HARARE : Australia sealed the one-day international series against Zimbabwe with an 84-run victory on Friday, with Travis Head smashing a century as the visitors took an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Head hammered 112 from 84 balls as Australia posted their highest ODI total against Zimbabwe, reaching 356-6 after being sent in at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 272 in 48.3 overs, having also lost the opening match by 59 runs on Tuesday.
Head and captain Mitchell Marsh gave Australia a flying start with a 130-run opening stand before Head added another 60 with Cooper Connolly for the second wicket.
Marsh, dropped off the first ball of the match, made 53 from 63 deliveries, while Connolly scored 78 from 69 balls to register his third consecutive ODI half-century.
Australia finished strongly, with 20-year-old Ollie Peake hitting an unbeaten 41 from 18 balls, including three sixes in the final over bowled by Brad Evans. Evans claimed three wickets but conceded 86 runs from his nine overs.
Zimbabwe struggled to keep pace with the required run rate, taking 14 overs to reach 50 runs.
Captain Sikandar Raza top-scored with 45, while veteran Brendan Taylor made 39. Taylor, 40, had on Tuesday overtaken India’s Sachin Tendulkar as the longest-serving player in ODI history.
Spinner Adam Zampa took 2-62 to pass 200 ODI wickets, while Josh Hazlewood, returning from injury, claimed 2-48 in nine overs. The Australian attack shared the wickets after Billy Stanlake was forced off with an injury.
“I thought it was a complete performance from the boys and when Big Billy went down, our part-time bowlers stepped in,” Marsh said. “They all loved it and were keen for it.”
The final ODI will be played on Sunday, after which Australia travel to neighbouring South Africa for another three-match series beginning in Durban on Tuesday.
