09/15/26 11:19:00
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09/15 11:17 CDT Renshaw and Ellis star in Australia's 59-run win over Zimbabwe
in 1st ODI
Renshaw and Ellis star in Australia's 59-run win over Zimbabwe in 1st ODI
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) --- Matt Renshaw smashed his maiden ODI century and fast
bowler Nathan Ellis grabbed 5-31 in Australia's 59-run win over Zimbabwe on
Tuesday.
Renshaw's 109 off 94 balls was complemented by Cooper Connolly's 51 that gave
Australia a total of 294-8 in its first one-day international in Zimbabwe in 12
years.
Ellis picked up two wickets in his first over and then got the vital wicket of
top-scorer Craig Ervine (59) in his return spell as Zimbabwe got bowled out for
235 in 45.1 overs to give Australia 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Skipper Sikandar Raza made 57 off 76 balls, but when Spencer Johnson clean
bowled him with a perfect yorker in the 36th over, it took the game out of
Zimbabwe's range.
Zimbabwe ran into early trouble through Ellis' twin strikes in the ninth over
and then further slipped to 62-4 in the 14th over when Brendan Taylor holed out
off Renshaw's off-spin. Taylor, one of the three players from Zimbabwe's famous
win when Australia last played an ODI in Zimbabwe in 2014, was brilliantly
snapped by Josh Inglis behind the wickets.
Ervine and Raza shared a 98-run stand off 104 balls that gave the home team
glimmer of hope before Ellis knocked back the off stump of Evans in the 31st
over and also accounted for the wickets of two tail-enders.
Earlier, Renshaw rebuilt Australia from a tricky 107-4 in the 18th over by
sharing partnerships of 72 and 74 runs with Alex Carey (27) and Oliver Peake
(30) after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bat.
Raza wanted to field first on a wicket that had plenty of grass covering, but
Australian batters were quick to punish the short balls early on.
Travis Head (4) played on Brad Evans back onto his stumps off the fifth ball he
faced, but Marsh, who scored 36 off 28 balls, and Connolly continued to score
at a brisk pace in the powerplay. Marsh smashed six fours and a six before he
couldn't clear Brain Bennett at covers to give 20-year-old left-arm seamer
Newman Nyamhuri (5-62) his first wicket.
Renshaw rotated the strike well by running 49 singles and seven twos in his
brilliant knock that also featured seven boundaries and three sixes.
Nyamhuri could have dismissed Connolly on 41 but Bennett dropped a sitter and
then got a second life when he was caught behind of Raza's no-ball and then
completed his half century off a free hit before he was clean bowled by Raza
soon after.
Zimbabwe continued to miss out on chances and Renshaw on 12 was dropped by
Ervine at mid-wicket off Raza's another no-ball before he completed his
half-century off 55 balls but gained pace to reach his century off the next 33.
Nyamhuri celebrated his maiden five-wicket haul in the final over when Renshaw
mistimed a shot on the leg-side and was caught at deep mid-wicket as Australia
scored 66 runs in the final 10 overs.
The series is part of defending champion Australia's preparations for next
year's World Cup. Regular captain Pat Cummins is being rested for the three
ODIs against Zimbabwe before he joins the team in South Africa for three ODIs
and test matches.
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