Sri Lanka appeared to settle early for a moderate total on a very slow pitch and grafted hard for their runs in an innings that produced just 18 boundaries.

The patient Atapattu dropped anchor, compiling significant partnerships with his skipper Sanath Jayasuriya (41 in 12.2 overs), Avishka Gunawardene (83 in 18 overs), Aravinda de Silva (51 in 10 overs) and Kumar Sangakkara (52 in 6.2 overs).

The right-hander, tipped to take over the Sri Lanka captaincy after the World Cup, batted throughout the innings, reaching his second hundred of the tournament in the final over of the innings and finishing with 103 from 127 balls.

Earlier, Gunawardene justified his inclusion for the first time in the tournament, in place of the struggling Mahela Jayawardene, with 41 from 62 balls, stroking two boundaries.

The left-hander missed out on a half-century as he tried to work to leg and was caught and bowled by off-spinner Douglas Marillier.

Marillier bowled economically in tandem with the left-arm spinner Grant Flower, the spin duo exploiting the lack of pace in the pitch and conceding 87 runs from their 20 overs.

The inform De Silva increased the tempo of the innings when he came to the crease, nudging, nurdling and deflecting his way to 25 from 31 balls before he edged a catch behind off medium pacer Sean Ervine, Taibu doing well to hold onto a big deflection.

Sangakkara also added more impetus to the innings, finding the boundary four times during his 25-ball 35 and making Zimbabwe pay for a dropped catch by Douglas Hondo at deep mid-wicket when he had made just six.

Sangakkara eventually perished as he tried flick a full toss to leg and was caught at cover point off the back of his bat. Russel Arnold followed in the next over, deceived by a Hondo slower ball, which he pushed into the hands of cover.

Zimbabwe used eight bowlers during the innings with the slow bowlers being the most effective, a fact that bodes well for Sri Lanka who have a quartet of spinners.

Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe skipper, was the leading seam bowler, returning impressive figures: 10-0-40-2.

Sri Lanka, playing for a place in the semi-finals, were 105 for one mid-way through their innings having won the toss and elected to bat.

Only seven fours were stroked during the first 25 overs, a remarkably low percentage for a side that normally trades heavily in boundaries.

But Sri Lanka appeared determined not to lose early wickets, wary of exposing a fragile middle order and aware that quick runs could be plundered in the final overs with wickets in hand.

Clearly, Sri Lanka believe that a relatively low total, in the 225-240 range, will be a competitive score on a turgid surface that is expected to get slower and slower as the day progresses.

Marvan Atapattu dropped sheet anchor, chiseling out 47 runs from 64 balls, hitting four boundaries, and Avishka Gunawardene, playing ahead of Mahela Jayawardene, was 29 not out from 42 balls with a solitary four.

The normally free-flowing Jayasuriya struggled to find the boundary during his short innings, waiting until the 11th over of the innings before reaching the fence.

The left-hander faced 44 deliveries for his 22 before he tried to push a Heath Streak delivery through the off-side and nicked a catch to wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu.

Atapattu found run scoring easiest against the pacy Andy Blignaut, clipping a four through mid-wicket and finding the rope with a square cur in the fourth over of the innings.

But with the boundary fence difficult to pierce, Atapattu concentrated instead on running hard between the wickets and picking up regular singles.

Sri Lanka, currently fifth in the Super Six table with 7.5 points, will squeeze into the semi-finals if they win whilst Zimbabwe are simply playing for pride.

Sri Lanka made three changes to the side that lost heavily to India earlier in the week.

Middle order batsman Mahela Jayawardene was dropped for the first time in over four years after a wretched run of form that has seen him amass just 16 runs in the World Cup.

Avishka Gunawardene, a hard-hitting opening batsman who is expected to bat a number three, replaces Jayawardene.

Hashan Tillakaratne has recovered from a hamstring injury and replaces young left-hander Jehan Mubarak, who was dismissed for a second-ball duck against India.

Fast bowler Pulasthi Gunaratne, dropped for the game against India, returns in place of the wayward Prabath Nissanka.

Zimbabwe have also made changes to their playing eleven, including all-rounders Sean Ervine and Travis Friend, as well as batsman S. Matsikenyeri.

Zimbabwe will be hoping that stalwart left-hander Andy Flower, their star player during the last decade, ends his international career on a high.

Flower is widely expected to announce his retirement from all international cricket after the World Cup.

Sri Lanka team:

*ST Jayasuriya, MS Atapattu, DA Gunawardene, HP Tillakaratne, PA de Silva, RP Arnold, +KC Sangakkara, WPUJC Vaas, M Muralitharan, CRD Fernando, PW Gunaratne.

Zimbabwe team:

DA Marillier, CB Wishart, TJ Friend, A Flower, GW Flower, +T Taibu, AM Blignaut, S Matsikenyeri, *HH Streak, SM Ervine, Douglas T Hondo.