T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points Table
Zimbabwe looked set for an even bigger score after reaching 125 for one in the 15th over, but Australia clawed their way back through disciplined death bowling. The absence of frontline pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood was evident early as the attack lacked penetration, allowing Zimbabwe’s openers to settle in quickly. Bennett and Marumani stitched together a fluent 61-run opening stand, with boundaries flowing regularly during the powerplay.
Australia finally broke through when Marcus Stoinis dismissed Marumani, but Zimbabwe maintained control through smart rotation of strike. Spinner Adam Zampa endured a quiet outing, going wicketless as the batters negotiated him carefully. A brief injury scare to Stoinis late in the innings disrupted Australia’s plans before Cameron Green struck to remove Burl. Despite scoring only one six and slowing down towards the end, Zimbabwe’s measured approach ensured they set a total that could test an Australian chase.
Playing XIs:
Australia XI: Travis Head (c), Josh Inglis (w), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann
Zimbabwe XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani
