Australia have taken a 1-0 lead in their three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe, winning the opener in Harare by 59 runs on September 15 behind a maiden century from Matt Renshaw and a career-best bowling display from Nathan Ellis.
Renshaw's first ODI hundred anchored Australia's innings as they posted 294 for 8 in their 50 overs, a total built around a top-order performance that gave the Australian bowlers a genuine cushion to defend on a used Harare surface.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 235 in reply, unable to sustain the required rate against an Australian attack led by Nathan Ellis, who returned career-best figures of 5 for 31 to seal the 59-run margin and ensure Zimbabwe's chase never got seriously competitive.
The series continues with the second ODI in Harare on September 18, followed by the third and final match at the same venue on September 20. Zimbabwe will need a response with both bat and ball to keep the series alive, having been kept below 250 in the opener despite Australia's total being well within reach on paper.
A maiden century for Renshaw and a career-best haul for Ellis make for a strong individual story from the series opener, and the 59-run margin reflects a comprehensive team performance rather than a fluky result. Zimbabwe's home conditions and the short turnaround before the second match give them a genuine chance to respond, but they will need considerably more resistance against Ellis and the rest of Australia's attack than they showed in the series opener to avoid falling further behind.
More coverage of touring series around the cricket calendar is available on SportGod's blog, with live scores from ongoing matches tracked on SportGod's live matches page.
Match figures, the series scoreline and the remaining schedule are verified against same-day match reports, current as of September 17, 2026.
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