Do-or-die for Zimbabwe

Riding high after winning both their matches in the triangular Coca Cup series, Sri Lanka will now try to make easy work of luckless Zimbabwe, now in a do-or-die situation, on Wednesday.

Though the final is not scheduled till next Sunday, Sri Lanka's win on Wednesday will make it three out of three for the Islanders and put them in the title round match.

It will also mean that Zimbabwe, who have drawn blank from the first three games, would leave India to win just one game out of two to slip into the final.

India, who were beaten by Sri Lanka in the opening match of the triangular series last Friday, will now meet Zimbabwe on Thursday.

The results of the tournament indicate that Zimbabwe have been done in by the draw, since in both the legs of the league phase, their matches have been back-to-back affairs.

Zimbabwe, comparitively the weakest of the three teams in Sharjah, are looking to regroup and rebuild after two of their star players, Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson, opted to play for Western Australia and first class cricket in South Africa earlier this year.

Fortunately, they have a few good youngsters coming through, with 19-year-old fast bowler Travis Friend and middle order batsman Dirk Viljoen looking promising in the first phase of the league games.

Their former captain Andy Flower has been in terrific touch and captain Heath Streak will look forward to Alistair Campbell, also a former captain, for roaring scores which could boost Zimbabwe's chances.

However, it is the bowling which is giving both Streak and coach Carl Rackemann sleepless nights.

"We are not bowling well in the final overs and it is a major worry," admitted Rackemann.

Streak admitted after their defeat against India that the main reason for the loss was conceding too many runs in the final overs.

The problem also became evident when they fielded second to Sri Lanka in their first game and their main bowler, leg-spinner Paul Stringer, could just not properly grip the dew-soaked ball under the lights.

"When you can't bowl your main spinner in these conditions, it is a worry," Streak had said and not without reason. Stringer was given just four overs in this game against Sri Lanka. Next day against India, he was not played.

Sri Lanka on the other hand seem to be doing most of the things right. Their batting looks formidable, for besides openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Avishka Gunawardena and middle order guns Mahela Jayawardena and Marvan Atapattu, they have the lower order of the calibre of Kumara Sangakkara and Rumesh Kaluwitharana, not to speak of versatile Russel Arnold.

In bowling, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa are hard-to-get- -away bowlers and Muthiah Muralitharan, as always, is posing the maximum questions to batsmen.

Mail Cricket Editor