Renshaw hundred drives Australia past Zimbabwe in Harare opener

Matt Renshaw scored his first one-day international hundred as Australia beat Zimbabwe by 59 runs in Harare.

The win puts Australia 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series — a 50-overs-a-side contest — at Harare Sports Club on 15 September. Renshaw made 109. Fast bowler Nathan Ellis took 5-31 to close out the chase. The Guardian

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh chose to bat first. His side finished on 294-8 from its 50 overs.

The innings wobbled early. Then it steadied. Cooper Connolly made 51 before Sikandar Raza bowled him. Renshaw added 72 with Alex Carey for the fifth wicket, with four wickets already lost, and then 75 with Ollie Peake for the sixth.

Renshaw struck seven fours and three sixes in his 109, according to match figures. Tribune It was his first international hundred since a Test century against Pakistan in 2017.

Zimbabwe seamer Newman Nyamhuri took 5-62. That is five wickets in one innings. He is only the second Zimbabwe bowler to take five wickets in an ODI against Australia.

Zimbabwe were bowled out for 235 in 45.1 overs. Craig Ervine made 59 before Ellis bowled him. Sikandar Raza made 57 before Spencer Johnson dismissed him.

Ervine and Raza shared 98 runs together. That stand kept Zimbabwe in the game. Ellis broke it and then ran through the lower order to finish with five wickets from 9.1 overs.

What makes this stand out is how both sides found something. Australia got runs from the middle order and control with the ball. Zimbabwe got a landmark bowling return and a real fight in the middle overs.

For fans, this means a live series. Australia lead, but Zimbabwe showed enough to keep the next two games interesting. The squad is short on local knowledge. Marsh was the only member of the touring party to have played an ODI in Zimbabwe before this trip, after five matches there in 2014. Cricket.com.au

The second ODI is scheduled for Friday. The third follows on Sunday. All three matches are in Harare.