(ESPNCRICINFO) – Travis Head’s 112 off 84 balls led a dominant display from Australia as they sealed the three-match series against Zimbabwe with a game to spare. They posted their highest total against Zimbabwe in this format thanks to Head’s eighth ODI century and several other valuable contributions. Mitchell Marsh struck a half-century, Cooper Connolly’s his third fifty-plus score in as many innings and Ollie Peake provided a cameo 18-ball 41 to take Australia over 350.
Asked to chase more runs than they ever have to win an ODI – Zimbabwe’s highest successful chase is 329 – they needed someone to post a score of substantial and some significant partnerships. They got neither. Sikandar Raza was their only batter to get into the 40s and they only had one half-century stand, which saw them fall 84 runs short.
Australia used eight bowlers, necessitated by an injury to Billy Stanlake who left the field with what appear a side strain, and all bar Stanlake and Head were among the wickets. Josh Hazlewood, back in the side after missing game one, was economical upfront and picked up 2 for 48 in nine overs and Adam Zampa picked up his 200th ODI wicket with a superb googly to Innocent Kaia.
Though Zimbabwe’s batting depth is a concern, they will also point the finger at isolated errors that have proved costly. In this match, they will rue a chance that came with the match’s opening ball. Marsh drove Blessing Muzarabani to Wessly Madhevere at backward point but he could not hold on to a tough chance.
It was all Australia from there with Zimbabwe’s senior seamers unable to apply consistent pressure. Murazabani and Brad Evans bowled four and five overs respectively upfront, by which time Australia had already motored to 62 in eight overs. They struck nine fours and two sixes in that time in what was a sign of things to come. The innings ended with 27 fours and 12 sixes.
Marsh was the more watchful of the opening pair and was on 27 off 33 at the end of the powerplay while Head had smashed 48 off the 27 balls he faced. His fifty came when Raza brought himself on, and somewhat riskily as Head drove at Raza’s second ball but got a top-edge. With no slip in place, the ball raced away for his eighth four. Head and Marsh brought up Australia’s hundred – and just their second century opening stand against Zimbabwe in ODIs – in the 13th over, when Head whipped Newman Nyamhuri through mid-on.
The introduction of Wellington Masakadza stemmed the tide slightly, but Marsh brought up his fifty off 52 balls with a six against the left-arm spinner. However, Masakadza had the last word when, in his next over, he spun one past Marsh’s outside edge and bowled him to give Zimbabwe their first wicket. The dismissal had no impact on the scoring rate, though, as Head continued aggressively and reached his hundred on the stroke of the innings’ halfway mark off 75 balls. It was the fastest century by an Australian against Zimbabwe, and Head’s first hundred in any format since the final Ashes Test in January.
Head eventually got one wrong when he was too early on a shot against a slower Madhevere delivery and skied into the off side. Zimbabwe conceded 39 runs off the next six overs and were rewarded when Josh Inglis gifted Masakadza a return catch off a delivery which held in the surface. The next three overs brought only eight runs as Zimbabwe continued to pull Australia back.
