{"id":263609,"date":"2026-09-20T15:48:42","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/20\/nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-big-upset-against-zimbabwe\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T15:48:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:48:42","slug":"nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-big-upset-against-zimbabwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/20\/nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-big-upset-against-zimbabwe\/","title":{"rendered":"Nathan Ellis saves Australia from big Upset against Zimbabwe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia narrowly avoided a colossal upset in Harare, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to heroic all-round efforts from Nathan Ellis. Zimbabwe had the world champions on the ropes and stood within touching distance of a famous win, only for late-game pressure and costly lapses in the field to hand Australia a heart-stopping one-wicket triumph.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Australia sealed a 3-0 series sweep on paper, the dramatic contest served as a stern wake-up call for the visitors. They needed a slice of fortune and Ellis\u2019s composure under fire to escape what would have been an embarrassing defeat.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zimbabwe Post Fighting Total Through Ervine and Raza<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Electing to bat first on a dry Harare Sports Club surface, Zimbabwe displayed the kind of fighting spirit that had eluded them earlier in the tour. Their top order laid a sturdy foundation, with Innocent Kaia looking fluent during a well-crafted 55 before an untimely hamstring injury forced him to retire hurt.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--first\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Craig Ervine built on that solid platform with a disciplined 59, joining forces with skipper Sikandar Raza. Raza was the heartbeat of the Zimbabwean innings, attacking the Australian bowling in the death overs on his way to an unbeaten 81 off just 72 deliveries. His counterpunch pushed Zimbabwe to a competitive 271 for 8 in their 50 overs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid Zimbabwe\u2019s late surge, Nathan Ellis stood out as the chief orchestrator for Australia with the ball. Delivering pinpoint yorkers and shrewd variations, Ellis returned economical figures of 3 for 50 from his 10 overs, curbing what could easily have turned into a 300-plus target.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Josh Inglis Century Before Middle-Order Collapse<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia\u2019s run chase started poorly against the fired-up Zimbabwean seam attack. Brad Evans struck two vital blows early, removing openers Travis Head and skipper Mitchell Marsh in rapid succession to put the tourists on the back foot.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--middle\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis then stabilized the innings alongside Cooper Connolly and Alex Carey. Inglis batted with tremendous poise and authority, dominating the spinners and rotating strike seamlessly. His scintillating knock of 103 appeared to turn the contest into a routine chase, putting Australia firmly on course for victory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the dismissal of Inglis bowled by Raza triggered panic in the Australian camp. Zimbabwe seized momentum as leg-spinner Graeme Cremer and Raza tightened the screws through the middle overs. Wickets began to tumble at alarming frequency, turning a comfortable cruise into an absolute cliffhanger.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Madhevere\u2019s Costly Lapse and Ellis\u2019s Composure<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Australia slipped to nine down with plenty still required, Zimbabwe looked certain to script history. The game swung decisively on a moment of immense pressure when Nathan Ellis mistimed an aerial shot. To the utter disbelief of the home crowd, Wessly Madhevere, generally regarded as Zimbabwe\u2019s safest fielder, spilled a regulation chance in the outfield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That dropped catch proved fatal. Ellis, primarily picked for his death bowling, displayed remarkable maturity with the bat. Battling alongside last man Spencer Johnson, Ellis compiled a crucial unbeaten 36, absorbing the tension and keeping Australia within striking distance.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ci-read-next\" aria-label=\"Related reading\"><a class=\"ci-read-next__link\" href=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"ci-read-next__media\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><noscript><\/noscript><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation-nccia-300x169.webp\" class=\"lazyload attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"CRIC Informer\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 96px, 176px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation-nccia-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation-nccia-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation-nccia-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mohammad-rizwan-online-betting-investigation-nccia.webp 1280w\"\/><\/span><span class=\"ci-read-next__body\"><span class=\"ci-read-next__label\">Read next <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/span><strong class=\"ci-read-next__title\">Mohammad Rizwan Accused of Online Betting; NCCIA Seeks 12-Point Investigation<\/strong><span class=\"ci-read-next__summary\">The Mohammad Rizwan online betting probe deepens as the Lahore High Court rejects his plea, ordering him to answer a detailed questionnaire.<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thrilling Finish in the Australia vs Zimbabwe 3rd ODI<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With nine runs required from the final over, Zimbabwe handed the ball to Madhevere for a dramatic showdown. Despite having only one wicket in reserve, Ellis and Johnson maintained a calm and cautious approach, chipping away at the deficit and running hard between the wickets to seal a breathtaking one-wicket win.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Zimbabwe, the defeat is a bitter pill to swallow after an inspiring performance. Evans led their bowling bravely with four wickets, while Cremer and Raza claimed two apiece. While the home side can take heart from proving they can challenge world-class opposition, their inability to seize crucial moments cost them dearly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Australia, the result may ensure a clean sweep, but the dressing room will know they dodged a bullet. Recent outings have revealed vulnerabilities in their middle-order depth and finishing, offering plenty of food for thought ahead of stiffer international assignments.<\/p>\n<section id=\"ci-article-share\" aria-labelledby=\"ci-share-heading\" data-url=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-upset\/\" data-title=\"Nathan Ellis saves Australia from big Upset against Zimbabwe\" data-copied=\"Link copied!\" data-manual=\"Select and copy the article link below.\">\n<h2 id=\"ci-share-heading\" class=\"ci-share__heading\">Share this article<\/h2>\n<p>\n        <label for=\"ci-share-link\">Article link<\/label><br \/>\n        <input id=\"ci-share-link\" type=\"text\" readonly=\"readonly\" value=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-upset\/\"\/>\n    <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"ci-content-follow\" aria-labelledby=\"ci-follow-heading\">\n<div class=\"ci-follow__strip\">\n<h2 id=\"ci-follow-heading\" class=\"ci-follow__heading\">Get cricket updates. 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Get our app for cricket news and updates on your phone.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<aside class=\"article-ad article-ad--end\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><span class=\"article-ad__label\">Advertisement<\/span><\/aside>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cricinformer.com\/nathan-ellis-saves-australia-from-upset\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia narrowly avoided a colossal upset in Harare, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to heroic all-round efforts from Nathan Ellis. Zimbabwe had the world champions on the ropes and stood within touching distance of a famous win, only for late-game pressure and costly lapses in the field to hand Australia a heart-stopping [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":263610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6803],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-263609","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}