(ESPNCRICINFO) – Australia concluded their first tour of Zimbabwe in 12 years with a clean sweep of the hosts, who were unable to deliver a consolation win to a festive Harare crowd, as Nathan Ellis held his nerve alongside No. 11 Spencer Johnson in a match-winning 10th-wicket stand of 27. Zimbabwe do not have any internationals at home for the rest of the 2026 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 contest. 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. Then 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 efforts of Inglis, who was the third Australian to reach a hundred in the series, after Matt Renshaw in the opening match 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.
Then, in the field, Inglis, on 48, cut Ernest Masuku in the air to backward point and Wessly Madhevere leapt to his right but could not hold on. The drop proved costly even though Madhevere took a stunner to dismiss Carey. Madhevere’s biggest mistake was still to come. In the penultimate over when Ellis launched Masuku to deep midwicket, Madhevere got under the ball and spilled the chance.
With nine runs needed off the last six balls, Raza then gave Madhevere the ball, even though Graeme Cremer had an over in hand having caused problems in his first ODI in 2018. The first ball went for six and left Madhevere inconsolable at the end.
Inglis was in early after Evans struck twice in his first two overs. He had Head caught at deep backward square when he flicked off his pads and then found Mitchell Marsh’s inside edge to leave Australia were 25 for 2 in the fourth over. Inglis announced himself with a swivel pull that went for four and was brutal through the point area. He greeted Cremer’s return by sending his first ball – a full toss – through mid-on for four. But Cremer came back well and bowled Cooper Connolly with a classic leg break to announce his return in some style.
