Close Sri Lanka 586-6 (Sangakkara 128, Samaraweera 123*) beat Zimbabwe 184 and 236 (Muralitharan 4-35) by an innings and 166 runs
scorecard

Zimbabwe's brittle batting showed a few more signs of life in their second innings but it wasn't enough to prevent Sri Lanka wrapping up a comprehensive innings win shortly before the close of the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

A heavy downpour in the afternoon and some dogged resistance from the Zimbabwean tail ensured that Sri Lanka had to wait longer than had seemed likely for what was the biggest victory in their 19-year Test history.

Zimbabwe had resumed on 64 for 2, still 438 runs short of making Sri Lanka bat again, and three wickets before lunch, two from Charitha Buddika, effectively snuffed out any lingering hopes they might have had of saving the match. Buddika took two wickets in successive overs after an uneventful first hour's play. First he had Stuart Carlisle caught by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara for (93 for 3) and in his next over Gavin Rennie edged to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips for 4 (105 for 4). The vital wicket, that of Andy Flower, fell on the stroke of lunch, trapped lbw by Nuwan Zosya for 10 (127 for 5)

After the interval Muralitharan ended the dogged three-hour resistance of nightwatchman Travis Friend for 44 (145 for 6) and then had Grant Flower caught off his gloves at silly mid-off by a diving Thilan Samaraweera for 18 (165 for 7).

But the celebrations which had started in the crowd were quickly snuffed out by a heavy shower which sent the players scurrying for an early tea. Play resumed after an hour's mopping up, but the Zimbabwean tail, led by a defiant Heath Streak, continued to frustrate Sri Lanka. A ninth-wicket stand between Streak and Gary Brent lasted almost an hour and threatened to take the match into a fifth day, before the second new ball was taken and the resistance ended. Brent edged Zoysa to Sanath Jayasuriya at first slip for 7 (235 for 9) and then Henry Olonga was caught by Sangakkara for a second-ball duck.

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