HARARE, 28 May 2004 — Darren Lehmann scored a half-century and took four wickets to play the major hand in Australia’s victory over Zimbabwe that clinched the series in the second One-Day International yesterday.
Australia scored 323 for eight and dismissed Zimbabwe for 184 in 44.3 overs to win by 139 runs to take a 2-0 lead and claim the three-match series that began earlier than planned.
It was brought forward after the two-match test series was called off because of the weak side Zimbabwe would have fielded.
Zimbabwe have been forced to pick a second-string team since last month when 15 white players made themselves unavailable over what they see as racially driven selection policies.
Lehmann was in superb form with bat and ball, scoring a brisk 67 off 69 balls with seven fours and a six and knocking over Zimbabwe’s tail to take a career best four for seven with his nagging left-arm spin.
Matthew Hayden faced 101 balls as he hit 12 fours for his 87 and shared a third-wicket stand of 137 with Lehmann that saw the Zimbabwean attack travel to all parts of the ground.
Brendan Taylor top scored for Zimbabwe with a dogged 65 off 93 balls with five fours but his dismissal in the 36th over started a collapse that claimed the last seven wickets for 21 runs in nine overs.
Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke were dismissed cheaply as Australia slipped to 43 for two in the eighth over.
But Hayden and Lehmann pulverized the bowling until the 31st over when off-spinner Stuart Matsikenyeri beat Lehmann with flight and bowled him.
Hayden went in the 38th over, heaving a ball from medium pacer Tawanda Mupariwa to deep midwicket where Mark Vermeulen took the catch.
Medium pacer Douglas Hondo left the field after bowling 9.3 overs when Ricky Ponting, who came in at number eight, crashed a full-blooded drive into the side of the bowler’s head.
Hondo did not bat in Zimbabwe’s innings.
Zimbabwe’s reply began solidly enough when Matsikenyeri and Taylor put on 48 for the first wicket, with Taylor and Vusi Sibanda sharing 60 runs for the second wicket.
Taylor and Mark Vermeulen than shared 55 in another steady partnership.
But Zimbabwe collapsed dramatically after Taylor top-edged a sweep to left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg and was caught by Jason Gillespie at fine leg.
Lehmann entered the attack in the next over, the 37th, and with his second ball he had Vermeulen caught by Glenn McGrath at short fine leg for 25.
Alester Maregwede scored 18 not out but none of the remaining five Zimbabwe batsmen scored more than one run each.
