Australia 294 for 8 (Renshaw 109, Connolly 51, Nyamhuri 5-62) vs Zimbabwe

Renshaw, playing in his 10th ODI, came in at a tricky time, with Australia 107 for 4 in the 18th over and shared stands of 72 and 75 with Alex Carey and Ollie Peake respectively to keep Australia ticking over nicely. A hallmark of his innings was how well he ran between the wickets, with his innings including 49 singles and seven twos.

On a surface with a healthy grass covering, Zimbabwe’s seamers were keen to extract as much as possible early on but their short balls were punished. A better length was slightly fuller, as Brad Evans discovered when Travis Head, looking to hit square, played him onto his stumps. This was the fourth successive drag-on for Head and will doubtless be an issue he aims to address ahead of sterner tests in South Africa.

The early breakthrough didn’t stop the flow of runs. Connolly and Mitchell Marsh cashed in on anything short or wide but Zimbabwe were rewarded again when Marsh smashed Nyamhuri to Brian Bennett at cover. However, Australia were still cantering on 65 for 2 after 10 overs.

Nyamhuri got a second, thanks to the 40-going-on-20-year-old Brendan Taylor who went full stretch to his right to take a one-handed catch off a Josh Inglis edge. Only then, were Zimbabwe able to take some control of proceedings.

Three boundary-less overs followed, including the introduction of spin in the form of Sikandar Raza. Nyamhuri should then have had Connolly, on 41, caught at midwicket but Bennett spilled the chance. Connolly got a second life when he was caught behind off a Raza no-ball and then rubbed salt into that wound when he sent Raza’s free hit sailing over long-off to reach his fifty. But Connolly’s fun ended two balls later when Raza beat his outside edge and bowled him.

Raza’s problems with over-stepping continued, and continued to cost Zimbabwe. He produced another opportunity when Renshaw, on 12, sent a low full-toss to midwicket where Craig Ervine, the third player over the age of 40, dropped it.

Australia were 147 for 4 at the halfway stage, with the scoring rate pulled back to under six runs an over and the innings was delicately placed. Raza, Bennett and Wellington Masakadza showed good control for the most part but occasionally tossed it up too much and Renshaw cased in. His first six came off Bennett, as he got down on one knee to send him over midwicket; the next was off Masakadza and landed on the stadium roof.

Renshaw’s partnership with Carey had grown to 72 when Raza brought Evans back in search of a wicket and he delivered as Carey sliced him to gully.

Renshaw brought up his fifty when he hit Masakadza onto the roof again, off the 55th ball he faced, and took on Evans. With Peake at the other end, he rotated strike well and took Australia to 228 for 5 with 10 overs to go, and 300 well within sight.

Peake worked hard for his 30-ball 40 before he stood on his stumps to be dismissed hit wicket. Nyamhuri picked up his fourth when Xavier Bartlett offered a simple chance for Ervine to redeem himself at cover. He made no mistake.

Renshaw was on 96 at the time, with four overs remaining and three wickets in hand. He got a single and two runs off Muzarabani before a single off an Evans full toss brought him the hundred, warm applause and much joy. Renshaw’s second fifty came off 33 balls.

He soon handed over the celebratory baton to Nyamhuri, who he sent high into the leg-side in the final over. Madhevere took the catch that gave Nyamhuri a five-for. Zimbabwe conceded 66 runs in the last 10 overs which, with Australia having five wickets in hand, they would have been fairly happy with.