Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka, clinch ODI series

Zimbabwe off-spinner Sikandar Raza celebrates after he dismissed Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis during the fifth one-day international in Hambantota, on July 10, 2017. By (AFP)

Hambantota (Sri Lanka) (AFP) - Zimbabwe edged out Sri Lanka by three wickets in the fifth one-day international on Monday to clinch their first overseas triumph in eight years.

Taking the series 3-2, the 11th-ranked Zimbabwe team also registered their first series win in the South Asian nation.

Off-spinner Sikandar Raza claimed three wickets in Hambantota to restrict the hosts to 203-8 after Zimbabwe elected to field first. He then anchored a tense chase with an unbeaten 27 as the visitors won with 71 balls to spare.

Zimbabwe opener Hamilton Masakadza top-scored with a fluent 73 before rookie Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya struck back with four wickets to rattle the visitor's middle-order.

Zimbabwe slipped from 137-1 to 175-7 -- losing six wickets for 38 runs, but Raza and skipper Graeme Cremer hung on for an unbeaten 29-run stand as the perennial underdogs of world cricket erupted in celebrations.

Sri Lanka suffered early on from a lack of partnerships but opener Danushka Gunathilaka (52) and Asela Gunaratne (59 not out) hit gritty half-centuries to steady the home side, though it was not enough to stop an inspired Zimbabwe.