Australia A v. Zimbabwe - One dayers

[Donny]

3 wickets in 4 overs has Zimbabwe on the back foot.

3/59. Cleary has 2/10.

[Donny]

3/179 and falling further behind the required run rate.


Grant Flower and Shaun Irvine have added 122 but in under 6 r.p.o.

The ask is now nearly 11 r.p.o.

[Donny]

Zimbabwe have lost 5/21 in the last 5 overs. The ask is now over 17.

Cleary has 2/21, Clarke, 2/16 and White, 2/28.

[JLC]

I wish they brought out two strong touring teams.......lol

Australia India and Pakistan would have been a very interesting one day series

jlc

[Donny]

All over. 119 run victory.

No, JLC, this does not automatically mean Australia A replace Zimbabwe in the VB series.

[Donny]

Batsmen rampage to record run haul

Fox Sports

A CENTURY from opener Marcus North set up a record total of 6-327 for Australia A against Zimbabwe in their day-night match at Adelaide Oval yesterday. The score was the highest by an Australia A side in a limited overs game, passing the 4-321 made against the same opponents at the Gabba in January, 2001.

West Australian North smashed 115 from 108 balls, including 14 fours and two sixes.

One six off quick bowler Douglas Hondo, soon after bringing up his century, sailed about 20 metres over the midwicket fence.

North was dismissed chipping a Heath Streak full toss to mid-wicket in the 40th over.

The young Australia A team won the toss and then pounded the Zimbabwe bowlers from the off, with North and Brad Haddin (45 from 41 balls) putting on a 75-run opening stand in 69 balls.

Windy conditions made life difficult for the bowling attack.

Opening bowler and captain Streak took himself out of the attack after his first three overs conceded 16 runs.

But then Sean Ervine leaked 18 runs from two overs from the same end and had to be removed as well.

He was replaced by another paceman, Andy Blignaut, who fared even worse, having 34 runs belted from his first two overs.

At the other end, Hondo picked up the wicket of Haddin at the start of the 12th over, but Shane Watson (37 from 53 balls) combined with North for a 102-run stand from 110 balls to continue the damage.

Spinner Ray Price missed a chance to run out North for 79 when he fumbled a Hondo throw in from the deep at the non-striker's end.

Price had Watson stumped in the 30th over, but it only caused Australia A to increase the scoring rate as captain and Australian one-day player Michael Clarke came to the crease and quickly went into attack mode.

Wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu could have sent Clarke back to the pavilion early, but fumbled a stumping chance with the young batsman on six, off the bowling of Price in the 32nd over. It proved a costly error.

Clarke went on to belt 93 from 71 balls, including 11 fours and a six in a whirlwind innings, before being bowled by Ervine in the 49th over attempting another huge swipe.

Streak finished with the best bowling figures for Zimbabwe, taking 2-55 from 10 overs.

Darren Lehmann signalled his intention to claim Steve Waugh's Australian Test spot by announcing his return from injury.

Lehmann will captain South Australia against Tasmania tomorrow, his first outing since injuring an Achilles tendon in Australia's Test match against Zimbabwe last October.

Then, Lehmann was an automatic selection in Australia's Test and one-day sides. Now, the evergreen 33-year-old is in a queue with the likes of Clarke, Martin Love and Brad Hodge for the Test batting berth vacated by Waugh.

Lehmann will lead the Redbacks in a one-dayer against Tasmania at Adelaide Oval tomorrow and then in a Pura Cup fixture starting Sunday.

Lehmann's return was tempered by the loss of Zimbabwean-born batsman Andy Flower, ruled out of both Adelaide Oval fixtures with a fractured finger.

Tasmania will be without dashing left-hander Michael Di Venuto for the day-night game but the veteran has been named in a 13-man squad for the four-day match subject to proving he has overcome a broken finger.

[The Prototype]

Zimbabwe are going to have a tough One Day series, I really don't think they'll win a game. But I hope they can improve enough to be competive against Australia and India.