Head's 75-ball hundred fires Australia to series-clinching 84-run win over Zimbabwe
Travis Head smashed a 75-ball hundred to fire Australia to a series-clinching 84-run victory in the second one-day international against Zimbabwe in Harare on Friday.
Head's swashbuckling 112 from 84 balls, laced with 15 fours and three sixes, was well supported by captain Mitchell Marsh's 53 — his 21st ODI half-century — and Cooper Connolly's 78, a third successive 50-plus score in the format, as Australia piled up 356 for 6, their highest ODI total against Zimbabwe.
The openers raced to 62 without loss inside eight overs, smashing nine fours and two sixes, after Wessly Madhevere dropped a tough chance at backward point when Marsh drove Blessing Muzarabani. Head and Marsh went on to post a 130-run stand off 114 balls.
Marsh completed his fifty with a pull for six off Wellington Masakadza, only to be clean bowled by the left-arm spinner in the next over by a delivery that turned away from the right-hand batter. Head, who reached his hundred midway through the innings with a single, then skied Madhevere's slower ball to cover point.
The strong middle order produced a late onslaught, led by Connolly's 69-ball innings and Ollie Peake's 41 off just 18 balls — including 24 runs off Brad Evans' final over, which featured three sixes. Evans finished with 3 for 86, while Blessing Muzarabani (0 for 68) and Newman Nyamhuri (0 for 37), who took five wickets in the first game, drew a blank.
Earlier, Sikandar Raza had expected his pace attack to exploit early moisture, but his decision to bowl first after winning the toss backfired as Australia posted their highest ODI score against Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe fall short despite solid top order
Zimbabwe never looked likely to reach the target, despite five of their top six batters making 30 or more, and were bowled out for 272 in 48.3 overs. Captain Sikandar Raza top-scored with 45, while Brendan Taylor (39) and Craig Ervine (38) went at almost a run a ball against some disciplined spin bowling.
Josh Hazlewood (2 for 48) and Billy Stanlake, the two changes Australia made from the first game, bowled tidy lengths with the new ball, but the tourists suffered an injury blow when Stanlake left the field with a side strain in his fifth over.
The spinners squeezed Zimbabwe after the powerplay, with Matt Renshaw bowling openers Brian Bennett (23) and Ben Curran (30) in his first two overs. Adam Zampa then bowled Innocent Kaia (34) with a superb googly to claim his 200th ODI wicket, and later had Ervine well caught by Marsh at short third man from a mistimed reverse sweep, finishing with 2 for 62.
Connolly (2 for 25) wrapped up the win with two wickets off successive balls, Raza slicing a catch to long off before No 11 Blessing Muzarabani was bowled.
Sweep on the cards
Australia, playing ODIs in Zimbabwe for the first time in 12 years, had won the series opener by 59 runs and were expected to complete a 3-0 sweep in Sunday's third and final fixture.