Zimbabwe Board XI v Australian Academy, 3rd match, Harare Sports Club

Bailey bludgeons Zimbabwe into submission

Cricinfo staff

September 11, 2006

Australian Academy 240 for 3 (Bailey 136) beat Zimbabwe Board XI 236 for 9 (Sibanda 92, Chibhabha 59, Sullivan 5-46) by seven wickets

The Australian Academy completed their tour of Zimbabwe with another resounding win in the third one-dayer at Harare Sports Club, defeating a Zimbabwe Board XI by seven wickets with almost 25 overs to spare.

Zimbabwe batted soundly and their innings was built on a 98-ball 92 from Vusi Sibanda while Chamu Chibhabha chipped in with a breezy 59. Right arm fast bowler Grant Sullivan led the attack with 5 for 46 in 10 overs. However, with the Australians' batting in such devastating form, this was never likely to be enough.

Even allowing for that, George Bailey's onslaught was remarkable - he bludgeoned 136 off 65 balls to make a mockery of the target of 237. In all, he hammered ten sixes and 14 fours out of 160 runs made while he was at the wicket. The first two batsmen fell cheaply - making 1 and 8 - but the score was nevertheless 88 when the second wicket fell. Ed Rainsford bore the brunt of Bailey's hitting, taking 1 for 67 off nine overs.

Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson put on a more sedate and unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 80 in ten overs to steer the Academy to victory with almost half their allocation of overs in hand.

The Academy won all six matches in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and were never pushed in any of them. It underlined the gulf between the two countries and what amounted to a young Australia side.

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