Inglis, Ellis guide Australia to thrilling win over Zimbabwe

In Harare, Australia won the third and final one-day international against Zimbabwe by one wicket, ending a 3-0 series sweep. With a magnificent 103, Josh Inglis set the stage for the chase of 272 runs. However, Nathan Ellis brought Australia home in a tense end with an unbeaten 36, adding to his three wickets earlier in the day.

The end was as thrilling as it could have been. With Australia still 27 short of their goal, Adam Zampa was the ninth player to fall, leaving Ellis and Spencer Johnson alone. If Wesley Madhevere, one of Zimbabwe's best fielders who had taken a stunning catch earlier in the day, had not dropped Ellis in the penultimate over, Zimbabwe would have been on its way to a famous victory.

With nine required from the final over for Australia. Madhevere received the ball from Sikandar Raza, and Ellis grabbed the first ball and heaved it for a six over long-on, requiring only three out of five. He got there with a single two balls later, securing the victory with one ball remaining.

Australia's pursuit had not always appeared to be so risky. Cooper Connolly and Inglis steadied the ship with a stand of 52 for the third wicket after both openers were run out in the first four overs: Mitchell Marsh was run out off the same bowler for 8 and Travis Head was caught at deep square leg off Brad Evans for 6. Connolly was bowled for 21 by Graeme Cremer's legbreak, and Alex Carey, Inglis' best friend, added 85 for the fourth wicket to propel Australia past the halfway point.

Before Evans returned to have Carey caught by Madhevere at backward point, Carey scored a brisk 34 runs. After that, wickets began to fall around Inglis, with Madhevere bowling Matt Renshaw, Oliver Peake missing to Raza, and Xavier Bartlett missing to Cremer. Despite this, Inglis continued, scoring 103 off 102 balls before Raza bowled him for an inside-out drive when he returned for a second spell. Inglis reached his century with a reverse sweep for four. With Australia at 227 for 8, that wicket appeared to be the difference. Zampa was then bowled out by Evans for his fourth wicket, but Ellis and Johnson fought back to get Australia out of trouble.

They had a real chance thanks to Zimbabwe's earlier total of 271 for 8, which was also their second-highest batting first total against Australia in ODIs. Before Zimbabwe fell to 68 for 3, Ben Curran and Brian Bennett were cheaply run out in the first nine overs, and Brendan Taylor only scored 9. After that, Craig Ervine and Innocent Kaia formed the crucial partnership of the innings, adding 80 runs for the fourth wicket. After Kaia scored a fifty of his own, he retired with a hamstring injury on 55.

Instead, Ervine continued playing with Raza, and the two of them added 61 before Ervine was caught at long-on trying to go big and dropped for 59 to Adam Zampa. Raza was the one who kept hitting boundaries in the middle and final overs, and he scored 81 runs off 72 deliveries to remain unbeaten. Xavier Bartlett finished with the most costly figures by an Australian bowler in Zimbabwe, scoring 10-0-69-0, while Ellis went 3 for 50.