Dilshan Madushanka takes stunning last-over hat-trick to guide Sri Lanka home in 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe

The 24-year-old Sri Lanka National Cricket Team left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka guided his team to an epic victory over the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team in the first ODI.

On Friday, August 29, Dilshan Madushanka took a stunning hat-trick in the last over of the match at the Harare Sports Club and handed Sri Lanka an epic victory.

Dilshan Madushanka does the magic with Zimbabwe needing 10 off 6 balls

In the ODI series opener, the Lankan Lions piled up a good score of 298/6 on the board, with Pathum Nissanka, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu Mendis hitting good half-centuries.

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Chasing the target, Ben Curran and Sean Williams smashed incredible half-centuries before Sikandar Raza took the charge and demolished the Sri Lankan bowling unit.

Raza looked in a class touch in the middle, and he took the Chevrons near the victory as they were at 289-5 at the end of the 49th over with just 10 more runs needed to win.

Dilshan Madushanka, who had the figures of 9.0-0-60-1 was brought back into the attack in the final over, and on the first ball, he picked up the biggest wicket of the match by rattling the stumps of Sikandar Raza for 92 with a low full-toss.

Then, he again bowled a low full-toss, and Brad Evans tried to go for a scoop and was caught by Asitha Fernando for a duck. On the third ball of the over, Madushanka bowled a stunning length delivery that destroyed the stumps of Richard Ngarava, and he completed a hat-trick.

After that, he gave away 1, 0, and 1 runs on the next three balls, and Zimbabwe were reduced to 291/8, with Sri Lanka winning by 7 runs.

List of Sri Lankans with an ODI Hat-trick

Dilshan Madushanka became the eighth Sri Lankan to bag an ODI hat-trick in the history of cricket. Chaminda Vaas was the first to record an ODI hat-trick, and he did it twice.

Pacer Lasith Malinga took three ODI hat-tricks, including one instance of taking four wickets in four balls, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are the only Sri Lankan spinners to achieve this feat.

Here's the full list

Chaminda Vaas – 2 hat-tricks

Lasith Malinga – 3 hat-tricks

Farveez Maharoof – 1 hat-trick

Thisara Perera – 1 hat-trick

Wanindu Hasaranga – 1 hat-trick

Shehan Madushanka – 1 hat-trick

Maheesh Theekshana – 1 hat-trick

Dilshan Madushanka - 1 hat-trick

We had a plan on how to execute in the death overs - Dilshan Madushanka

Speaking after winning the Player of the Match for his 4/62, Madushanka said that he was happy to execute the plans in the death overs. He said:

"I was playing after a whole in ODI cricket and was more than happy to perform well. We had a plan on how to execute in the death overs, that's what I was thinking and to make a good comeback."

Meanwhile, Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka's captain, was quite delighted after the victory and lauded his bowlers for getting the job done. He said:

"Amazing game of cricket. Fought till the end, that kind of cricket. We need to learn to play well and at the end, Dilshan, Asitha and Maheeshi... That's the lineup we want to look at going forward. If we play another allrounder, there is a lack of batting, we are looking at 7 batters and the allrounders have to bowl more. (On the Liyanage-Kamindu stand) That was impressive actually, they are the ones who set the platform for us. We were in trouble once I got out. Amazing partnership and congrats to them."

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