Reviewed by Praise Dumi DhlakamaZimbabwe sports betting writer
Published 19 September 2026 · Updated 25 September 2026
Travis Head made 112 from 84 balls at Harare Sports Club and Australia won the second one day international by 84 runs to take the series with a match still to play.
Australia batted first and made 356 for six from their fifty overs. Head reached three figures inside the first half of the innings and was out for 112, and Cooper Connolly came in at first drop and added 78 from 69 balls. Oliver Peake closed the innings with 41 not out from 18 deliveries.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 272 in reply. The defeat by 84 runs puts Australia two matches to nil ahead with one to play, so the series was settled before the third one day international was bowled.
Four bowlers, two wickets each
Adam Zampa took two wickets for 62 and passed 200 wickets in one day internationals in the same spell. Josh Hazlewood took two for 48, Matt Renshaw removed both Zimbabwean openers inside the first twenty overs and finished with two for 44, and Connolly took two for 25 to go with his runs.
Zimbabwe lost their last five wickets inside the closing seven overs of the innings, with Wessly Madhevere and Trevor Nyamhuri falling two balls apart and Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani on consecutive deliveries.
Australia finish the series three nil
Australia won the third one day international at the same ground on 20 September by one wicket, with a ball to spare, to finish the series three nil. Josh Inglis made 103, Sikandar Raza was 81 not out for Zimbabwe and Brad Evans took four wickets for 47.
The wider point is that Zimbabwe are being measured against the standard they will meet at home. The country is one of the hosts of the 2027 World Cup and will play a full tournament on grounds like this one. A chase of 357 is exactly the situation a home side has to be able to survive, and on Friday it did not.
Where to bet: Africabet and Betway, both licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Board, carry Chevrons markets in United States dollars on match winner, top batsman and total runs. A dead rubber prices differently from a live one, because team selection is less predictable and both sides may rest players, so the top batsman market in particular drifts on team news. Compare the two books before you take a line. Our guide to the best betting sites in Zimbabwe covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Zimbabwe cricket news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
