ZIM vs AUS Ball by Ball Commentary

OUT! b Sikandar Raza.

Drops it short, on leg, Alex Carey punches it to long on for a run.

Tossed up, full and on off, Cooper Connolly taps it out towards cover.

SIX! FIFTY FOR CONNOLLY!

Edged and gone? Oh..no! Cooper Connolly has been called back as Sikandar Raza has overstepped here. This is short and outside off. Connolly tries to cut it away but gets a thin outside edge behind, where Brendan Taylor takes a sharp catch, but it will not matter. Cooper is living a charmed life here.

On a length and on off, Alex Carey pats it towards short cover.

Overpitched delivery, on off, Alex Carey drills it towards mid off.

Pitched up and on off, Cooper Connolly drives it towards sweeper cover for a single.

WIDE! Slower one, full but way outside off, Cooper Connolly leaves it alone. Wided.

DROPPED! Brian Bennett puts one down here! Newman Nyamhuri bangs this into the pitch, around off. Cooper Connolly pulls it from the middle of the bat but does not get enough elevation. It travels quickly towards mid-wicket, where Brian Bennett moves to his right and tries to grab it with both hands above his head but the ball bursts through behind him. Two taken. Connolly gets a life here.

SIX! You cannot bowl there! Full again but drifting into the pads. Cooper Connolly picks it off and whips it over the fine leg fence for a biggie.

Fuller and on off, Cooper Connolly drives it towards mid off.

Dragged back, around off, Alex Carey backs away and punches it away, but the fielder at short cover dives to his left to make a fine stop. Just 2 runs off Raza's first over!

A bit short again, on middle and leg, Cooper Connolly punches it down to long on for a run.

Flatter, short and angling into leg. Cooper Connolly stays back to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Flighted, full and around middle, Alex Carey eases it down to long on for a single.

Floated, full and on middle, Alex Carey knocks it to the right of the bowler, where Raza dives to make the stop.

Arm ball, full and on off, angling in, Alex Carey strides out to push it away but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Short of a length and on off, Cooper Connolly dabs it down to point.

Goes fuller and angling into the pads, Alex Carey clips it to the right of mid-wicket and sets off for the run. Cooper Connolly is a bit late to react, but Brian Bennett fails to pick up the ball cleanly or else there could have been a chance of a run out.

Back of a length and around off, Alex Carey reaches out and stabs it out towards mid off.

Bangs in a bouncer now, on middle and leg, Alex Carey ducks under it.

Fuller one, on off, Alex Carey drives it firmly but straight to mid off.

A low full toss, on leg, Cooper Connolly tucks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Pitched up, on off, Alex Carey drills it towards point.

On a length and on off, Alex Carey pushes it towards cover.

Massive shout LBW, but turned down! Blessing Muzarabani hits the deck hard, on off, nips back in a bit. Alex Carey stays back to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the knee roll of his front pad as the ball carries to the keeper. Sikandar Raza has a chat with his bowler and keeper but does not take the review. Maybe height was the factor here.

Back of a length and on middle, Alex Carey stays back and pats it to the off side. He wants the run but is sent back.

On a length and on off, Alex Carey blocks it out.

Fuller and on off, Cooper Connolly drills it towards long off for a single.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Brendan Taylor proves that age is just a number with a stunning catch. Newman Nyamhuri goes much fuller and just outside off. Sikandar Raza, just before this ball, moved himself to backward point from first slip. Josh Inglis goes for the expansive drive, but maybe he would not have if a slip was in place. He gets a thick outside edge behind, where Taylor dives to his right and takes a one-handed blinder into his right glove. Australia are 83/3 now.

Just short of a length and around off, Josh Inglis punches it away but straight to cover-point.

Goes fuller, but a bit too outside off, Josh Inglis tries to reach out for it but misses. Called a wide.

Hard length and on middle, jags back in and keeps a bit low. Josh Inglis looks to push it away but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Back of a length and around off, Josh Inglis stabs it out to the off side.

On a length and around off, Cooper Connolly opens the bat face and guides it towards point, where a fumble allows a single.

Fuller one, on off, shaping away, Cooper Connolly steers it towards point.

Dug into the surface, on middle, Cooper Connolly pulls it towards deep square leg.

Short of a length and on middle, nips back in, Josh Inglis nudges it off his hips towards fine leg for one.

Hits the deck hard, on middl, Josh Inglis stays back and pats it down the pitch.

