Online Reporter
AUSTRALIA completed their first tour of Zimbabwe in 12 years with a clean sweep of the hosts, who were denied a consolation victory in front of a festive Harare crowd as Nathan Ellis kept his composure alongside No. 11 Spencer Johnson in a match-winning last-wicket stand of 27. Zimbabwe still needed just one wicket when the pair came together with Australia requiring 27 runs, but Ellis produced a magnificent all-round performance to guide his side home. After posting their second-highest total batting first against Australia, Zimbabwe watched victory slip away in dramatic fashion as they finished their home international programme for 2026 on a heartbreaking note.
Australia 272 for 9 (Inglis 103, Evans 4-47) beat Zimbabwe 271 for 8 (Raza 81*, Ervine 59, Kaia 55 retired hurt, Ellis 3-50) by one wicket.
The pressure swung repeatedly in the final stages of the contest. Australia were cruising at 162 for 3 in the 26th over when Brad Evans removed Alex Carey for the third of his four wickets, triggering a collapse that brought Zimbabwe roaring back into the game. Josh Inglis held the chase together with his second ODI century, but when he departed Australia still needed 45. Ellis, who had earlier claimed 3 for 50, then played a superbly judged unbeaten 36 to steer his side to a thrilling victory.
The chase was built largely around Inglis, who became the third Australian to score a century in the series after Matt Renshaw in the opener and Travis Head in the second match. Zimbabwe, by contrast, did not register a century across the series, though Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine scored two half-centuries apiece and finished as the hosts’ leading run-scorers.
Zimbabwe also boasted two of the three leading wicket-takers in the series and will know their defeat came down to key moments rather than personnel. Four incidents proved particularly costly. The first came when Innocent Kaia, batting fluently on 55, retired hurt with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, bringing an end to an 80-run fourth-wicket stand with Ervine and halting Zimbabwe’s momentum. The second followed when Ervine, on 59, attempted to accelerate with 10 overs remaining but holed out to long-on, sparking a collapse of 4 for 22 and leaving Zimbabwe short of the 300 they had been targeting.
In the field, Zimbabwe let crucial chances slip. On 48, Inglis cut Ernest Masuku aerially towards backward point, where Wessly Madhevere dived to his right but failed to hold on.
The reprieve proved expensive, even though Madhevere later produced a stunning catch to dismiss Carey. His most costly error, however, came in the penultimate over when Ellis launched Masuku towards deep midwicket and Madhevere spilled another chance.
With nine runs needed from the final over, Raza handed the ball to Madhevere despite Graeme Cremer still having an over in hand after an encouraging return to ODI cricket. The gamble backfired immediately as the first delivery disappeared for six, leaving Madhevere distraught at the end of the match.
Inglis was called into action early after Evans struck twice in his opening two overs. He had Head caught at deep backward square after a flick off the pads and then found Mitchell Marsh’s inside edge to leave Australia 25 for 2 in the fourth over. Inglis responded positively, unfurling a trademark swivel pull for four and punishing anything offered through the point region. He welcomed Cremer’s return by dispatching a full toss through mid-on for four, but the leg-spinner hit back superbly by bowling Cooper Connolly with a classic leg-break.
Inglis and Carey added 85 for the fourth wicket to keep Australia on course, but the contest tightened significantly when wickets began to fall. Australia were 203 for 5 after 35 overs, needing 69 more for victory, when Raza trapped Ollie Peake lbw and Cremer deceived Xavier Bartlett with a googly in the space of two overs. Blessing Muzarabani then returned to maintain the pressure and forced Ellis into a fend that ballooned skyward, only for Brendan Taylor to miss the chance. Muzarabani ended the series without a wicket.
Inglis reached his century with a powerful sweep off Cremer, bringing up three figures from 94 balls, but Australia still required 55 runs. When Raza bowled him in the 42nd over, Zimbabwe appeared favourites.
However, questions will be asked about their use of the bowling attack. Muzarabani had completed his allocation by the 44th over, Evans was unavailable after finishing with two overs remaining, and Cremer, despite his experience, was not trusted with his final over.
Zimbabwe will also reflect on shortcomings with the bat, particularly after opting to set a target in the final ODI. They began steadily, reaching 34 without loss after six overs before losing both openers.
Ben Curran’s struggles in white-ball cricket continued when he gloved Johnson down the leg side and was caught behind for 7. Brian Bennett looked promising with several stylish flicks and pulls before skying an Ellis delivery to Head at midwicket for 30. Despite several starts, Bennett has now failed to pass 40 in his last eight ODI innings. Zimbabwe closed the powerplay at 57 for 2.
Taylor laboured to 9 from 16 balls before an Adam Zampa flipper bowled him, adding to concerns about his form. Kaia, who survived an early scare on 27 when Inglis failed to complete a stumping chance, settled impressively. He drove confidently through mid-on and pulled Johnson powerfully through the leg side. His half-century came from 59 balls shortly after the halfway stage of the innings and ended a run of 12 innings without reaching the milestone, stretching back to January 2023.
Kaia and Ervine put Zimbabwe in a strong position and, after Kaia retired hurt with the score on 148 for 3, responsibility shifted to Raza and Ervine to accelerate. The hosts reached 200 with 10 overs remaining, but the late surge never materialised. Ervine fell attempting to raise the tempo, unable to clear Renshaw at long-on, before Madhevere chipped an Ellis slower ball to cover, leaving Australia firmly back in control.
Evans briefly counterattacked with consecutive boundaries off Johnson, showing glimpses of his lower-order hitting ability, but he top-edged a short ball to hand Johnson a second wicket. Cremer then fell lbw to a pinpoint Ellis yorker. Raza brought up a determined half-century and farmed the strike through the closing overs, finishing unbeaten on 81 and lifting Zimbabwe to a competitive total. In the end, however, it proved agonisingly short as Australia escaped with a one-wicket victory and a 3-0 series sweep.
— Cricinfo
