Australia's three-pronged pace attack of Brett Lee, Brad Williams and Jason Gillespie proved too hot for Zimbabwe to handle as Australia notched a 13-run win in their day-night cricket match at Adelaide Oval.

Opener Grant Flower scored a fighting 94 for the tourists to provide some resistance and earn man of the match honours.

But the Africans managed only 8-266 in response to Australia's 9-279 to remain without a win in the competition so far.

Zimbabwe never looked like achieving its target after it made a slow start to its innings to be 1-40 after 15 overs, with only two boundaries to that point.

The top order batsmen could make little headway against fiery early spells from Gillespie, Lee and Williams.

Lee, in particular, had the batsmen regularly ducking and weaving, occasionally not quick enough to avoid being struck, as he frequently fired in deliveries which reared to about chest height.

By midway through the innings, Zimbabwe had crawled to 3-97, needing well over seven per over for the last 25 overs, which proved an unachievable task.

The batsmen went after part-time left-arm spinner Michael Clarke in the middle stages, taking 42 runs from his first five overs.

All-rounder Sean Ervine (33 from 33 balls) and Flower smashed 16 off Clarke's fifth over, the 35th of the innings, including an Ervine six over midwicket.

But Brad Hogg broke their 69-run stand, easily the best of the innings, in the following over, having Ervine caught in the deep.

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