With a weak bowling line-up, Zimbabwe decided their best option was to field on winning the toss.

Heath Streak, for so long the backbone of the attack, was unfit with a strained knee after his exertions in the Harare Test; John Rennie split the webbing in his hand; Bryan Strang is considered too slow and predictable for one-day matches, while Henry Olonga is considered too fast and unpredictable. Had Olonga shown any sort of form in Harare, though, he might have been included as the only bowler with the ability to cut through the opposition.

The bowling was opened by David Mutendera and Gary Brent, both with only a handful of one-day matches behind them; first change was the similarly inexperienced Andy Blignaut. It took six balls for Australia to open their account, Mark Waugh driving a four through the covers. In Brent's first over Adam Gilchrist got under way, slashing a boundary to third man, and then Waugh drove Mutendera for four through extra cover.

In the fifth over the openers decided the time was ripe to get the ones and twos ticking over, and the score began to mount steadily. A brilliant save by Andrew Whittall in the covers prevented anther boundary from Waugh. The score reached 39 in the seventh over when Mutendera took his first wicket in his third one-day international, when Gilchrist slashed a short ball wide of Grant Flower at backward point, only for the fielder to dive to his left and hold a brilliant low catch.

Ricky Ponting came in and looked in good form from the start. The fifty came up with the last ball of the ninth over. After 10 overs the score was 52 for one, with Waugh on 27 and Ponting 5. Ponting kept the score moving and hit Blignaut for two fours in an over, driving him through the covers and then flicking him high over midwicket. Waugh too looked impressive, apart from a snick off Blignaut which shot through the vacant slips to the boundary.

Waugh played a stroke of sheer brilliance as he stepped down the pitch to Mutendera and smashed him over his head for a one-bounce four; two balls later he drove to the extra-cover boundary, Alistair Campbell misfielding, and then turned him past midwicket for another. With Australia taking full control, the score after 15 overs was 85 for one (Waugh 45, Ponting 19).

Andrew Whittall came on to bowl his off-breaks from the city end, and the fifty partnership was registered. Shortly afterwards Waugh reached his fifty by driving Whittall through the covers for two, and seemed on the way to yet another major score at the expense of Zimbabwean bowlers. He then took two fours off an over from Guy Whittall at the other end, turning him to the long-leg boundary and then cutting him past point.

Grant Flower replaced Guy, and Waugh immediately drove him through the covers for another four. Waugh came down the pitch to drive Andrew Whittall, but it was superbly fielded by the bowler who immediately threw to the keeper, and the batsman only just got back to his crease in time. Two balls later, though, he hit Whittall over his head for a fine straight six. At the other end he drove Flower into the crowd at long-on as runs came at an ever-increasing rate. The hundred partnership came up, with Waugh's share being 59 against 34 by Ponting.

Ponting, much less charismatic at this stage, finally reached the boundary with a snick past the keeper off Flower, who then came close to trapping Waugh lbw; however, as he was bowling round the wicket, the ball pitched outside leg stump. Generally, though, the bowlers lost control of line and length as the onslaught continued.

Ponting drove Guy Whittall to mid-on for a single to reach his fifty, which came from 73 balls; almost immediately he had a life, as he drove a catch to midwicket and Grant Flower dropped a chance above his head at cover, hard, but less difficult than the one he caught. Almost unbelievably, off the very next ball he faced he gave another chance to Gavin Rennie at long leg, the ball popping out of his hands over the boundary for six. Zimbabwe's bowling was weak enough, but dropped catches really rubbed salt into the wound.

Thus encouraged, the batsmen continued to plunder the bowling almost at will. Waugh, having become the first Australian to pass 500 one-day international runs against Zimbabwe, reached his second century against them in successive matches with a glided single to deep midwicket. Finally Ponting fell, drawn forward by Andrew Whittall, dragging his toe over the line to be smartly stumped for 67 off 90 balls. Australia were now 198 for two, after a partnership of 159.

This seemed to inspire the Zimbabwean fielders. Michael Bevan, sent in next, was almost run out attempting his first run, as a direct hit from mid-off hit the stumps as he narrowly made his ground. The 200th run also required a television replay, thanks to a good throw from backward point. Then Mark Waugh turned a ball past square leg and failed to beat a superb pick-up and throw from Rennie as he attempted a second run. This time the replay showed him out, for 106 off 96 balls; he hit 11 fours and 2 sixes, and the total was 201 for three.

Steve Waugh soon got the score moving again, but Zimbabwe's disease of dropsy continued as he hit a hard return catch to Andrew Whittall, which was put down. Probably thinking anything in the air was safe, Waugh proceeded to hit the next ball right down the throat of long-off, but he had chosen the wrong fielder in Neil Johnson, who held it safely to dismiss him for 14; Australia were 223 for four, and in the 40th over.

Damien Martyn came in and played a fine stroke in hitting Blignaut over mid-on to the boundary, and then drove Brent handsomely twice through extra cover for four. Bevan on 14 enjoyed another life, dropped by Grant Flower in the gully. Flower used to be one of the world's finest all-round fielders, but he has been sadly inconsistent since the end of the last home season. Martyn took most of the limelight, with some powerful strokes, including a six over midwicket off Whittall and a heave over mid-on off Brent which brought up the fifty partnership.

Andy Flower again effected the breakthrough, standing up to the

medium-pace of Brent and bringing off a brilliant leg-side stumping off a ball that was called a wide. He made 25, and Australia were 280 for five. Martyn continued to attack, and cut Blignaut for a fierce boundary; Andrew Symonds, trying to copy the stroke, hit a low catch straight to Grant Flower at backward point to be out for 1; Australia 292 for six.

Martyn ran to a dashing fifty off 34 balls, finishing with 55 and Tom Moody with 5 not out; Australia finished with 303 for six after their 50 overs.