Cricket-Australia beat Zimbabwe by 84 runs to seal ODI series

Australia registered another emphatic win over hosts Zimbabwe to take an unassailable ​2-0 lead in their One Day International series ​as Travis Head hit a century in ‌Friday's ​84-run win. Head bludgeoned 112 runs off 84 balls as the visitors' top order laid the platform for victory in the second of three ODIs at the Harare Sports Club ‌with Australia put to bat first and scoring 356-6 before dismissing Zimbabwe for 272 in 48.3 overs.

It was Australia's highest score against Zimbabwe in an ODI. Australia won the opening clash of the series by 59 runs on Tuesday and quickly took command ‌on Friday as Head and captain Mitchell Marsh put on 130 runs for the opening stand and then Head ‌added another 60 with Cooper Connolly for the second wicket.

Marsh, who was dropped first ball of the game, scored 53 from 63 balls while Connolly hit 78 off 69 balls to go past fifty for a third successive ODI. But the most brutal batting came at the end of the ⁠innings as ​20-year-old Ollie Peake scored an ⁠unbeaten 41 runs from 18 balls including three sixes in the final over as Zimbabwe pacer Brad Evans was hit to all corners. Evans did ⁠get three wickets in the innings but for an expensive 86 runs off his nine overs.

In reply, Zimbabwe quickly fell behind the ​required run rate as Australia pegged them back despite a good batting top with the home side taking 14 ⁠overs to get to 50 runs. Captain Sikandar Raza top scored for Zimbabwe with 45 while 40-year-old Brendan Taylor, who only on Tuesday replaced India great ⁠Sachin ​Tendulkar as the longest-serving one-day international player, scored 39.

Spinner Adam Zampa took 2-62 to go past 200 ODI wickets while opening bowler Josh Hazlewood returned from injury to take 2-48 in nine overs as the wickets were spread around ⁠the Australia attack, which lost Billy Stanlake to injury. "I thought it was a complete performance from the boys and when ⁠Big Billy went down, our ⁠part-time bowlers stepped in," said Marsh. "They all loved it and were keen for it."

The last ODI of the series is on Sunday after which Australia head to neighbouring South Africa ‌for another three-match series, ‌starting next Tuesday in Durban. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape ​Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)