Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head lead Australia to victory

Australia got ready for the final of the triangular Twenty20 International series in good style by beating Zimbabwe by five wickets in a tense last-over finish on Friday 6 July at Harare Sports Club.

Batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe put up a competitive 151/9 on the board in 20 overs but found the total to be just below par as Australia chased it down off the penultimate ball, thanks to a half-century by Glenn Maxwell (56) and Travis Head’s 48.

Chasing 152, Australia were in a fix early in their innings when they lost their openers, Aaron Finch and Alex Carey, promoted in the absence of D’Arcy Short, inside the first five overs.

Finch failed for the second consecutive match when he holed out to Tarisai Musakanda off Wellington Masakadza while Carey was caught behind off Blessing Muzarabani, leaving Australia at 26/2.

It became a smooth ride thereafter for Australia as Maxwell and Head got together to put up a 103-run stand to push the total past the 100-run mark.

Maxwell, who had had a quiet series so far, brought up his half-century with a six off Wellington Masakadza in just 34 balls. He was dismissed in the 17th over, caught by Elton Chigumbura off Muzarabani, but by then Australia only needed 23 runs from 22 balls.

However, Australia lost Head and Nic Maddinson within the space of two overs to slip to 139/5, making the chase tricky. They nearly lost a third when Marcus Stoinis (12*) skied one towards the straight boundary but Wellington Masakadza failed to latch on to the ball.

Seven runs were needed off the last over but three wides from Donald Tiripano helped Australia brave a few anxious moments to emerge on top and take the winning momentum into the final on Sunday.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were helped by Solomon Mire’s second half-century in a row, a 52-ball 63, and Peter Moor’s 29-ball 30 as they recovered from 44/3 and finished strongly.

Mire, who had broken the record for the highest score by a Zimbabwe batsman in T20Is by scoring a 63-ball 94 against Pakistan on Thursday, followed it up with another crucial, albeit much slower, knock. His 68-run fourth-wicket partnership with Moor helped lay a solid base for the lower order to capitalise on.

The hosts were also helped by a brisk six-ball 13 by Malcolm Waller, who gave the Zimbabwe innings the final push by hitting a boundary and a six in the 19th over.

That total did not look likely when Zimbabwe lost Cephas Zhuwao, caught by wicket-keeper Carey off Billy Stanlake, off the first ball of the match. Hamilton Masakadza (13) and Musakanda (12) departed in quick succession inside the Powerplay, leaving Zimbabwe in a spot of bother.

While the Mire-Moor partnership revived the innings, the early reversals proved costly. Andrew Tye picked up 3/28 for Australia and was supported well by Jhye Richardson (2/32) and Stanlake (2/21).