Zimbabwe 271 for 8 (Raza 81*, Ervine 59, Kaia 55 ret hurt, Ellis 3-50) vs Australia

Given first opportunity with the ball, Johnson and Xavier Bartlett found some early movement to test Zimbabwe. They started off reasonably well and were 34 without loss after six overs before their opening pair gave way.

Ben Curran’s poor returns in white-ball cricket continued when he gloved Johnson down leg and was caught behind for 7. Curran has 39 runs from his last four ODI innings, and had a top score of 38 in five innings in the Namibia T20I series immediately prior to this contest.

His partner Brian Bennett didn’t fare much better. After showing promise with classy flicks off the pads and crunching pulls, Bennett skied a Ellis delivery to Travis Head at midwicket to depart for 30. Bennett has not crossed 40 in his last eight ODI innings, despite getting several starts. Zimbabwe were 57 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.

Brendan Taylor took his time to get to a 16-ball 9 before he was bowled by a Zampa flipper and the trend of Zimbabwean batters not cashing in continued.

Kaia, whose first runs had come off a thick inside edge, offered a chance on 27 when he was out of his crease early as Matt Renshaw fired in a delivery down leg. Inglis fumbled and recovered but could not stump Kaia, who put the early jitters aside to play some classy strokes. He drove Renshaw through mid-on and pulled Johnson flat and hard to bisect the fielders in the deep. His fifty came just after the innings’ halfway mark, off 59 balls, and marked the first time he had crossed the milestone in 12 innings, since January 2023.

Kaia’s partnership with Ervine had grown to 80 and they were completing a single when Kaia went down with what looked like a hamstring injury. He was treated on field, strapped up and tried to carry on but only faced two more balls before deciding he could not continue.

That brought Raza to the crease and Australia sensed an opportunity to apply pressure. Bartlett beat him with an outswinger that was unplayable. In the next over, Ervine edged Ellis short of Inglis and in the over after that, Raza survived a review for lbw off Renshaw which hit in line but was missing leg.

Raza eventually broke the shackles when he sent Zampa over midwicket for six. Ervine brought up his second fifty of the series with a single off Zampa from his 67th delivery. Australia used up their reviews when they thought Raza, on 17, had gloved Johnson leg side but he had not touched it. Raza hit Bartlett down the ground for his second four and become the highest ODI run-scorer at Harare Sports Club. He brought up both the fifty-run stand with Ervine and Zimbabwe’s 200 in the 40th over and they were well set for a good finish.

Ervine was eager to up the ante but could not clear Renshaw at long-on and Wessly Madhevere sent an Ellis slower ball to cover to give Australia two wickets in two overs. Brad Evans showed glimpses of his finishing skills with back to back fours off Johnson but then top-edged a short ball to give Johnson a second wicket. Graeme Cremer, playing an ODI after eight years the day after his 40th birthday, was out lbw to a pinpoint Ellis yorker.

Raza got to fifty at the start of the 46th over but was running out of partners. He farmed as much strike as he could to move through the gears and took 12 runs off Ellis’ final over.