Adam Zampa becomes second Australian spinner to reach 200 ODI wickets
Harare, September 19
Australian spinner Adam Zampa joined late spin wizard Shane Warne as the second Aussie spinner to reach 200 ODI wickets during the second ODI clash against Zimbabwe at Harare.
On Friday, Zampa delivered a spell of 2/62 in nine overs, getting wickets of Innocent Kaia and Craig Ervine as Australia successfully defended 357 runs to win the series.
Zampa is also the seventh Australian bowler to get to 200 ODI wickets, with pacer Glenn McGrath (380 wickets in 249 matches) being the leading ODI wicket-taker for Australia. Amongst spinners, Warne is Australia's leading wicket-taker (third-highest overall) with 291 wickets in 193 ODIs.
Now in 123 ODIs, Zampa has taken 201 wickets at an average of 29.48, with 12 four-fers and a five-wicket haul.
Australian opener Travis Head also roared back to form, smashing a scintillating eighth ODI ton and completing 9,000 international runs in progress. Now in 201 matches and 243 innings, Head has scored 9,111 runs at an average of 40.31, with a strike rate of 87.08, including 20 centuries and 43 fifties, with a best score of 175.
Coming to the match, Zimbabwe elected to field first, and skipper Mitchell Marsh (53 in 63 balls, with three fours and three sixes) put on a 130-run stand with Travis Head. Head (112 in 84 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) also put on a 60-run stand with Cooper Connolly (78 in 69 balls, with three fours and three sixes).
Later, a fiery cameo from Oliver Peake (41* in 18 balls, with two fours and three sixes) took Australia to 356/6, with Brad Evans (3/56) being the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe.
In the chase, all of Zimbabwe's top-six batters got starts but could not make much of it, losing half their side for 187 runs. Skipper Sikandar Raza (45 in 49 balls, with five fours), Brendan Taylor (39 in 40 balls, with three fours) and Craig Ervine (38 in 39 balls, with three fours) were the top scorers as Zimbabwe was skittled out for 272 in 48.3 overs.
Josh Hazlewood, Connolly, Matthew Renshaw and Zampa were among the pick of the bowlers with two wickets each. Australia have won the series 2-0, with a game left.
— ANI
Leave a comment