BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe - Australia cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in World Cup Group A on Monday (Tuesday NZT), sealing their fourth straight win with 15 balls to spare.
Damien Martyn (50 not out) and Darren Lehmann (56 not out) took the world champions to their target of 247with an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 92 after Adam Gilchrist made 61, captain Ricky Ponting 38 and Matthew Hayden 34.
Australia's victory virtually assured them of a place in the Super Sixes with two group matches, against Namibia and England, to play.
Zimbabwe recovered from 141 for six to post a total of 246 for nine, thanks largely to Andy Blignaut's third fastest fifty in World Cup history.
Blignaut struck two sixes and eight fours in a sparkling 54 from 28 balls, lifting the hosts after a disappointing start. Captain Heath Streak made an unbeaten 28 in the closing overs.
Andy and Grant Flower shared a third-wicket partnership of 84 before Grant was needlessly run out for 37 and Andy was deceived by a Brad Hogg flipper and bowled for 62.
- REUTERS
AUSTRALIA V ZIMBABWE SCOREBOARD:
Zimbabwe:
C Wishart b Gillespie 10
G Whittall c Hogg b Gillespie 1
A Flower b Hogg 62
G Flower run out 41
D Ebrahim b Hogg 15
T Taibu b McGrath 23
D Marillier c Ponting b Hogg 0
A Blignaut c & b Lee 54
H Streak not out 28
B Murphy b McGrath 1
D Hondo not out 1
Extras (b-4 lb-3 w-3 nb-4) 14
Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 246
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-28, 3-112, 4-121, 5-142, 6-142, 7-208,8-242, 9-244
