Newman Nyamhuri’s first five-for kept Australia under 300, and Nathan Ellis answered with 5 for 31

Two bowlers took five wickets at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. The one who bowled second won the match. Nathan Ellis finished with 5 for 31 as Australia beat Zimbabwe by 59 runs in the first ODI, and Newman Nyamhuri’s career-best 5 for 62 earlier in the day turned out to be the losing effort.

Australia made 294 for 8 after Mitchell Marsh won the toss and batted. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 235 in the 46th over. Australia lead the three-match series 1-0.

Renshaw waited ten matches for this

Matt Renshaw walked out with Australia 107 for 4 in the 18th over and walked off with 109 from 94 balls, the first ODI century of a career that is now ten one-day internationals long. It was not a flashy hundred. Forty-nine of those runs came in singles, another 14 in twos, and the seven fours and three sixes arrived mostly when Zimbabwe’s spinners overpitched.

He should not have got that far. Craig Ervine dropped him at midwicket when he had 12, off a low full toss from Sikandar Raza. Renshaw reached fifty off 55 balls, then accelerated hard: his second fifty took 33 deliveries and the hundred came up off his 86th ball, with a single off a Brad Evans full toss.

He had help in instalments rather than in bulk. Cooper Connolly made 51 from 46, his second half-century in as many innings, and was twice let off before Raza bowled him. Alex Carey ground out 27 from 53 balls in a stand of 72. Oliver Peake contributed 30 from 40 in a stand of 75 and then trod on his own stumps, out hit wicket. Marsh made 36 off 28 at the top before holing out to cover.

Travis Head’s five-ball stay was the more interesting failure. Evans found a fuller length, Head went to hit square and dragged the ball onto his stumps, the fourth time in four innings he has been out that way.

A 20-year-old’s first five-for

Nyamhuri is 20, bowls left-arm seam, and had never taken more than three wickets in an ODI before Tuesday. He took Marsh at cover, had Josh Inglis caught one-handed by a full-stretch Brendan Taylor, dismissed Renshaw and Bartlett in the closing overs and collected Peake’s hit wicket along the way. Nine overs, 62 runs, five wickets.

Around him, Zimbabwe’s discipline wobbled. Raza bowled three no-balls, one of which gave Connolly a life on a free hit that he promptly deposited over long-off to bring up his fifty. Blessing Muzarabani went wicketless but conceded only 46 from ten. Zimbabwe gave up 66 runs in the last ten overs with Australia five down, which was the part of the innings they could live with.

Ervine and Raza got them close enough to hurt

The chase started badly. Ben Curran went for a duck in the second over, Innocent Kaia and Brian Bennett fell either side of the 45-run mark, and when Taylor edged Renshaw to Bartlett, Zimbabwe were 62 for 4 in the 14th over.

Ervine and Raza then put on 98 and made the run rate look manageable. Ervine hit six fours and a six in his 59 from 60, Raza worked his 57 from 76 without clearing the rope once, and the pair had Zimbabwe within 135 of the target with 117 balls to get them, a shade under seven an over. Then Ellis bowled Ervine, and when Spencer Johnson bowled Raza five overs later the chase had no spine left.

Wessly Madhevere and Brad Evans kept the arithmetic alive into the 40s without ever threatening to finish it. Ellis came back to take the last of his five, Nyamhuri bowled for 1, and Zimbabwe were all out with 29 balls unused. Ellis’s 9.1 overs cost 31 runs and included a maiden, which was the difference between the sides.

Zimbabwe have beaten Australia in this format before and they will fancy the next two. On Tuesday they found a 20-year-old fast bowler with a five-for in him and two batters who can build a chase, and still lost by 59 runs, which is roughly the size of the gap they are trying to close.

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