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Before today, it had been seven years since Zimbabwe last beat Sri Lanka, but Zim finally broke that losing streak with another convincing win at Harare Sports Club on Monday. It's perhaps the biggest indicator of how well Zimbabwe have performed in this series that, ahead of the match, many were seeing Zimbabwe as favourites - a status that wasn't harmed by Zimbabwe winning the toss and opting to field. So far in this series, the winner has always been the team batting second, and that record continued.

It initially didn't look that way, though, as Sri Lanka got off to their best start of the series as openers Upul Tharanga (69) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (78) fired Sri Lanka to 122 before the first wicket fell. Their blazing start was partly down to Zimbabwe experimenting with a seam attack that wasn't really firing too well - Chamu Chibhabha (0/40) and Elton Chigumbura (0/32) both took four overs each and got hammered for their trouble - but with the first wicket down, the spinners arrived on the scene and the process of strangling the opposition began, and with it frustration set in amongst the Sri Lankans that proved to be their undoing. From 122/1, the rest of the visitors' batting lineup managed to add only another 114 between them as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 236 with 13 balls to spare. Chris Mpofu (2/32), Graeme Cremer (2/33) and Prosper Utseya (2/41) took two apiece, while some top-class 'keeping by Tatenda Taibu contributed a further two wickets, and from a strong position Sri Lanka were suddenly looking to be the team in trouble.

Come their chance to reply, Zimbabwe remained the dependable batting side that they've been in all their 50-over matches this season. Hamilton Masakadza, who just a few days ago celebrate his marriage, had a rare off day, managing just 3 before holing out. But Brendan Taylor (119*) and Chamu Chibhabha (58) set the tone for Zimbabwe's chase with a steady, unhurried partnership of 134 for the second wicket before Chibhabha was trapped leg-before. That brought Tatenda Taibu (42*) to the crease, who together with Taylor completed the chase with the minimum of fuss. That left Zimbabwe sitting pretty at the top of the tournament table with three wins from four matches, a position that just a few weeks ago most Zim fans would have discounted as impossible. The two sides now meet again in the series final on Wednesday - Zimbabwe have never before won a tri-series that featured only Full Member sides, but with the way they've been performing so far, who would rule out the possibility that Zim's time is about to come? Full scorecard below the cut.
Sri Lanka 236 (47.5 overs; Dilshan 78, Mpofu 2/32), Zimbabwe 240/2 (47.5 overs; Taylor 119*, Dilshan 1/35). Zimbabwe win by 8 wickets.

Sri Lanka innings (50 overs maximum)  	
                                                        R  	M  	B  	4s  	6s  	SR
WU Tharanga 	c Coventry b Cremer 	                69 	138 	97 	5 	0 	71.13
TM Dilshan* 	st †Taibu b Utseya 	                78 	84 	66 	9 	2 	118.18
LD Chandimal† 	c Masakadza b Utseya 	                6 	11 	13 	0 	0 	46.15
CK Kapugedera 	c & b Masakadza 	                12 	16 	16 	0 	0 	75.00
TT Samaraweera 	run out (Chigumbura/†Taibu) 	        16 	46 	31 	1 	0 	51.61
BMAJ Mendis 	c Taylor b Cremer 	                7 	10 	8 	1 	0 	87.50
HDRL Thirimanne c Taylor b Mpofu 	                15 	32 	21 	0 	0 	71.42
NLTC Perera 	b Mpofu 	                        8 	18 	16 	0 	0 	50.00
S Randiv 	not out 	                        9 	20 	9 	1 	0 	100.00
T Thushara 	c Taylor b Price 	                7 	14 	8 	0 	1 	87.50
CRD Fernando 	run out (†Taibu) 	                0 	2 	2 	0 	0 	0.00
	Extras 	(lb 4, w 5) 	                        9 					
	Total 	(all out; 47.5 overs; 189 mins) 	236 	(4.93 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1-122 (Dilshan, 20.2 ov), 2-134 (Chandimal, 24.3 ov), 3-155 (Kapugedera, 29.3 ov), 
4-181 (Tharanga, 35.3 ov), 5-192 (Mendis, 37.5 ov), 6-199 (Samaraweera, 39.4 ov), 7-218 (Perera, 44.2 ov), 
8-219 (Thirimanne, 44.5 ov), 9-235 (Thushara, 47.3 ov), 10-236 (Fernando, 47.5 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 		
CB Mpofu 	9 	1 	32 	2 	3.55 	(1w) 	
E Chigumbura 	4 	0 	32 	0 	8.00 	(1w) 	
CJ Chibhabha 	4 	0 	40 	0 	10.00 		
RW Price 	9.5 	1 	42 	1 	4.27 	(3w) 	
P Utseya 	10 	0 	41 	2 	4.10 		
AG Cremer 	8 	0 	33 	2 	4.12 		
H Masakadza 	3 	0 	12 	1 	4.00 		
	

Zimbabwe innings (target: 237 runs from 50 overs) 	
                                                        R 	M 	B 	4s 	6s 	SR
H Masakadza 	c †Chandimal b Thushara 	        3 	19 	15 	0 	0 	20.00
BRM Taylor 	not out 	                        119 	188 	137 	9 	1 	86.86
CJ Chibhabha 	lbw b Dilshan 	                        58 	103 	81 	4 	1 	71.60
T Taibu† 	not out 	                        42 	64 	55 	0 	1 	76.36
	Extras 	(lb 6, w 11, nb 1) 	                18 					
	Total 	(2 wickets; 47.5 overs; 188 mins) 	240 	(5.01 runs per over)

Did not bat: CK Coventry, E Chigumbura*, CR Ervine, AG Cremer, P Utseya, CB Mpofu, RW Price

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Masakadza, 4.2 ov), 2-148 (Chibhabha, 31.4 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 		
T Thushara 	9.5 	1 	50 	1 	5.08 	(6w) 	
CRD Fernando 	9 	0 	37 	0 	4.11 	(1nb) 	
NLTC Perera 	2 	0 	24 	0 	12.00 		
S Randiv 	9 	0 	38 	0 	4.22 		
BMAJ Mendis 	8 	0 	42 	0 	5.25 	(1w) 	
TM Dilshan 	8 	0 	35 	1 	4.37 		
CK Kapugedera 	2 	0 	8 	0 	4.00