Australia are in danger of crashing out of the Twenty20 World Championship at the first hurdle after being stunned by minnows Zimbabwe in their opening group match.

In a massive upset, Zimbabwe have beaten Australia by five wickets with one ball to spare at Newlands, leaving Ricky Ponting's men the task of defeating England on Friday to stand any chance of progressing past the group stage.

Even then that may not be enough, with net run-rate set to decide which two teams go through to the Super Eights stage should all three teams finish on equal points.

Zimbabwe bowled well to restrict Australia to 9-138 on a slow pitch after Ponting won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Brendon Taylor then piloted the Africans to a memorable victory, scoring an unbeaten 60, with valuable middle order support from Hamilton Masakadza (27).

Zimbabwe needed 12 off the final over from Nathan Bracken.

Taylor gave them the perfect start, paddling a full delivery passed short fine leg and to the boundary from the first ball.

They eventually whittled the equation down to four from the final two deliveries, before sparking wild celebrations when Bracken's penultimate delivery flicked Taylor's pad and flew away to the boundary.

Stuart Clark made a desperate attempt to prevent the winning runs on the fine leg boundary, but came up just short.

Playing their first official game since the final of the World Cup in April, Australia made a disastrous start after Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat.

Matthew Hayden (4), Adam Gilchrist (4) and Ponting (8) all fell cheaply in the opening four overs, leaving Australia in strife at 3-19.

Symonds and Hussey steadied the innings, but when Hussey was brilliantly run out by Vusi Sibanda for 15 in the 10th over, Australia were still in a bit of bother at 4-51.

Symonds and Brad Hodge added 36 for the fifth wicket, but just when the pair looked to be ready to tee off, Symonds was out stumped by Taylor.

Brett Lee (13) and Mitchell Johnson (9) contributed some late - and brief - fireworks, but Hodge was somewhat starved of the strike in the final overs.

Zimbabwe's bowlers made the best of the seaming conditions and slow pitch, with paceman Elton Chigumbura the most impressive, taking 3-20 from three overs including the prized scalps of Hayden and Gilchrist.

Ponting admitted his team was outplayed and the top order was "diabolical".

"It is a mental thing for us, we have to start respecting the game a bit more and thinking what we have to do," he said.

"We have been outplayed today no doubt about that.

"Our top order has been diabolical, even in the practice games

here, and you cannot afford to get off to those starts - that is where we lost the game."

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