Cricket: Sri Lanka checked

Zimbabwe's bowlers restricted a Sri Lankan side containing seven left-handers to 248 for 4 on the opening day's play of the third and final Test at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.

Sri Lanka got off to their brightest start in the three Tests.

Half-centuries from Hashan Tillakaratne and the opener, Asanka Gurusinha, gave the visitors some momentum on a slow pitch after winning the toss. But, helped by loose play, Zimbabwe hit back until Tillakaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga combined in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 56.

(Sri Lanka won toss: First day) SRI LANKA - First Innings * R S Mahanama c Dekker b Streak 24 A P Gurusinha c A Flower b Brain 54 S Ranatunga c Whittall b Strang 43 H P Tillakaratne not out 63 P A de Silva c Dekker b Streak 25 A Ranatunga not out 25 Extras (lb6 nb6 w2) 14 Total (for 4) 248 Fall: 1-64 2-100 3-149 4-192.

To bat: S T Jayasuriya, R S Kalpage, H P D K Dharmasena, C Vaas, R Pushpakumara.

Bowling (to date): Brain 17-1-57-1 (5nb 1w); Streak 21-2-62-2 (1w); Jarvis 23-10-38-0; Whittall 15-3-45-0 (1nb); Strang 14-2-40-1.

ZIMBABWE: G W Flower, M H Dekker, A D R Campbell, D L Houghton, * A Flower, W R James, G J Whittal, H H Streak, P A Strang, D H Brain, M P Jarvis.