Australia thrash Zimbabwe, stroll to series victory

Australia has hammered Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the second Dettol ODI after a blistering new-ball spell from Mitch Starc at Riverway Stadium in Townsville.

Zimbabwe were bundled out for 96 in just 27.5 overs, their lowest completed ODI score against Australia, as the home side took an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

The tourists' top order had no answers to Australia's opening bowlers, with both Starc and Josh Hazlewood causing headaches for the tourists.

Image Id: 8610629AD1E440D1945EBD0D089AF6BE Image Caption: Starc clips the off stump of Zimbabwe opener Innocent Kaia // Getty

The hosts then made light work of the total, reaching the target in the 15th over with Steve Smith playing an entertaining innings of 47 not out off 41 balls.

Sent in again by Australia captain Aaron Finch, Zimbabwe couldn't replicate their bright start from the opening ODI on Sunday.

Needing four wickets to reach 200 wickets in ODIs, Starc's day started in unspectacular fashion, bowling three leg-side wides in the match's first over.

But it wasn't long before he found his radar, claiming 3-15 from a scorching five-over opening spell.

The first ball of that day that showed any sign of movement through the air brought about a wicket, as Starc's full in-swinger to Innocent Kaia (two off eight balls) snuck through the gap between bat and pad to hit the off stump.

Wessly Madhevere, who top-scored with 72 in the first ODI, couldn't open his account before he was trapped lbw by Starc for a duck.

The visitors then slumped to 3-14 in the seventh over when Tadiwanashe Marumani chipped a catch to substitute field Marnus Labuschagne off Starc.

Hazlewood was also superb without much luck, beating the bat 12 times in his six overs, however he did have the wicket of key man Sikandar Raza to celebrate.

Raza had scored only seven off his first 34 balls, before a four and a particularly glorious six over cover off Hazlewood in consecutive balls showed a glimpse of his talent.

Yet Hazlewood would have the last laugh, when a well-directed bouncer to Raza two balls later landed in the lap of Marcus Stoinis, who had been positioned perfectly on the square leg boundary. 

It was an eerily similar to Raza's dismissal in the first ODI, when he couldn't control a pull shot from a Cameron Green short ball.

Starc finished with figures of 3-24 from eight overs while Hazlewood claimed 1-16 off six.

The left-armer looked set to take his 200^th ODI wicket and become the fastest player ever to the milestone but Glenn Maxwell spilled a chance at backward point off a Luke Jongwe cut shot.

The only innings of substance from Zimbabwe came from returning allrounder Sean Williams, who hit three boundaries in his 29 off 45 balls.

But when he edged Adam Zampa to Cameron Green at third man Zimbabwe were 7-83 and looking increasingly unlikely to reach they previous lowest ODI total against Australia of 116 (in Harare, 1999).

Leg-spinner Zampa cleaned up the tail in the 28^th over with the wickets of Luke Jongwe (bowled for one) and Brad Evans (lbw for two) to claim figures of 3-21 from 3.5 overs.

Cameron Green – who was Player of the Match in the first ODI - wasn't thrown the ball until the 23^rd over, but struck with his third ball with a beautiful rising delivery that caught the edge of Tony Munyonga's (10 off 15) bat.

In the chase, Richard Ngavara – who has been tasked with leading the Zimbabwe attack due to injuries to Tendai Chatara (shoulder) and Blessing Muzarabani (thigh) – gave his side some hope with the wickets of both David Warner and Aaron Finch in his second over.

Warner's aggressive approach ended when he was well caught at third man by Evans while Finch only managed to prod a catch to Raza at slip.

After spruiking his own T20 credentials on Tuesday, Smith played some outrageous shots that would've looked more at place in the shorter format.

They included a six over cover that Smith somehow managed after advancing down the wicket to pace bowler Ngarava.

The New South Welshman hit eight fours and a six in his entertaining knock on a pitch that almost all other batters struggled on.

The third and final game of the series will be played in Townsville on Saturday.

Men's Dettol ODI Series v Zimbabwe

First ODI: Australia won by five wickets

Wednesday Aug 31: Riverway Stadium, Townsville, 9:40am

Saturday Sep 3: Riverway Stadium, Townsville, 9:40am

Australia squad: Aaron Finch, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Zimbabwe squad: Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (c), Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.

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