Online Reporter
The Aussies concluded their first Zimbabwe to 12 years with a clean sweep of the hosts, who were unable to deliver a consolation win to a festive Harare crowd yesterday, as Nathan Ellis held his nerve alongside No. 11 Spencer Johnson in a match-winning tenth-wicket stand of 27.
They chaseed Zimbabwe’s 271 with one wicket in hand and a ball to spare.
Zimbabwe do not have any internationals at home for the rest of the year and, after posting their second-highest total batting first against Australia, saw the match slip from their grasp in the dramatic closing stages.
Pressure changed sides throughout the last quarter of the match.
Australia were cruising on 162 for 3 in the 26th over, when Brad Evans removed Alex Carey for the third of his four wickets and set the cat among the pigeons as wickets fell regularly.
Josh Inglis was holding the chase together with his second ODI hundred but when he fell 45 were still needed but Ellis, who had earlier taken 3 for 50, put together a superbly-measured 36 not out to secure a thrilling win.
Their chase was built largely on the effort of Inglis, who was the third Australian to reach a hundred in the series, after Matt Renshaw in match one and Travis Head in game two.
In contrast, Zimbabwe did not have a century-marker, though Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine scored two fifties each, including in this match and were the leading run-scorers across the three matches.
Zimbabwe also had two of the three top bowlers and will know that it was in moments, not personnel terms, that they lost to Australia.
In this match, there were four major ones.
The first came when Innocent Kaia, batting well on 55, had to retire hurt with what looked like a hamstring injury to interrupt an 80-run fourth wicket stand with Ervine and stall Zimbabwe.
The second was when Ervine, on 59, tried to accelerate with 10 overs left to go and holed out to long-on to spark a collapse of 4 for 22 which left Zimbabwe short of the 300 that was in their sights.
One-wicket win for AUS in ODIs
vs NZ, Christchurch, 1993
vs WI, Sydney, 1996
vs SA, Durban, 2006
vs ENG, Brisbane, 2014
vs BAN, Mirpur, 2026
vs ZIM, Harare, 2026*
One-wicket defeat for ZIM in ODIs
vs ENG, Bulawayo, 2000
vs WI, Brisbane, 2001
vs BAN, Harare, 2007
vs BAN, Chattogram, 2009
vs AUS, Harare, 2026*
Australia have won 32 of 35 completed ODIs against Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe’s only home win over them came back in 2014.
Australia’s 272 is their second-highest successful chase against Zimbabwe, behind the 280 chased at Hobart in 2001. —Cricinfo
