Watch the highlights of Australia vs Zimbabwe 21st Match Reliance World Cup 1987 - Reliance World Cup 1987 tournament of the 21st ODI match played between Zimbabwe and Australia at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack in 30th October 1987.
A superb 93 by opener David Boon, Dean Jones' unbeaten half-century and Mike Veletta's crucial 43 sets up to Australia comfortable 70-run victory over Zimbabwe in the 21st match of a Reliance World Cup.
Australia scored 266-5 in 50 overs with top scorer by David Boon struck 93 off 101-balls - who fell seven-run short of his century.
Dean Jones hit a unbeaten 58 off 72-balls including one-six & a four, Mike Veletta cracked a 43 off 39-balls included 3-fours and Geoff Marsh scored 37 off 65-balls with a boundary.
Zimbabwe best bowler by John Traicos took 2-wickets and one for Iain Butchart.
Zimbabwe scored 196-6 in 50 overs with top scorer by Andy Pycroft hit 38 off 46-balls including 2-fours.
Andy Waller scored 38 off consuming 83-balls including two boundaries, Ali Shah hit 32 off 90-balls included 4-fours.
Peter Rawson hit a unbeaten 24 off 29-balls including 2-fours & a six and Eddo Brandes blasted a unbeaten 18 off 11-balls included 2-sixes & a four with strike rate of 163.63.
Australia best bowler by Tim May, Craig McDermott both took 2-wickets and one for Steve Waugh - Allan Border.
David Boon named Player of the match for his batting performance to scored a 93-runs knocked off facing 101-balls including 9-fours & a six.
This match reported by The Daily Telegraph Staff (Third Party Reference from The Daily Telegraph)
AUSTRALIA beat Zimbabwe by 70 runs in Cuttack today but their semi-final fate remained in the hands of India, who play New Zealand in the last Group A match in Nagpur today.
The calculators came out after Australia, put in by Zimbabwe on a well-grassed pitch at the Cuttack ground, made 266 for five from their 50 overs.
The total raised Australia's run rate from their six matches to 5.19 and so India need to beat New Zealand scoring at 5.26 an over to finish group winners.
Winning the section will be the difference between staying in India for the Bombay semi-final next Thursday or going to Lahore as the section runners-up to play Pakistan the previous day.
Setting off in pursuit of Australia's total, Zimbabwe suffered a blow when opener Andy Waller was struck between the eyes by a rising ball from Bruce Reid.
Waller departed with a horizontal cut across the bridge of his nose, returning later, but the rest of the Zimbabwean batting was understandably apprehensive. That they reached 196 for six from their 50 overs was largely due to some friendly deliveries from part-time bowlers at the end of their innings.
Waller's departure seemed to convince Zimbabwe that this was not to be their day. Ali Shah, with his two partners Waller and Kevin Curran, helped put on 55 in the first 17 overs before he was undone by Waugh's nagging line.
Curran and David Houghton, the two batsmen who might have troubled Australia, were dismissed in the 27th and 29th overs by the off-spinner Tim May, reducing Zimbabwe to 92 for three and from then on there was only going to be one winner.
The mainstay of Australia's innings was an efficient 93 by opener David Boon, who made his runs out of 148 in the first 33 overs, but otherwise none of the other Australians looked at ease on a pitch that was never reliable. Dean Jones pottered about for 58 not out in 27 overs, hitting one six but not managing a four until the last over.
The day's best bowling came from Zimbabwe's captain John Traicos, 40, a South African Test player some 20 years ago, who took two wickets with his off-spin but should have had at least two more.
It was Traicos who made it another miserable match for Allan Border, the Australian captain being stumped off a ball that turned. He made four to take his tally in six World Cup innings to 134.
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