Travis Head stood up when it really mattered and smashed his 8th ODI ton to power Australia to an imposing total. Left-handed Head dominated the Zimbabwe bowling and set it up for the others to follow. He was ably supported by Mitchell Marsh the captain with his half-century, Cooper Connolly played well for his 78 and handy contribution from Oliver Peake in the end meant Australia raced past 350.
For Zimbabwe, it was a hard day for the bowlers. Brad Evans picked up 3 wickets while Wellington Masakadza picked up 2 wickets and was decent with his bowling. The rest of them went for runs with Muzarabani finishing wicketless yet again for the second game in a row. 357 is a huge target. Australia are favourites to clinch the series today.
Travis Head & Mitchell Marsh gives Australia a blazing start in the mandatory power play.Â
Put into bat first, captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head came out to open the batting for Australia while pace spearhead Blessing Muzarabani had the ball in hand for Zimbabwe. Blessing created half a chance in the first ball of the match and bowled a decent first over as Marsh survived. Brad Evans shared the new ball from the other end as Head was off and running with a glance past fine leg for a boundary as he went past 9,000 runs in international cricket as well. Head managed to get a triple with a whip past midwicket.
Blessing continued as Head broke the shackles with a flick of the wrist over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Evans continued as Marsh joined into the act as he came down the track to play the pull shot and got a top edge over the keeper for the maximum. Blessing continued as Marsh looked to play the pull shot and got an under edge past fine leg for a boundary. Blessing conceded a wide as well.
Evans continued as Head climbed onto that one with a thump over the bowler’s head down the ground for a boundary. Marsh survived a LBW scare as Zimbabwe wasted one against him off Evans in the 6th over. Evans conceded a wide as well. Blessing continued as Head took him on by clearing his front leg and pumping it over covers for a boundary and then stayed leg side of the ball to cut it past backward point for a boundary. Head was not done yet as hammered the ball over the top of covers for a boundary.
Evans continued as Marsh joined in the fun with a tuck through backward square leg for a boundary. The 50 came up and of the partnership in 7.2 overs for Australia. Head got into the act again as he crunched the ball through the covers on the up for a boundary. Head was in the zone as he pressed forward and drove it into the gap between covers and mid-off for a boundary.
Newman Nyamhuri came into the attack as we had a change in the bowling and was greeted by Marsh with a maximum as he picked up the length quickly and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Nyamhuri came back well after the first ball and conceded only a wide after that big hit. Evans continued and bowled the final over of power play. Head took him on again as he stood tall and pulled it away over deep square leg for the maximum.
At the completion of 10 overs, Australia were racing away at 78/0 with Head unbeaten on 48 off 27 balls and Marsh unbeaten on 27 off 33 balls as we entered the middle overs phase of the game.
Travis Head completes 8th ODI hundred to put Australia in command at the halfway stage of the game despite losing Mitchell Marsh.Â
Newman Nyamhuri continued after the power play as Marsh pressed forward and drove it between extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Captain Sikandar Raza came into the attack next as we saw first signs of spin in this innings. Head managed to get an outside edge when he rocked back and slashed hard as the ball went past short third man for a boundary as he reached his fifty in 32 balls, his 18th ODI fifty. Nyamhuri continued as Head flicked it away past mid-on for a boundary. The 100 came up for Australia in 12.4 overs and of the partnership as well.
Raza continued as Head smashed him downtown drilling it straight as an arrow for a boundary. Head was in the zone by now as he rocked back and pulled the short ball towards the midwicket region for a boundary, one bounce and over the ropes. Wellington Masakadza came into the attack next. He started his spell with a tight over. Raza continued and bowled a decent over as well. Masakadza continued as Marsh took him on by rocking back and pulling it away flat and hard over the ropes on the leg side as the captain got to his fifty in 52 balls.
Australia were 127/0 in 17 overs when we paused for the first Drinks Break of the day. Head was unbeaten on 72 off 49 balls at that stage while Marsh was unbeaten on 51 off 53 balls and the signs were ominous for Zimbabwe. Raza continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Masakadza continued and finally broke the opening stand as he bowled a ripper to clean up Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh for 53 off 63 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name as the 130-run opening stand was broken.
Cooper Connolly came out to bat next. Raza continued as Head used his feet to step out and slam over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Australia were 137/1 in 20 overs. Wellington continued as Head caressed the ball through the off-side as he drove it left of covers for a boundary. Raza continued and bowled a better over. Wellington continued and bowled a decent over as Head entered into the 90s.
Wessly Madhevere came into the attack next. Head took him on as he hoisted the ball down the ground by stepping out and lofting it over long-on down the ground over Ben Curran for the maximum. Blessing Muzarabani came back into the attack to bowl the 25th over of the innings. Connolly got into the act as he cut the ball past diving backward point for a boundary. Soon, the moment came as Travis Head reached his 8th ODI hundred in 75 balls with a single. At the halfway stage of 25 overs, Australia were 168/1 with Head unbeaten on 100 off 75 balls and Connolly unbeaten on 11 off 12 balls.
