Australia vs Zimbabwe 2026 ODI Series: Schedule, Tips & Odds

Australia tour Zimbabwe for three ODIs in September 2026, their first ODI visit in over a decade. All three are at Harare Sports Club at 5:30pm AEST. Here's the schedule, the conditions and where the value sits in a one-sided series.

Australia tour Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series in September 2026: their first ODI visit to the country in more than a decade. All three matches are at the Harare Sports Club, starting at 9:30am local time, which is a friendly 5:30pm AEST for Australian viewers. Below is the full schedule, the conditions, and where the betting value sits in a heavily one-sided series.

🏏 3rd ODI: Australia won by 1 wicket with 1 ball left to sweep the series 3-0. Zimbabwe 271 for 8 (Sikandar Raza 81 not out), Australia got there nine down off the last over. Josh Inglis made 103 and Nathan Ellis took 3 for 50 then finished 36 not out. Cooper Connolly was player of the series.
🏏 Series at a glance: 3 ODIs at Harare Sports Club, 15–20 September 2026. All start 9:30am local = 5:30pm AEST. Australia swept it 3-0, but the dead rubber went to the last over and one wicket. Zimbabwe were far closer to a result than a 3-0 scoreline suggests.
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Australia v Zimbabwe 2026 ODI schedule

Match Date Venue AEST start
1st ODI ✅ Tuesday 15 September 2026 (Australia won by 59 runs) Harare Sports Club 5:30pm
2nd ODI ✅ Friday 18 September 2026 (Australia won by 84 runs) Harare Sports Club 5:30pm
3rd ODI ✅ Sunday 20 September 2026 (Australia won by 1 wicket) Harare Sports Club 5:30pm

 

Why this tour matters

Australia have not played an ODI in Zimbabwe for over ten years, and for the hosts this is the biggest white-ball fixture they have staged in years. For Australia it is a low-risk chance to give squad players ODI miles ahead of a heavy home summer, which is the single most important thing to understand before betting it.

Expect rotation. A tour like this, sandwiched before the South Africa tour and a home summer against England and New Zealand, is where fringe players get looks and frontline quicks get rested. Squad news is therefore worth far more than form here.

Conditions at Harare Sports Club

September sits at the end of Zimbabwe’s dry season, so conditions should be warm and settled with little weather risk. Harare Sports Club is a traditionally good batting surface with true bounce, and at altitude the ball travels, so totals tend to be par-or-above rather than low-scoring grinds.

The 9:30am local start means the toss matters less than it would in a day-night fixture, though there can be a little early assistance for seam before the pitch flattens out.

Betting angles

Skip the match-winner market. Australia will be quotes so short that the head-to-head is unbackable. That is not a reason to avoid the series. It is a reason to look elsewhere on the card.

Margins and totals are where the series prices up. With a heavy mismatch, run-margin and total-runs markets carry the real uncertainty, especially given Australia may field an experimental XI.

Player markets reward squad reading. Top run-scorer and top wicket-taker are the best-value markets on a rotation tour, because the market is often slow to price a fringe player who is actually getting a full run of games.

The Zimbabwe upset angle on the third ODI nearly landed. We flagged the dead rubber as the spot where touring sides slip, and Zimbabwe pushed Australia to the final ball and the last wicket before losing. The price did not come in, but the read was the right one, and it is the pattern to remember for the next decided series. Compare prices across our best cricket betting sites before you take one.

How to watch in Australia

A 9:30am local start in Harare converts to 5:30pm AEST: genuinely the best viewing window of any Australian away tour, landing in the early evening rather than overnight. Broadcast arrangements for Australian audiences are typically confirmed close to the series.

Australia v Zimbabwe FAQs

When do Australia play Zimbabwe in 2026?

Australia play three ODIs in Zimbabwe on 15, 18 and 20 September 2026, all at the Harare Sports Club.

What time do the matches start in Australia?

All three ODIs start at 9:30am local time in Harare, which is 5:30pm AEST, early evening viewing in Australia.

Where are the matches played?

All three ODIs are at the Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe’s main international venue.

Are Australia favourites?

Heavily, and they swept it 3-0, though the third ODI went to the final ball and the last wicket. Margin, total-runs and player markets offered better value than the head-to-head all series.

Is this a Test series?

No. It is a three-match ODI series only. Australia’s next Test cricket is the tour of South Africa in October 2026.

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