The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Harare

Ajantha Mendis took six wickets and Jehan Mubarak top-scored with 60 not out Friday to steer Sri Lanka to a two-wicket win over Zimbabwe and a 4-0 lead in the five-match, limited-overs series.

After Mendis took 6-29 from nine overs with his ability to spin the ball either way to help bowl out Zimbabwe for 146, Mubarak scored the only half-century in the match as Sri Lanka won with 15 balls to spare at Harare Sports Club.

Tawanda Mupariwa and Elton Chigumbura each took three wickets to bring Zimbabwe within sight of its first victory of the series, but Mubarak hit one of six boundaries in his 99-ball innings through the covers off Chigumbura for the winning runs. "He really batted well today," Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said of Mubarak. "It was good to see because he came into the side not so long ago. He took responsibility and batted sensibly, It was good to see the investments we made four to five years ago coming right for us."

Sri Lanka can seal a whitewash series victory if it wins the final match on Sunday.

After losing by six and nine wickets in the first two matches, the Zimbabweans were beaten by 5 runs Monday. They had another improved bowling performance Friday after their batting had again let them down.

Fast bowler Ed Rainsford found Mahela Udawatte's outside edge in the third over but wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu fumbled a routine catch. Captain and offspinner Prosper Utseya took the new ball and was economical, conceding 3 runs in his first 4 overs. Upul Tharanga, who hit Rainsford for two boundaries to midwicket, was the first wicket to fall, skying a catch to Taibu off Utseya in the 10th over with Sri Lanka on 33.

Mupariwa, Zimbabwe's best bowler in the series, struck twice in two balls in the next over to swing the match in his team's favor. Udawatte drove lazily and was out for 14 off 13 balls as Stuart Matsikenyeri held on to a brilliant catch in the covers. Then, Mupariwa trapped Jayawardene leg before wicket for a first-ball duck.

"We knew it was going to be tough and we created problems for ourselves," Jayawardene said. "We knew it was a slow track where the ball would not come onto the bat, so it wasn't good for us to lose wickets upfront."

Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Kapugedara put on 22 off 39 balls before Chamu Chibhabha caught Kapugedara for 12 with a diving catch at point off Mupariwa, and Sri Lanka was 55-4. Sangakkara and Mubarak put on 40 runs from 81 balls, waiting for the bad ball to put away and take Sri Lanka within sight of victory. Chigumbura broke the partnership in the 31st over, receiving a return catch to dismiss Sangakkara for 23.

Zimbabwe took three more wickets - Ray Price bowling rookie Angelo Mathews for 0, and Chigumbura dimissing Thilina Thushara for 6 and Dhammika Prasad for 8 - but Mubarak steered Sri Lanka home. Mupariwa finished with figures of 3-35, while Chigumbura took 3-34.

"The biggest thing is that we are improving with each outing," Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya said. "We came close on Monday and today we came close again. We showed all-round improvement. What we need is to put a decent totals on the scoreboard to reduce pressure on the bowlers."