Australia ease to win in opener as Roy celebrated

Cameron Green's breakthrough innings with the ball has guided Australia to victory in the opening Dettol ODI against Zimbabwe on a day where Andrew Symonds' legacy was celebrated.

While Green's maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket was instrumental in Australia's season-opening win by five wickets, the match will be best remembered for the fitting tributes to allrounder Symonds.

At the same venue of his funeral in May (Riverway Stadium in Townsville) Symonds' children, daughter Chloe and son Will, joined the Australian team for the national anthems before play and ran the drinks during Zimbabwe's innings.

Behind them, 'Roy' and his Test cap number 388 was painted into the turf in striking white letters, reminiscent of the white zinc Symonds plastered on his lips during his playing days.

At the innings break, Symonds' family (including his two dogs Buzz and Woody) and best friend Jimmy Maher walked to the middle with some of Symonds' prized possessions.

As his Baggy Green, cricket bat, crab pot, fishing line and Akubra hat were placed on the pitch, the solemn and respectful silence of the crowd turned into a standing ovation.

Australia bowled Zimbabwe out for an even 200 after Green did the bulk of the damage at the end of the innings with 5-33.

In reply, Australia looked to be full control before three quick wickets from leg-spinner Ryan Burl changed the complexion the chase.

But Steve Smith (48no off 80 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (32no off 9) got the hosts home, passing Zimbabwe's score with five wickets in hand and 99 balls to spare.

At the toss, Aaron Finch had no hesitation in sending Zimbabwe in to bat under overcast skies but his side didn't extract as much sideways movement as they would've hoped, as the visiting openers reached the end of the Powerplay without loss.

Mitch Marsh got the first wicket of the season in the 11th over, pouching a caught and bowled to dismiss Innocent Kaia for 17.

Kaia's opening partner, 20-year-old Tadiwanashe Marumani, showed he wasn't afraid to pull the quicks and reverse sweep the spinners but took the game on one too many times, missing an Adam Zampa delivery after using his feet and being clean bowled for 45 off 61 balls.

Tony Munyonga's wicket for seven, also to Zampa a couple of overs later, put the brakes on a promising start to Zimbabwe's innings.

Although he had taken two wickets in quick succession, Australia removed leg-spinner Zampa from the attack as soon as dangerman Sikandar Raza arrived at the crease and the move paid off – the in-form allrounder scored just three from the 23 balls of pace he faced and eventually fell to a Cameron Green short ball that he couldn't keep down.

Green's new role in Australia's ODI team is bowler first, batter second, and he proved the selectors right with an impressive spell of 4-0-10-1 in the middle overs including the key wicket of Raza.

But the best was yet to come for the West Australian.

Trusted to close out the innings in tandem with Mitchell Starc, Green struck twice in his eighth over and twice again in his ninth to finish with 5-33 from nine overs.

Green had taken just one ODI wicket from his seven innings before today's match, with the most overs he had bowled in a single match being six.

But with Australia's re-jigged one-day line-up, Finch made it clear in Saturday's press conference that Green would be expected to shoulder a heavily bowling load moving forward.

"We're just going with an allrounder-heavy side," Finch told reporters the day before the game.

"Two quicks plus Zampa and Cameron Green as the fourth genuine bowler. And then using Marsh, Stoinis, Maxwell as our fifth bowler effectively."

Starc, playing in his 100th ODI, and Josh Hazlewood, put in economical performances with 1-27 and 0-36 respectively.

Wessly Madhevere was only batting at No.3 in this match due to an elbow injury to veteran Sean Williams but he was the best of the Zimbabwe batters, scoring a career-best 72 off 91.

Captain Regis Chakabva identified the 21-year-old as a player to watch before the series, and the pair's 63-run partnership looked like it could cause Australia some headaches in the final 10 overs.

But Madhevere's stubborn knock came to an end with a tame return catch to Zampa, triggering a collapse.

Zimbabwe lost 6-15 in 27 balls with four of the six wickets skied catches as they dismissed for 200 in the 48th over. 

It was a fine return for Zampa, who took 3-57 playing in his first international since the birth of his first child.

Finch got a gift off the first ball of Australia's chase, dispatching a long hop from surprise opening bowler Madhevere to the point boundary.

The captain then got a life on nine after Richard Ngarava dropped a tough caught and bowled, but the tall left armer removed him a few overs later, chopped on for 15 off 21 balls.

David Warner was dropped at point on 35 off Marumani, and two balls later he was convinced he was out when Regis Chakabva called for a caught behind review off Sikandar Raza.

The Australian opener effectively had one foot over the boundary's edge when a cursory glance to the scorecard showed their was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision.

The review was unsuccessful, much to the bemusement of Zimbabwe.

Warner (57 off 66) and Smith's partnership got the required runs below 100 and the pair were making the result look like a formality.

But Australia lost 4-47, three of which fell to the innocuous leg-spin of Burl.

Maxwell's arrival put any fears of an upset to bed, striking three fours and three sixes in just a nine-ball stay at the crease.

Men's Dettol ODI Series v Zimbabwe

First ODI: Australia won by five wickets

Wednesday Aug 31: Riverway Stadium, Townsville, 9:40am

Saturday Sep 3: Riverway Stadium, Townsville, 9:40am

Australia squad: Aaron Finch, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Zimbabwe squad: Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (c), Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.

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