Renshaw and Ellis star in Australia’s win over Zimbabwe in 1st ODI

Matt Renshaw smashed his maiden ODI century and fast bowler Nathan Ellis grabbed 5-31 in Australia’s 59-run win over Zimbabwe on Tuesday. Renshaw’s 109 off 94 balls was complemented by Cooper Connolly’s 51 that gave Australia 294-8 in its first one-day international in Zimbabwe in 12 years.

Ellis picked up two wickets in his first over and then got the vital wicket of top-scorer Craig Ervine (59) in his return spell as Zimbabwe got bowled out for 235 in 45.1 overs to give Australia 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Skipper Sikandar Raza made 57 off 76 balls, but when Spencer Johnson clean bowled him with a yorker in 36th over, it took game out of Zimbabwe’s range.

Zimbabwe ran into early trouble through Ellis’ twin strikes in the ninth over and then further slipped to 62-4 in the 14th over when Brendan Taylor holed out off Renshaw’s off-spin. Taylor, one of the three players from Zimbabwe’s famous win when Australia last played an ODI in Zimbabwe in 2014, was brilliantly snapped by Josh Inglis behind the wickets. Ervine and Raza shared a 98-run stand off 104 balls that gave the home team glimmer of hope before Ellis knocked back the off stump of Evans in the 31st over and also accounted for the wickets of two tail-enders.

Earlier, Renshaw rebuilt Australia from a tricky 107-4 in the 18th over by sharing partnerships of 72 and 74 runs with Alex Carey (27) and Oliver Peake (30) after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bat.