell and took four more wickets to end any lingering Zimbabwean hopes — and improve his own international Twenty20 record figures of 6-16, set against Australia at Pallekele last year.
Jeevan Mendis took 3-24 to cap an all-round performance.
Sangakkara, the newly crowned ICC player of the year, hit a 26-ball 44, studded with a six and two boundaries, while Jeevan Mendis smashed four boundaries and a six during his unbeaten 43 off 30 balls.
Both the left-handers lifted Sri Lanka from 82-3 after they were put into bat. Tillakaratne Dilshan hit five boundaries during his rapid 39 before he fell caught behind by Taylor off leg-spinner Graeme Cremer.