WIDE! Full but way down the leg side, Josh Inglis leaves it alone. Wided. Blessing Muzarabani has shortened his run up, but is still struggling to find his rhythm.

A quick bouncer, on middle, Josh Inglis ducks under it.

Good length and on middle, angling in, Josh Inglis tucks it towards short mid-wicket.

Change of ends for Blessing Muzarabani! Back of a length and on off, Josh Inglis gets behind the line of it and blocks it out.

FOUR! Nicely done! A half-volley, around off, shapes away a bit. Cooper Connolly leans onto his drive and creams it through covers for a boundary.

Touch fuller, on middle, angling in, Cooper Connolly blocks it out as the ball rolls towards mid on.

WIDE! On a length but down the leg side, Cooper Connolly tries to hook it away but misses. Wided.

Hits the deck hard, just outside off, Cooper Connolly cuts it again but finds point on the bounce.

SIX! That is outta here! Just back of a length but angling down the leg side. Cooper Connolly gets inside the line of it and just helps it on its way with the wind as the ball sails over the deep fine leg fence for a biggie.

Good length and around off, Josh Inglis runs it down to deep third for a run.

Shrot of a length and outside off, Cooper Connolly cuts it onto the ground and wide of backward point. Wessly Madhevere dives to his right, gets a hand on it to take the sting out of it. A single taken.

Good length, around off, Josh Inglis defends this under his eyeline.

Full and wide of off, Josh Inglis presses onto the front foot and drives this to the deep point region for two more runs.

Short and wide of off, Cooper Connolly cuts this to deep third for one run.

Good length, on off, Cooper Connolly drives this to mid off.

On a length, around middle and off, Cooper Connolly defends this out.

Full and onto the pads, Cooper Connolly tickles this to deep backward square leg for a couple.

OUT! CAUGHT! Newman Nyamhuri gets the big fish. Good length, wide of off, Mitchell Marsh looks to play the back foot punch again in the gap but finds Brian Bennett at covers. It flies flat and hard, but Brian dives low to his right and takes a superb catch to cut Marsh's innings short. A promising knock from the Aussie skipper comes to an end.

Pitched-up delivery, on middle and leg, Mitchell Marsh punches this to mid on for no run. Marsh has done some damage to his bat and calls for a replacement.

WIDE! Good length, wide outside the tramline on off. Wided.

Full and wide outside off, Mitchell Marsh offers a leave at it.

WIDE! On a length, way too wide of off, outside the tramline. Mitchell Marsh leaves it. Wided.

On a length, at 138 kph, going across the batter. Marsh arches back and loks to cut this late but gets beaten.

FOUR! Marsh is dealing in boundaries. Width on offer as Newman Nyamhuri bowls it on a good length, wide of off, Mitchell Marsh plants his back foot deep inside the crease and punches this in the gap through the covers region for four runs.

Back of a length, around off, Cooper Connolly cuts this to deep third for a single.

On a length, around the pads, Cooper Connolly flicks thi to fine leg for a single.

Short and wide of off, Cooper Connolly swivels and leaves it. Cooper was looking for a pull but bails out at the end.

Full and on middle and off, Cooper Connolly blocks this to the leg side.

On a length, around off, Cooper Connolly defends this off his front foot.

Back of a length, around the pads, Cooper Connolly finds the fielder as he flicks this to mid-wicket again.

On a length, around the pads, Cooper Connolly tucks this to the mid-wicket fielder for no run.

Good length, in the channel, Mitchell Marsh offers a leave.

FOUR! Cut away for yet another boundary. Short and wide of off, Mitchell Marsh goes onto his back foot and cuts this through the cover-point region for a boundary. 50 comes up for Australia.

Good length, around off, Mitchell Marsh gets deep inside his crease and keeps it out.

Back of a length, around off, Cooper Connolly plays this late and guides this through the backward point region for one run.

Good length, around off, Cooper Connolly cuts this to point.

Indecision between the batters but Wessly Madhevere fails to hit the stumps and Marsh survives. Back of a length, around off, Cooper Connolly punches this to the left of Wessly Madhevere at cover. The fielder dives and fields it. Marsh was committed on the run but is sent back by Cooper. Wessly Madhevere has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses.

On a length, around off, Cooper Connolly dabs this through backward point for a single.

Good length, on middle and off, Cooper Connolly keeps it out.

