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28-Aug-2022 06:53:00 GMT
Aus vs Zim - 1st ODI, Townsville

Green five-for, Warner fifty take Australia 1-0 up

Australia 201 for 5 (Warner 57, Smith 48*, Burl 3-60) beat Zimbabwe 200 (Madhevere 72, Green 5-33) by five wickets

Townsville: Cameron Green's breakthrough innings with the ball has guided Australia to victory in the opening Dettol ODI against Zimbabwe.

While Green's maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket was instrumental in Australia's season-opening win by five wickets, the match will be best remembered for the fitting tributes to allrounder Symonds.

At the same venue of his funeral in May (Riverway Stadium in Townsville) Symonds' children, daughter Chloe and son Will, joined the Australian team for the national anthems before play and ran the drinks during Zimbabwe's innings.

Australia bowled Zimbabwe out for an even 200 after Green did the bulk of the damage at the end of the innings with 5-33.

In reply, Australia looked to be full control before three quick wickets from leg-spinner Ryan Burl changed the complexion the chase.

But Steve Smith (48no off 80 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (32no off 9) got the hosts home, passing Zimbabwe's score with five wickets in hand and 99 balls to spare.

At the toss, Aaron Finch had no hesitation in sending Zimbabwe in to bat under overcast skies but his side didn't extract as much sideways movement as they would've hoped, as the visiting openers reached the end of the Powerplay without loss.

Mitch Marsh got the first wicket of the season in the 11th over, pouching a caught and bowled to dismiss Innocent Kaia for 17.

Kaia's opening partner, 20-year-old Tadiwanashe Marumani, showed he wasn't afraid to pull the quicks and reverse sweep the spinners but took the game on one too many times, missing an Adam Zampa delivery after using his feet and being clean bowled for 45 off 61 balls.

Tony Munyonga's wicket for seven, also to Zampa a couple of overs later, put the brakes on a promising start to Zimbabwe's innings.

Although he had taken two wickets in quick succession, Australia removed leg-spinner Zampa from the attack as soon as dangerman Sikandar Raza arrived at the crease and the move paid off – the in-form allrounder scored just three from the 23 balls of pace he faced and eventually fell to a Cameron Green short ball that he couldn't keep down.

Green's new role in Australia's ODI team is bowler first, batter second, and he proved the selectors right with an impressive spell of 4-0-10-1 in the middle overs including the key wicket of Raza.

Zimbabwe lost 6-15 in 27 balls with four of the six wickets skied catches as they dismissed for 200 in the 48th over.

It was a fine return for Zampa, who took 3-57 playing in his first international since the birth of his first child.

Finch got a gift off the first ball of Australia's chase, dispatching a long hop from surprise opening bowler Madhevere to the point boundary.


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