Ellis and Johnson seal one-wicket Australia win in Harare thriller
Josh Inglis's century set up victory, but it was Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson who completed a nerve-shredding one-wicket win over Zimbabwe with a ball to spare.
Australia snatched a one-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday, denying the hosts what had looked like a possible consolation win in the one-day international.
Josh Inglis provided the platform with his second century in the format, anchoring the Australian innings before the tourists were made to work far harder than expected for the result.
It was left to Nathan Ellis to see the chase home. He finished unbeaten on 36 from 44 balls, the highest score of his ODI career, guiding Australia through a tense finish.
Ellis was joined at the crease by No 11 Spencer Johnson with the tourists still needing 27 runs for victory - a total that looked precarious given the position of the innings by that stage.
The pair did not panic. Batting together at a run-a-ball rate, Ellis and Johnson chipped away at the target and got Australia home with just a ball to spare, sparking relief among the visiting camp.
The margin - one wicket, one ball - underlines how close Zimbabwe came to a memorable win on home soil, only for the tail-end pairing to deny them at the death.
For Australia, the result extends a positive run in the series and offers a reminder of the depth in their lower order, with both Ellis and Johnson showing composure under pressure in a genuine last-over heist.
Zimbabwe will have to reflect on a missed opportunity, having pushed the tourists to the very brink before Australia's tail found the runs required.
Attention now turns to the remainder of the series, with Australia looking to build on a win secured in the most dramatic of circumstances in Harare.