FOUR! As gorgeous a boundary as one can hit. Pitched-up delivery, around off, going away from the batter. Cooper Connolly presses onto the front foot, gets right on top of the bounce and drives this past the left of the fielder at covers for four more runs.

Inswinging delivery, off a good length, on middle and off, Cooper Connolly dabs this to point.

Back of a length, on middle and off, Cooper Connolly gets behind the line of the ball and defends this off his back foot.

Brad bowls it around that 6-8 m length, going across the batter. Cooper Connolly punches this to the left of extra cover for no run.

SIX! First biggie of the contest and Marsh is taking a toll on Blessing Muzarabani. Short once again, on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh gets behind the line of the ball and pulls this in front of square for a biggie towards the deep mid-wicket region.

FOUR! This might well be the last over from Blessing Muzarabani in this spell. Short again, on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh gets up on his toes and plays the short-arm jab over mid-wicket for another boundary.

Good length, around off, Mitchell Marsh offers only a leave again.

On a length, wide of off, going away from the batter. Mitchell Marsh plays within the line and gets beaten on the outside.

Back of a length, around off, Mitchell Marsh gets up on his toes and looks to keep it out but misses.

Short and around off, Mitchell Marsh slaps this through the left of the fielder at extra cover for two runs.

FOUR! Driven handsomely again for four. Good length, on middle and off, Cooper Connolly strides onto his front foot and drives this through the covers region for a crisply hit boundary.

FOUR! That's been glanced away for four. Full and on the pads, Cooper Connolly leans inside the line and leg glances this up and just over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Good length, around off, Cooper Connolly keeps it out.

Good length, on the pads, Mitchell Marsh flicks this to the fine leg fielder for one run.

Good length, wide outside off, shaping away from the batter. Mitchell Marsh shoulders his arms at it.

FOUR! Marsh is looking comfortable out in the middle. Pitched-up delivery, around off, Mitchell Marsh leans into the line of the ball and drives this through the covers region for an elegantly hit boundary.

On a length, around off, Cooper Connolly punches this to covers for no run.

Good length, on the pads, Mitchell Marsh tucks this to the left of mid-wicket and takes a single.

Back of a length, wide of off, Mitchell Marsh offers no stroke at it.

Good length, on off, Mitchell Marsh defends this off his front foot.

Short again, on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh miscues the pull and it is aimed straight to Ben Curran at mid-wicket. Ben Curran misfields it and the batters run two.

FOUR! Marsh looks in the mood for a big one. Short again, not short enough for the Bison. Mitchell Marsh swivels and pulls this to the deep square leg region. The ball lands just inside the fence and bounces over for four.

On a length, around middle and off, Cooper Connolly punches this back to the bowler.

OUT! DRAGGED ON! A massive scalp for Zimbabwe and Brad Evans as they see the back of Travis Head early on in the contest. Good length, just on off, nips back in a bit, Travis Head looks for the square cut but this is too close to his body. He gets an inside edge that uproots the off-pole, and Travis Head has to walk back. This is now becoming a common dismissal for him, as we saw in the Bangladesh Test series as well. Australia are 10/1.

Good length, around off, Travis Head plays within the line and gets beaten on the outside edge.

On a length, around off, going away this time. Travis Head collapses his back knee and looks to play the lofted drive but gets beaten.

FOUR! Just like his skipper, Head is off the mark with a boundary too. Back of a length, around middle and off, Travis Head gets onto his front foot and pulls this over the mid-wicket fielder for a boundary.

No run, the batter has just blocked that from the crease. Good length, on middle and off, Travis Head defends this off his back foot.

WIDE! Good length, wide down the leg side, going further down. Travis Head has a flick at it bu misses. Wided.

Blessing bowls it on a good length, on off, Mitchell Marsh gets onto his back foot and keeps it out.

WIDE! Back of a length, way too wide of off, Mitchell Marsh does have a swing at it but misses. Wided.

Good length, wide of off, Mitchell Marsh has no intentions to have a poke at it and offers a leave.

On a length, wide of off, Mitchell Marsh leaves it all alone.

FOUR! That's been pulled away for a boundary. Short and on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh gets up on his toes and pulls this through the square leg region for a boundary.

Good length, on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.

Beauty first up by Blessing Muzarabani. Back of a length, around middle and off, nipping back into the batter, Mitchell Marsh looks to punch this off his front foot but gets beaten on the inside. THe ball goes to the left of the keeper and he does well to gather it fairly behind the stumps.