Muralitharan, Buddika wreck Zimbabwe

Muttiah Muralitharan and Charitha Buddika shared eight wickets to help Sri Lanka thrash Zimbabwe by an innings and 94 runs in the second Test for their seventh successive win here today.

The hosts clinched the three-Test series with their second victory against the tourists, having won the first match by a record innings and 166 runs at Colombo.

Zimbabwe were all out for 175 in their second innings after conceding a 269-run lead, giving yet another feeble batting performance against the hosts' disciplined pace-spin combination.

Left-handed Gavin Rennie was the only batsman to offer some resistance with an impressive 68, but received no support from the other end as Zimbabwe lost their second successive Test inside four days.

Seamer Buddika finished with 4-27 in only his third Test, while ace off-spinner Muralitharan grabbed 4-64 to take his match-tally to 13 for a record 10th haul of 10 or more scalps in a Test.

Zimbabwe never looked like avoiding a big defeat despite Rennie's seventh Test half-century in 21 matches as Buddika and Muralitharan kept striking at regular intervals.

The 21-year-old Buddika got two vital wickets in his incisive opening spell to put the tourists under pressure. He trapped Andy Flower (11) leg-before in his second over and then triggered the collapse with the wicket of Rennie.

The 21-year-old Buddika got two vital wickets in his incisive opening spell to put the tourists under pressure. He trapped Andy Flower (11) leg-before in his second over and then triggered the collapse with the wicket of Rennie.

Rennie, who put on 58 for the fourth wicket with Andy Flower, was out leg-before just before lunch by a Buddika yorker after smashing 11 fours in his three-hour knock.

Zimbabwe crumbled after Rennie's dismissal as they lost their last six wickets for 41 runs, with Muralitharan claiming three.

Zimbabwe headed for a big defeat when they lost three wickets in the morning session after resuming at 68-3. Their batting remained too brittle to test the hosts, who have good variety in their bowling.

The tourists have yet to score 250 in a Test innings, while Sri Lanka have crossed 500 in both of their innings to expose their opponents bowling limitations in this one-sided series.

Mail Cricket Editor