Travis Head falls but Cooper Connolly keeps Australia firmly in control of the proceedings.Â
Wessly Madhevere continued as Connolly delicately played it with an open bat face late cut as the ball went away between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Head continued his merry ways after his ton as well as he stepped out and thumped the ball over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Head and Connolly. Blessing continued as Head stayed leg side of the ball and lofted it over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Madhevere continued and broke the threatening stand by removing the dangerous Travis Head for 112 off 84 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he looked to go down the ground and miscued it up in the air where Burl at covers took the catch easily. Keeper batter Josh Inglis walked out to bat next. Blessing continued and bowled a decent over. Madhevere continued as Inglis rocked back and pulled it away past deep midwicket for a boundary as the 200 came up in 30 overs for Australia.
Newman Nyamhuri returned and he bowled a decent over. Madhevere continued and bowled a tight over. Nyamhuri continued and conceded multiple wides in the over. Madhevere continued as Inglis reverse swept him past the keeper and away for a boundary. Wellington Masakadza returned to the bowling crease and broke a threatening stand as he removed Inglis for 21 off 20 balls with 2 fours to his name caught and bowled. Australia were 229/3 in 34.1 overs when Drinks was called onto the field for the second time in this innings.
Alex Carey came out to bat post that break. He got off the mark soon. Sikandar Raza came back into the attack as Zimbabwe wasted another review for LBW this time against Carey as the hosts were down to 0 reviews for the remainder of the innings. Masakadza continued as Carey lofted the ball over extra covers into the gap for a triple. Raza continued as Carey showed his innovativeness as he pulled out the reverse sweep and nailed it to the left of short third man for a boundary.
Masakadza continued as Connolly took him on as he rocked back and pulled the ball with disdain over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 250 came up for Australia in 38.3 overs. Madhevere came to bowl the 40th over of the innings as Connolly reached his half-century in just 51 balls, his 3rd ODI fifty. At the completion of 40 overs, Australia were well-placed at 255/3 with Connolly unbeaten on 50 off 51 balls alongside Carey unbeaten on 12 off 22 balls. We now entered the final phase i.e. death overs phase of this innings.
Late overs hitting powers Australia to 356/6 in 50 overs.Â
Wellington Masakadza continued to bowl the 41st over as Connolly drilled it down the ground with a flat bat past the bowler’s head for a boundary. He was not done there as he lofted Wellington over long-on for the maximum. Madhevere continued and bowled a better over. Raza returned to the attack as Connolly was dealing in sixes as he flat batted it down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Brad Evans returned to the attack as he removed Carey for 20 off 30 balls with one four to his name as Ben Curran took the catch at backward point.
Matt Renshaw came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Raza continued and bowled a decent over to complete his wicketless spell as Australia were 297/4 in 45 overs. Evans continued and got rid of the set batter as Connolly departed for 78 off 69 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Brendan Taylor took a safe catch. Oliver Peake came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary with a top edge over fine leg as the 300 came up for Australia in 45.2 overs.
Blessing came back into the attack as Peake welcomed him back with a cut shot past deep third man for a boundary. Renshaw also got into the act as he leaned into the low full toss to slice it away past short third man for a boundary. He delivered a wide ball as well in the over. Evans continued as Renshaw was dropped by Nyamhuri at short fine leg before Innocent Kaia took a good catch at deep backward square leg to end the innings of Renshaw the next ball for 15 off 11 balls with one four to his name. Nathan Ellis came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Blessing came to bowl the 49th over and bowled a decent one at that. Evans had the ball in hand for the final over as Peake took him on as he waited for the ball and pulled it over wide long-on for the maximum. He delivered a wide before Peake got into the act again as he went back and flat batted it over long-off for the maximum. Then he picked the ball on the hips and deposited it over deep fine leg for the maximum. The 350 came up for Australia in 49.5 overs. 24 runs came off the final over.
In the end, Australia finished with 356/6 in 50 overs which is their highest score against Zimbabwe in ODIs. Peake remained unbeaten on 41 off 18 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name while Ellis was unbeaten on 6 off 5 balls to his name. 10 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a tough outing for the Zimbabwe bowlers. Brad Evans finished his spell with 3/86 in 9 overs. Wellington Masakadza bowled decently for his 2/51 in 9 overs. Wessly Madhevere finished with 1/52 in 8 overs. Blessing Muzarabani finished with 0/68 in 9 overs. Newman Nyamhuri bowled 5 overs for 37 runs. Captain Sikandar Raza bowled 10 overs for 60 runs. This now means Zimbabwe have a mountain to climb as they need 357 runs to win off 50 overs to level the series 1-1 and stay alive as well.
Who’s Winning, Australia or Zimbabwe?Â
Despite losing the toss, Australia have a huge score on the board and it’s a mountain to climb. 356 is a lot of runs in Harare and is the highest score by them against Zimbabwe. Australia have a great bowling line-up and it is them who will be the happier side at the break. Zimbabwe have to bat out of their skins to keep the series alive. Cricket is a funny game and anything can happen. But at this stage, it’s advantage Australia in Harare.
Let’s see what the run chase has in-store for us.
Also Read: ZIM vs AUS: Matt Renshaw’s Ton Shatters Zimbabwe