adminDESPITE fine innings from Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani, who both recorded their highest one-day international scores, Zimbabwe went down to Australia by five wickets in their first match yesterday at Riverway Stadium in Townsville.
It was a fair performance by the tourists who, apart from having a very brief time to acclimatise, also had to cope with the absence of Sean Williams due to an arm injury sustained during training. They lost the toss and were put in to bat by the hosts, who no doubt expected their bowlers to get some assistance from the conditions.
The pitch indeed gave them some movement and the bounce was uneven at times, but the first three Zimbabwe batters handled the situation very well.
The opening partnership of Innocent Kaia and Marumani put on 42 runs together, and the first wicket did not fall until the 11th over, when Kaia, having seen off the opening bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, hit a low return catch to Mitchell Marsh for 17.
There followed a partnership of 45 in 10 overs for the second wicket, as Madhevere joined Marumani and the runs continued to flow.
Marumani looked to be heading for his first ODI fifty, but with his score on 45 and the total 87, he attempted a leg-side hit across a straight ball from the leg-spinner Adam Zampa and was bowled.
Tony Munyonga (7) tried to play an attacking game, but skyed a big hit against Zampa that was brilliantly caught by Steve Smith running back from mid-off – 104 for three.
There followed the highest partnership of the innings, as the captain Regis Chakabva joined Madhevere and the two of them defied the bowling to put on 63 together in just over 11 overs.
Madhevere was going very well and he reached his fifty off 67 balls and looked good for more.
After 40 overs Zimbabwe had reached an impressive 167 for four wickets and looked set for a good total after the final 10 overs.
Three overs later, however, it all began to go wrong as Madhevere miscued a googly from Zampa and chipped the ball back for a return catch.
He had made an excellent 72 off 139 balls, with four fours, and Zimbabwe were 185 for five.
The second match in the series of three takes place at the same venue tomorrow.
Scores
Zimbabwe – 200 all out in 47.3 overs (Wessly Madhevere 72, Tadiwanashe Marumani 45, Regis Chakabva 31; Cameron Green 5/33, Adam Zampa 3/57, Mitchell Marsh 1/22)
Australia – 201-5 in 33.3 overs (David Warner 57, Steven Smith 48*, Glenn Maxwell 32*; Ryan Burl 3/60, Richard Ngarava 1/26, Sikandar Raza 1/45)
Australia won by five wickets – zimcricket
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter