Ross Taylor Praised His Team For Showing Self-Belief

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 5th day

ESPNcricinfo staff

November 6, 2011

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor praised his players for not losing hope as Zimbabwe made a fist of a stiff chase of 366 on the final day of the one-off Test in Bulawayo on Saturday. Taylor's counterpart, Brendan Taylor, made a valiant, attacking century and took his team withing reach of the target, before they collapsed to lose the game by 34 runs.

"There were a lot of nerves, but the guys carried on and kept trying to push for the win, and that's why we're all very proud of each other," Taylor said. "We could have shut up shop with an hour and a bit left in the game but the guys were still fairly positive, so it was just a good positive day today and the guys can hold their heads high."

Zimbabwe began the final day needing a challenging 305 more runs with eight wickets in hand. Brendan Taylor was ably supported by Tino Mawoyo and Tatenda Taibu, who helped themselves to half-centuries, to give the hosts hope. However, Zimbabwe collapsed from 265 for 3 to 331 all out, with less than six overs left in the match.

Brendan Taylor's dismissal, after tea, was the turning point. Daniel Vettori then removed the well-set Taibu before debutant seamer Doug Bracewell cleaned up the lower order to finish with 5 for 85. Vettori claimed the final wicket, giving Ross Taylor his first Test win as captain.

"It's a strange game this Test cricket, getting seven wickets in the last session. We knew we could do it but it was a hell of a Test match," Taylor said. "Full credit to Zimbabwe because they gave us a great fight and they went out for the win, so it was a great spectacle out there."

Ross Taylor said this win would give the team a boost ahead of their tour of Australia. They begin the tour with a practice match against New South Wales XI starting November 18.

"Zimbabwe put us under a lot of pressure. But we know we need to raise our game a lot to put Australia under pressure in their home conditions," Taylor told APNZ. "It was nice to give some newcomers a go and see where they're at. Some of them took their opportunity, some of them didn't."

New Zealand leave Zimbabwe with a 2-1 series win in the one-dayers and a 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 internationals in addition to the Test victory.

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Bracewell's 5-85 Gives New Zealand Win Over Zimbabwe in Thriller Test Match

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 5th day

The Report by Nitin Sundar

November 5, 2011

New Zealand 426 (Guptill 109, Mpofu 4-92) and 252 for 8 dec. (R Taylor 76, Jarvis 5-64) beat Zimbabwe 313 (Sibanda 93, Vettori 5-70) and 331 (Taylor 117, Bracewell 5-85) by 34 runs

The currently unranked Zimbabwe went at the world No. 8 New Zealand mercilessly on a fifth day dripping with Test-match brilliance, but they ran out of steam dramatically after tea to lose by 34 runs. It was a crushing result for the hosts who went for a win in a situation that would have forced many of the Test elite sides to play safe.

Their spark was lit by Brendan Taylor, who hustled to his third century in seven innings. Taylor's brilliance put Zimbabwe on pole position at tea, but the game turned on its head once he exited after the break. Doug Bracewell and Daniel Vettori barged through, as Zimbabwe capsized from 265 for 3 to 331 all out, with less than six overs left in the match.

The force was with Zimbabwe at tea, with the target down to 101 off a possible 29 overs. New Zealand's shoulders had visibly slumped a little earlier, when the lack of sufficient video evidence meant a huge moment went against them. Taylor had scythed Chris Martin uppishly to deep cover where BJ Watling dived forward to scoop it inches from the ground, but it was impossible to say from the camera angles on offer whether it was a clean catch. Incredibly, Taylor holed out to the same fielder in the first over after the break, and this time Watling pouched it clearly.

Suddenly, New Zealand found the extra gear they had lacked all day. Vettori, who has an unspectacular record in the fourth innings, probed away with intent, employing two slips and short leg against the debutant Malcolm Waller. Taibu, already past 50, was the bigger menace, and Vettori adopted a negative line against him. After resisting the urge to sweep all day, Taibu eventually top-edged from outside leg stump to midwicket.

Zimbabwe looked for singles, New Zealand looked for wickets, and the pressure got to Bracewell, who over-stepped while delivering an effort ball that would have got him a wicket. Vettori then made a strong case for the Spirit of Cricket award, by refraining from appealing for a potentially match-turning run-out after unknowingly obstructing a single. With every run scored, the game was swinging in a manner Twenty20 cricket just cannot replicate. Bracewell then cleaned up the tail, while Man of the Match Vettori trapped Waller and Chris Mpofu to seal what was, arguably, the best Test match of the year.

The grand finish would have never materialised but for Taylor's brilliance, or the grit shown by his top-order colleagues. Mawoyo blunted the sharp end of New Zealand's intent, and after his dismissal Taibu was assiduous in thwarting them until tea. But Taylor's daredevilry provided the fuel to propel Zimbabwe's ambition.

The rain clouds dotting the horizon gave the seamers absolutely no assistance in the morning, and Taylor checked in with a series of audacious shots. In one Martin over, he whipped the first ball furiously over square leg, before chipping out and punching a straight six, and upper-cutting a short ball over third man for four. He took two more fours in Martin's next over to announce Zimbabwe's intentions.

Mawoyo built on the tremendous powers of denial he had displayed in his marathon 163* against Pakistan in September. He was initially roughed up early by Bracewell's well-directed bouncers, but that spell ended when Martin changed ends. He countered Vettori off the front foot as often as possible - a significant departure from his handling of Saeed Ajmal's bigger bag of tricks in the Pakistan Test. With Mawoyo stone-walling Vettori, Taylor got stuck into Jeetan Patel. He scampered out of his crease four times in the day to swipe the hapless offspinner into the recesses beyond the leg-side boundary.

As is often the case in these circumstances, a part-timer intervened with a freakish breakthrough. Martin Guptill's second ball bounced extra as it turned down the leg side, and Mawoyo somehow contrived to drag it onto off stump. His untimely exit stalled the scoring-rate after lunch, as Taibu subdued his normally breezy approach.

The defensiveness allowed New Zealand to employ several men close-in, with Brendon McCullum crouching at the batsmen's face at silly point, and tumbling forward in anticipation almost every ball. Taylor scrambled across for a quick single in the 59th over, but the cover fielder missed the stumps. Taibu was trapped in front by a sharp inswinger, and - not for the first time in the match - umpire Marais Erasmus wrongly ruled in the batsman's favour.

Bracewell positioned two short legs about five yards from each other and bent in a series of reverse swingers. Taylor clipped one of them uppishly, but found the miniscule gap, before bringing up his ton with an edge through the cordon. Taibu too broke free after pottering around to 9 off 67 balls, cutting and steering Martin for fours, before hitting a four and a six off Guptill.

With the game heading Zimbabwe's way, New Zealand turned to the second new ball in desperation. Taylor chose to chance his arm over the covers. He got away with it once but it cost him his wicket the second time. Over the next couple of hours, it went on to cost his side a special piece of history.

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Zimbabwe Faces Huge Target on Final Day

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 4th day

The Report by Nitin Sundar

November 4, 2011

Zimbabwe 313 and 61 for 2 (Mawoyo 27*, Bracewell 2-17) need 305 runs to beat New Zealand 426 and 252 for 8 dec. (Taylor 76, Williamson 68, Jarvis 5-64)

Zimbabwe will chase a daunting 305 on the final day with eight wickets in hand, after Doug Bracewell made two crucial breaches in an intense start to the fourth innings in Bulawayo. Bracewell's double-strike, including a wicket in the final over of the day, left Zimbabwe hamstrung at the end of a day when they had fought admirably for the most part.

Earlier, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor struck contrasting half-centuries to provide the ballast for New Zealand, who had to overcome a combative bowling display led by Kyle Jarvis before declaring 365 ahead.

Jarvis' effort forced New Zealand to spend more time than they would have wanted at the crease, but they took the field energised in the final session. Chris Martin got the new ball to buzz in at pace, giving both the openers, Tino Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda, sore toes. Bracewell too hunted for wickets, with conventional seam movement either way. He trapped Sibanda with one that came in, before Hamilton Masakadza gifted his wicket with an avoidable cut, leaving Zimbabwe at a jittery 61 for 2.

The frustrated faces on the Zimbabwean balcony as the players trooped in exemplified just how drastically their day had unravelled. Zimbabwe had enjoyed what were in isolation a good couple of sessions in the field thanks to Jarvis, who chipped away at the middle order with his sprightly inswingers. Jarvis' breakthroughs came after New Zealand had laboured to 83 runs in the 30 overs before lunch, though Williamson and Taylor stepped on the gas thereafter.

With the sun out and the pitch offering little assistance, Zimbabwe's seam trio stuck to disciplined lengths in the morning. Their effort was initially aided by New Zealand's surprisingly defensive outlook, engendered by their use of a nightwatchman on the third day. Jeetan Patel's prolonged presence at the crease would have benefited Zimbabwe more than New Zealand, but four overs into the day he was cleaned up by Jarvis,.

Zimbabwe's deficit, however, meant they couldn't afford to attack for long. Njabulo Ncube settled into a monotonous spell where he was consistently well wide of off stump, with a packed field in the covers. Williamson led New Zealand out of the mini-crisis, cover-driving languidly every time he was offered width, and defending well when he wasn't. The lack of movement meant Ray Price was introduced early, and Taylor checked in comfortably against his quick-arm flat deliveries. The odd ball that he spun in the morning, such as the ripper that veered away from leg stump in the 20th over of the innings, did too much to take the edge.

Taylor tried to force the pace in the second hour of play, but nearly perished in the process. He steered Ncube behind point for four before edging another wide ball past slip. Ncube then trapped him palpably in front with an indipper, convincing everyone except the umpire Marais Erasmus that it was out. Inevitably, Price too switched to a negative line from over the stumps, but that didn't faze Williamson. When he wasn't padding Price away or receding into the crease to glance him fine, he was trotting out to the flight and going over the top.

Price's leg-stump trajectory was straight up Taylor's alley, and he unleashed his patent slog-sweep to take the lead past 200. The acceleration continued into the middle session, with Williamson nudging Chris Mpofu to the fine-leg boundary to reach his half-century. He celebrated the landmark by sweeping Price for a six and a four, forcing the last of the close-in fielders into the deep. Taylor brought up his own fifty in more subdued fashion, before swat-flicking Jarvis over midwicket for a furious six as Zimbabwean shoulders began to slump in the mid-afternoon heat.

Jarvis wasn't to be discouraged, though. He kept bustling in with intent, bounding close to the stumps and getting every other ball to jag in sharply off the seam. Both Williamson and Taylor were caught by surprise when Jarvis sneaked indippers onto their pads. In between those two lbws, Price got a leading edge out of BJ Watling to carry to slip. Brendan Taylor dropped Daniel Vettori in the slips, but the miss didn't extend Jarvis' wait for his maiden five-for by much. Dean Brownlie perished to his stock ball too, losing off stump as he played back to yet another quick inswinger.

New Zealand batted on after tea, and Taylor called them in seven overs into the evening session, off which Vettori and Reece Young looted 40 runs. In hindsight, it was a pretty well-timed declaration, since it affords New Zealand a second go with a still shiny ball on the final morning.

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Zimbabwe Took 2 Wickets After Conceding Big Lead

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 3rd day

The Report by Nitin Sundar

November 3, 2011

New Zealand 426 (Guptill 109, Taylor 76, Brownlie 63, Mpofu 4-92) and 28 for 2 (Williamson 13*, Patel 4*) lead Zimbabwe 313 (Sibanda 93, Waller 72*, Vettori 5-70) trail by 141 runs

Zimbabwe produced passages of impressive Test-match attrition, but let themselves down with the odd moment of madness, allowing Daniel Vettori to give New Zealand a decisive advantage midway into the evening session. Zimbabwe were bowled out 113 runs adrift in the first innings, but clawed back towards parity with two early blows in the second dig, leaving New Zealand effectively 141 for 2, with two days to play.

Zimbabwe could have been in a far better position if they hadn't gifted away three big wickets on either side of lunch. Two of the culprits - Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor - had looked in control until their respective moments of indiscretion, after seeing off an incisive opening burst from the seamers. Their largesse, however, reduced Zimbabwe to a dodgy 198 for 5, before Malcolm Waller reprised his father Andrew's feat of scoring a debut fifty in Bulawayo to haul them past 300.

Sibanda, out seven short of a maiden ton, was the only man to miss out on what turned out to be a day for milestones. Waller's was the most unusual feat of the lot, but Vettori's 350th Test wicket, Chris Martin's 200th, and Brendan Taylor's fourth successive score of 50-plus on the tour kept the statisticians working overtime.

Martin and Doug Bracewell began the day with tight lines, getting the odd ball to shape in. In the second over of the day, Bracewell sneaked one in sharply enough to disturb Hamilton Masakadza's off stump as he shouldered arms. Sibanda was more watchful, getting across to cover the line and play as often as possible. The first five overs of the day yielded only two runs, before Sibanda shook off the lethargy with two pleasing drives.

Taylor endured a thorough test of his technique, as the seamers preyed on his tendency to defend without getting fully forward. Martin had him inside-edging a sharp inswinger, while Bracewell cut him in half with another one that cut in. Taylor was also troubled by a couple of short balls, before easing into gear with a pull shot for four. That boundary signalled the end of the fast bowlers' opening spells, and the pressure visibly dissipated.

Sibanda welcomed Jeetan Patel by launching him for a straight six, before taking him for boundaries through mid-off and point. Taylor swept Daniel Vettori for four, and smote Patel for two leg-side sixes. After having conceded only 23 off the first 13 overs of the day, New Zealand had leaked 41 off the next five.

Zimbabwe's offensive forced Patel out of the attack, and in the absence of suitable back-up options, New Zealand turned to debutant Dean Brownlie, whose first-class career consisted of 17 wicket-less overs. Sibanda couldn't have asked for more amiable circumstances to bring up his ton but he needlessly cut a wide trundler straight to gully.

Vettori probed away with intent in the lead-up to lunch, and made telling breaches soon after the break. Taylor succumbed attempting to sweep the fourth ball of the middle session, after having survived a straightforward appeal in similar circumstances earlier. Taibu perished in Vettori's next over, charging mindlessly and holing out to mid-on. With the second new ball around the corner, Zimbabwe found themselves in an avoidable mess.

The debutant pair of Waller and Regis Chakabva buckled down admirably against Martin's inswing, and Bracewell's tight lines. Only 11 runs came in the 10 overs following Taibu's exit, before Waller smoked Martin through the covers. Vettori was immediately pressed back into service with a newish ball, and Waller welcomed him with a pleasing straight drive, as Zimbabwe averted the follow-on in the 90th over.

Vettori continued to attack, with three men close in on the off side, angling in a raft of well-disguised arm-balls. Waller didn't pick them, but battled through by reading him off the pitch. Chakabva, too, gradually opened up, drilling Bracewell down the ground before cutting Vettori through point. Once again, Patel's introduction was met with aggression, as Waller teed off for an extravagant straight six.

The advantage veered dramatically towards the visitors after tea, from the moment Chakabva ran himself out attempting a risky second. Ray Price, himself an expert in the art of delivering arm balls, shuffled into one from Vettori to bag a duck. Kyle Jarvis then edged Martin into the slips, before Vettori had Chris Mpofu edging to bat-pad. Waller kept hitting boundaries, but despite his efforts Zimbabwe had lost their last five wickets for 29 when Martin rearranged Njabulo Ncube's stumps with an inswinger.

Stumps were in the firing line again five balls later, when first-innings centurion Martin Guptill played all over a straight ball from Jarvis. Kane Williamson survived a couple of tense moments, but Brendon McCullum was not so lucky, trapped in front by Price's first ball, an armer as good as the one he had fallen to. The two blows will stall New Zealand's march towards a declaration, while another early strike or two on the fourth day could leave the game delicately poised.

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Zimbabwe Looks Steady in Reply To NZ's 1st innings Total of 426

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 2nd day

The Report by Abhishek Purohit

November 2, 2011

Zimbabwe 82 for 1 (Sibanda 53*) trail New Zealand 426 (Guptill 109, Taylor 76, Brownlie 63, Mpofu 4-92) by 344 runs

Zimbabwe ran through the lower half of the New Zealand batting, limiting the damage that Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie threatened to do in a brisk sixth-wicket partnership which had given the stalled innings the move-on it needed. Chris Mpofu and Ray Price took five wickets for 25 runs as New Zealand stumbled from 401 for 5 with Vettori and Brownlie in charge. Vusi Sibanda led a cautious, but solid, reply as the New Zealand bowlers failed to improve on their Zimbabwe counterparts in getting much out of a pitch which remained largely placid.

Vettori's positive approach with the bat quickened the tempo of the innings considerably and also rubbed off on debutant Brownlie, who had gone nowhere in the company of BJ Watling in a sleepy first session which brought only 52 runs at less than two an over.

Ray Price, who had tied New Zealand down with his line outside leg from over the wicket, was whipped for four between mid-on and midwicket second ball after lunch. Vettori took Price on again in his next over, chipping him for a six over mid-on. He then square-drove, pulled and cut Njabulo Ncube for fours. Brownlie warmed up to Vettori's method and charged out to Price to drive him for a straight four. He was now a transformed batsman, punching Kyle Jarvis for boundaries and soon bringing up his debut fifty.

New Zealand went past 400 with a Vettori flick-pull off Jarvis over square leg. The partnership was growing at well over four an over but Price's line outside leg finally brought him reward when Brownlie edged an attempted slog-sweep to slip. Mpofu had Vettori edging to slip five overs later for a 40 that was worth much more in terms of its impact. The tail caved in with Chris Martin getting his 30th Test duck and Mpofu ended with his best figures, 4 for 92.

Vettori's effort was put in perspective by the way New Zealand had stalled in the morning after gifting the fourth wicket of their innings to Zimbabwe. Ross Taylor departed in the second over of the day without adding to his 76, chasing a wide delivery to give Ncube and wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva their maiden Test dismissals. Watling and especially, Brownlie, struggled to find runs as Zimbabwe repeated the strategy which had kept New Zealand in check yesterday - bowling straight with run-saving fields.

A start delayed by 45 minutes due to rain meant there was some nip off the otherwise lifeless surface for the first hour, and Jarvis and Ncube used it to keep the batsmen cautious. Jarvis and Ncube made way for Mpofu and Hamilton Masakadza but Watling and Brownlie were not allowed to get away. Brendan Taylor put men at short mid-on, short extra cover and short midwicket which made run-scoring even more difficult against the lesser pace of Masakadza and Mpofu.

New Zealand settled into a pattern of playing out maidens before a short Mpofu delivery kicked at Watling and took the edge for Chakabva to take a diving catch. Price now began to bowl outside leg from over the stumps, further squeezing the almost non-existent run-flow. Brownlie cut Mpofu just before lunch for the first four in almost 15 overs but Zimbabwe had already won their first session of the game before Vettori and Brownlie got into the act.

Zimbabwe were in no hurry to push on with the bat with Hamilton Masakadza appearing to be playing for stumps all along. Doug Bracewell bowled six consecutive maidens on Test debut but the new ball didn't do much for the New Zealand seamers. Vettori got the breakthrough in his second over, trapping Tino Mawoyo leg-before with an arm ball after a couple of close appeals in the same over.

Sibanda pulled eagerly as usual - for three fours - and almost got into trouble when one attempt landed in front of a not-so-deep square leg. He reached his fifty with a worked four off Vettori in the last over of the day and will be key tomorrow in Zimbabwe's attempt to get close to New Zealand's total.

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Guptill and Taylor put NZ in control on Flat pitch

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo, 1st day

The Report by Abhishek Purohit

November 1, 2011

New Zealand 275 for 3 (Guptill 109, Taylor 76*, Williamson 49) v Zimbabwe

New Zealand's batsmen had the opportunity to dominate Zimbabwe on a lifeless Bulawayo surface but a cautious approach against restricting lines and fielders in run-saving positions limited their first day of Test cricket since January 2011 to a good one. With the bowling mostly as flat as the pitch, a gifted wicket in each session - including that of centurion Martin Guptill - let Zimbabwe escape from having a fruitless day, though they didn't help themselves by not taking the rare tough chances.

That New Zealand were three men down was due to Brendon McCullum's impatience, Kane Williamson's slowness in getting back into his crease and Guptill finding midwicket off a long hop. Ross Taylor and BJ Watling survived some close moments against the second new ball - the only time Zimbabwe's seamers created any sort of pressure - to end a solid, if unspectacular, day for their side.

Guptill and Taylor did not look like getting dislodged as they worked the bowling around in a 132-run stand for the third wicket, both men unwilling to do anything extravagant. Guptill batted with care, going without runs for prolonged periods as the Zimbabwe seamers bowled straight with either a short mid-off or short mid-on in place after lunch. With Ray Price bowling a leg-stump line from over the wicket, the onus was on New Zealand to either unsettle the bowling or make a mistake. They did neither, waiting for loose deliveries and putting them away.

After a quiet period, Guptill skipped out of the crease to loft Price inside-out over long-off for six to move to 99. A pulled boundary off a long hop gave him his second Test hundred but he was out soon after, pulling a similar one from Hamilton Masakadza straight to midwicket.

Guptill's dismissal was similar to the way his two team-mates had fallen before him. After Taylor opted to bat in friendly conditions, McCullum threw away the opportunity to make a big score when he dragged an attempted pull off Kyle Jarvis onto his stumps.

Williamson and Guptill carried on unfettered but Zimbabwe had another gift coming their way when Williamson was run-out after lunch in freakish fashion. He tried to avoid a throw to the wicketkeeper from the bowler Ray Price but ended up being just short of his crease as he dragged his foot back.

The placidity of the wicket was on display as early as the second over when consecutive deliveries from Njabulo Ncube - one of five debutants in the game - bounced in front of Regis Chakabva, keeping wicket as Tatenda Taibu played as a specialist batsman. Guptill soon warmed up with three fours in Jarvis' third over, the second of which flew on the up between backward point and gully.

Zimbabwe had a couple of chances against Guptill; once when a powerful drive off Price went through the bowler's hands at head height just before lunch and again when Price could not get down in time at short mid-on as a punch went through his legs. With the three fast bowlers failing to get anything out of the surface, Price bowled a lot of overs and even part-timers Masakadza and Malcolm Waller were pressed into action.

How easy it was for the batsmen was evident when Guptill just plonked his front foot out and smashed Price for a straight six. Williamson looked a lot more fluent than Guptill, using his feet to loft Price for consecutive boundaries and timing the ball into the gaps off the seamers till he became the second New Zealand batsman to give it away when no bowler looked like getting him out.

In his first Test as captain, Taylor batted safely, going hard only at the cut when offered width and driving pleasingly through the off side. He was fortunate when Chakabva missed a sharp diving chance down the leg side off the second new ball. Watling became the next man to be let off as stumps approached when neither of Price and Chakabva went for a thick edge off the persevering Jarvis as it flew between them.

On such an unresponsive pitch, the excellent over-rate was the only thing going for Zimbabwe as New Zealand dictated the flow of proceedings, albeit at a leisurely pace.

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Injury-Hit Both Teams Before Bulawayo Test

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, only Test, Bulawayo

The Preview by George Binoy

October 31, 2011

Match facts
Zimbabwe v New Zealand, November 1, Bulawayo
Start time 10:00 (08:00 GMT)

Big Picture

New Zealand have not played a Test since the home series against Pakistan ended in January 2011. They haven't won a Test since beating Bangladesh at Seddon Park in February 2010. They haven't beaten a top-flight side since the victory against Pakistan in Dunedin in November 2009. Tests series and successes have been few and far between for them in recent times and the one-off match against Zimbabwe is their only game ahead of the tour of Australia in December.

New Zealand are presently No. 8 on the ICC's Test rankings and need every victory they can get to try and bridge the gap between them and West Indies.

Zimbabwe's re-entry to the Test fold is only two matches old. They won the first against Bangladesh, and enjoyed the limelight of that comeback win, but lost the second to Pakistan, after which a succession of limited-overs defeats has highlighted the shortcomings of their cricket. Zimbabwe, however, had a strong first-innings performance against Pakistan in Bulawayo. A second-innings collapse caused a sudden defeat. Zimbabwe have had several impressive individual performances since them - most of them from their captain Brendan Taylor - and the challenge is to produce a compelling collective effort.

Zimbabwe managed one such collective effort in the ODI series, after it had been lost. They pulled off a record chase by gunning down a target of 329 in Bulawayo with one wicket in hand and a ball to spare. While their batsmen will take confidence from that effort into the Test, Zimbabwe's bowlers won't. They've struggled to strike and contain New Zealand's batsmen all tour, and unless they produce an extraordinary turnaround in form, the best Zimbabwe can hope for is a draw.

Form guide

Zimbabwe: LW (most recent first)
New Zealand: DLLDD

In the spotlight

New Zealand's squad has been strengthened by the addition of Daniel Vettori, who doesn't play limited-overs cricket anymore. He eased into the tour by taking 3 for 35 and scoring 19 and 32 not out in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe A. Vettori's ability to out-think his opponents and to bowl long spells of accurate left-arm spin will test the skill and patience of Zimbabwe batsmen. His plucky lower-order batting will also add depth to a line-up that Zimbabwe have struggled to get through.

Can Brendan Taylor continue his outstanding limited-overs form in the one-off Test? He scored back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs and 75 in the third. All of those innings lifted Zimbabwe out of adverse situations and were superbly paced. The rest of the batsmen play around Taylor and Zimbabwe's fortune in the Test will be closely tied with that of their captain's.

Team news

Zimbabwe have two players injured ahead of the Test. Tatenda Taibu, one of their best batsmen, sustained a finger injury, while Brian Vitori, the fast bowler who has 12 wickets from five ODIs and five wickets in two Tests, did not recover from a shin problem that sidelined him from the limited-overs games against New Zealand. Allrounder Elton Chigumbura also had a knee problem, though, he hasn't been ruled out. Malcolm Waller, who scored a match-winning 99 in the third ODI, could make a debut, along with either Njabulo Ncube or Keegan Meth.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt), 5 Forster Mutizwa (wk), 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Njabulo Ncube/Keegan Meth, 9 Ray Price, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu.

Injuries to Kyle Mills and Jesse Ryder reduced New Zealand's squad from 15 to 13 but no replacements were called up on such short notice. Mills tore an abductor muscle and Ryder strained his right calf. There was more bad news for the visitors on the eve of the Test, with fast bowler Andy McKay down with a stomach bug, which means they may have only 12 fit players to choose from. Unless New Zealand decide to play two spinners, Jeetan Patel will be the one to miss out.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 BJ Watling, 6 , 7 Reece Young, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Andy McKay/Graeme Aldridge/Doug Bracewell, 10 Andy McKay/Graeme Aldridge/Doug Bracewell , 11 Chris Martin.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch in Bulawayo is expected to be batting friendly. The forecast is clear for the first day, but some rain is predicted on the second and third, after which it is fair once again.

Stats and trivia

Brendan Taylor scored 310 runs in three ODIs against New Zealand at a strike-rate of 107 and was dismissed only once.

Zimbabwe have played 13 Tests against New Zealand, of which they've lost seven and drawn six.

Zimbabwe have won only one Test out of 18 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. They have lost 10 and drawn seven matches. The solitary victory came against Bangladesh in 2001.

Quotes

"Daniel Vettori's arrival is a big boost for them [New Zealand], but we'll look to bat long and if we can take the game deep into day five then anything can happen."
The Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor

"That one-day game was 42 degrees and our bowlers struggled to bowl longer than three- or four-over spells, so we're going to have to try and get a little bit more out of our bowlers in terms of spells."
Ross Taylor on the challenge of playing in Bulawayo.

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Injured Taibu out of New Zealand Test

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, Only Test, Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff

October 31, 2011

Zimbabwe will be missing the services of Tatenda Taibu and left-arm seamer Brian Vitori in the only Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo starting November 1. Taibu, who played the three-match ODI series against New Zealand as a frontline batsman, is nursing a finger injury while Vitori, who hasn't played first-class cricket or List A cricket in more than a month due to a shin niggle, did not recover in time.

Allrounder Malcolm Waller, whose unbeaten 99 helped Zimbabwe chase down 329 in the third ODI, was picked in the 15-man squad on the back of a half-century in the tour game. Among the players picked for the squad for the only Test against Pakistan last month, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb and Chamu Chibhabha miss out against New Zealand. Seamers Njabulo Ncube and Keegan Meth and legspinner Natsai M'Shangwe, each of whom were part of the squad for the ODI series, have been selected.

Zimbabwe squad: Brendan Taylor (capt), Regis Chakabva, Elton Chigumbura, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Chris Mpofu, Natsai M'Shangwe, Forster Mutizwa, Njabulo Ncube, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller.

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Jesse Ryder out of Zimbabwe Test Due To Calf Strain

New Zealand in Zimbabwe 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff

October 30, 2011

New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder will miss the one-off Bulawayo Test against Zimbabwe from November 1, after sustaining a right calf strain. New Zealand Cricket have not added any replacement to the squad that is down to 13 members, following injuries to Kyle Mills and now Ryder.

Ryder picked up the injury while bowling in the warm-up game against Zimbabwe A in Bulawayo. He delivered three balls before feeling discomfort, and an ultra-scan on October 30 confirmed the strain.

"Initially we were hopeful the injury wasn't too serious but unfortunately the scan showed damage to Jesse's calf and he will miss the Test match," team manager Mike Sandle said. "He will return to New Zealand to undergo further assessment and a period of rehabilitation. Although he isn't available for our next match the medical team is confident he will be fit for and available for selection for December's Test series in Australia."

This is not the first time the injury-prone Ryder has sustained a calf-related ailment. He missed the ODI leg of the India tour in November last year, after straining his calf muscle during the Tests. He also picked up injuries to his elbow and groin - the latter requiring a surgery - in 2010. Earlier, he missed the latter stages of the 2009 Champions Trophy after pulling his left abductor muscle during a game against Sri Lanka.

New Zealand squad: Ross Taylor (capt), Graeme Aldridge, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Andy McKay, Jeetan Patel, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Reece Young

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"I Thought of Having a Swing" - Waller

New Zealand in Zimbabwe 2011-12

Firdose Moonda

October 26, 2011

Malcolm Waller still isn't entirely sure how he managed to keep himself calm in the crucial final moments of Zimbabwe's record run-chase against New Zealand. The hosts needed one run off two deliveries, with a single wicket in hand, to successfully reached a target over 300 for the first time. Up stepped Waller with the innings of his life and he made sure he gave the No. 11, debutant Njabula Ncube, some simple advice. "No matter what happens, if I get bat on ball, let's take the run."

Waller was on 98 at the time having batted bravely and survived four chances, three of them catches and one run out, and had formed a match-changing partnership with Elton Chigumbura before marshalling the tail to take the game down to the final two deliveries. "I thought of swinging at the second last ball and trying to get it over the field but then I decided not to," Waller told ESPNcricinfo. "Somehow I managed to stay pretty calm."

His cool head and quick single ensured that Zimbabwe clinched a tense win and broke a losing streak that had lasted for 12 matches across three international series. It was a victory that went against mould in many ways; their first successful 300-plus pursuit with a batting line-up prone to collapse and on a ground that hasn't been kind to them of late.

Since their return to Test cricket in August and their ODI series win over Bangladesh, Zimbabwe have stuttered. They were outplayed by Pakistan and were dismal in the opening T20 and ODI against New Zealand. As they lurched from defeat to defeat, even the small victories - like losing by four wickets instead of nine - could not stop the cricketing world from starting to predict regression. When they conceded a massive 328 the bright days of beating Bangladesh were an increasingly distance memory and coach Alan Butcher may even have struggled to reason that victory was possible.

Waller said that despite their disappointment in the field the dressing room certainly didn't think it was beyond them, yet they spent the lunch break planning, not for a victory, but for the best way to do damage control. "It was a big task but we said to ourselves that we didn't have anything to lose," he said. "We knew that with a few good partnerships, we could get close."

That was what Zimbabwe aimed for - to lose with dignity.

When Vusi Sibanda was out for a duck, even that looked impossible. However, Brendan Taylor had other ideas. Twice he had scored a century in the series and ended up on the losing side. Again he batted with aggression playing glorious, technically sound strokes at rapid pace. The mood changed.

"He started the whole thing for us," Waller said. "It lifted most of us and we thought that if two or three batters can do what he did we will get close."

Still, it was only getting close to the line that was in their minds, not over it.

Taylor was dismissed for 75 and usually that would have signalled the end of Zimbabwe's fight, but this time Tatenda Taibu stepped up. With nifty footwork against spin and Hamilton Masakadza as his steely assistant, Taibu kept Zimbabwe alive. Still, when the pair was dismissed, with Forster Mutizwa's wicket sandwiched in between, it looked all over.

The two-big hitters, Waller and Chigumbura, had not done more than set off a few fireworks previously, but this time they lit up Zimbabwe's cricketing sky. "At the beginning we just wanted to take it slow and see how we go," Waller said. "We hadn't much opportunity to bat for long periods. It was really nice to bat with Elton, he took the pressure off. And when Elton started hitting it cleanly, I thought if we stick around until the last ten five overs, we might be in it."

The pair got the target down to a run-a-ball, before Chigumbura perished as he swung against Jacob Oram. Despite only having the tail to come, Waller didn't panic. "I knew we'd brought it close enough," he said.

Keegan Meth was next in and Waller hoped he would "score a quick 20" but Meth lasted only two balls and was dismissed when he charged down the track at Luke Woodcock. "He was trying to do the right thing," Waller said. With the last of the allrounders back in the hut, Waller thought the chase was off. After all, they had come close enough.

"With two guys on debut [Natsai Mushangwe and Njabula] left to bat, I thought the pressure might be a bit much." Any other day it might have, as Zimbabwe have showed with the bat before, but on Tuesday it wasn't. Ray Price hung around for long enough to level the scores and then Waller finished it off himself to write his name into Zimbabwe's cricket history.

"To win one game was great," he said. "We always knew the Bulawayo wicket was tough for bowlers, especially if teams have wickets in hand. It's hard to defend here.

What has escaped Waller? "At some point, when we needed 25 to win and I needed 18 to reach a hundred, I thought the end was set up ten short, if you go the other batsmen," he said. "Then I thought at the end of it, but I decided to take home the team and not 100"

Altruism Waller has given Zimbabwe a well-deserved victory, and he hopes it will open the door to a more regular place in the starting lineup. "I want to do more regularly," he said. "If I can do well in the bowling department, and that means we can get an extra bowler, too."

Waller, however, more than skill is his big-match temperament and turned to the side of Zimbabwe. "New Zealand Cricket have been really good and the boys have never been too low," he said. "But now we have an excess of self-confidence."

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Kyle Mills Out of Zimbabwe Test Due To Injury

New Zealand in Zimbabwe 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

October 26, 2011

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand seamer, will miss the one-off Test against Zimbabwe due to a torn abductor muscle. A replacement has not been named as the Test squad has enough cover in the fast-bowling department, team manager Mike Sandle said.

Mills had initially developed discomfort in the muscle during the first ODI on October 20, and was rested for the next two games, before scans revealed the extent of his injury. "Kyle developed some discomfort during the first one-dayer in Harare," Sandle said. "Initially it was thought to be a strain but a scan has shown a slight tear to his abductor muscle. Kyle will undergo further assessment by the New Zealand Cricket medical team once he returns home.

"The decision has been made not to bring over a replacement player as there is sufficient cover in the current squad."

New Zealand are also without fast bowler Tim Southee, who is recovering from cartilage damage in his left knee, which he suffered while preparing for the Champions League T20. New Zealand's national selection manager Kim Littlejohn had been hopeful that Southee would recover in time for the one-off Test that begins on November 1, but as he had not shown enough improvement, Graeme Aldridge was included in the Test squad. Apart from Aldridge, Chris Martin, Andy McKay and Doug Bracewell make up New Zealand's pace department.

Mills' career had been dogged by injury. He had been out of international cricket prior to the Zimbabwe tour after picking up a quadricep strain half-way through the 2011 World Cup, which ruled him out of the knockout stages of the tournament. During the 2009-10 season, he underwent shoulder and knee surgery, and has not played a Test since March 2009.

"Clearly it is disappointing for Kyle who was looking forward to making a return to the Test team," Sandle said. "We are hopeful he will be available for selection for the upcoming Test series against Australia." New Zealand play two Tests in Australia from December 1.

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Zimbabwe Registered a Historical Win Over New Zealand in 3rd ODI

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 3rd ODI, Bulawayo

The Report by Firdose Moonda

October 25, 2011

Zimbabwe 329 for 9 (Waller 99*, Taylor 75) beat New Zealand 328 for 5 (Taylor 119, Williamson 100*) by one wicket

Zimbabwe's two big-hitting all-rounders, Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller, finally came good, with a 112-run sixth-wicket partnership to end a 12-match losing streak across formats. On a flat pitch in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's batsmen, Waller in particular, showed immense character to chase a total of more than 300 for the first time in Zimbabwe's history, and stave off a clean sweep in the series.

Captain Brendan Taylor set them on the right track with an aggressive 75 off 65 balls before Tatenda Taibu's feisty fifty kept the momentum going. Waller and Chigumbura came together at the start of the 31st over, with 146 runs required to win and crafted a match-winning partnership. They batted themselves in, took on the spinners - Nathan McCullum and Rob Nicol - capitalised on anything on a length or too full and left New Zealand's bowlers wondering how many more runs they needed to work with.

The chase was punctuated with twists, and after Chigumbura and Waller brought the target down to less than a run a ball, Chigumbura was bowled by Jacob Oram, swinging down the wrong line. He left Waller to marshal the lower order, a task he completed with distinction.

After the early loss of Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor was again the flagbearer for Zimbabwe's cause and showed the right intent from the start. He spent the first ten overs striking at more than a run a ball, allowing Hamilton Masakadza time to play himself in.

Taylor was particularly ruthless against the offspin of Nathan McCullum, against whom he scored 40 runs off 24 balls. Nathan McCullum had the last laugh though when he timed a jump to perfection at mid-off, after Taylor looked to go aerial, and held the catch to dismiss Taylor.

The McCullum brothers took four catches in the outfield to puncture Zimbabwe's effort but Tatenda Taibu kept them in the hunt. He scored a busy half-century, in which he took on Luke Woodcock's left-arm spin with regularity, but Zimbabwe's real test came when Taibu was caught by Brendon McCullum at the end of the 30th over.

After eleven deliveries of assessing the bowling and conditions, Waller began the boundary-scoring with a chip shot over extra cover and Chigumbura soon followed suit with a stunning six over mid-on. The beauty of their partnership was that it was not all brutal hitting; they also played some delicate strokes for ones and twos, with Waller even rolling out the perfect cover drive for four.

The pair enjoyed their fair share of luck. Ross Taylor dropped Waller at slip off McKay's bowling and Waller survived a run-out chance too. Instead of allowing that to put them under the cosh, Zimbabwe transferred the pressure to New Zealand, and Chigumbura and Waller took the team to the brink. Chigumbura did not last until the end though as he was bowled with 34 runs left to win.

When Meth was bowled three balls later, charging at Woodcock needlessly, the advantage had shifted back to New Zealand. Waller kept his cool and was assisted by a six from Natsai M'shangwe to bring the target within reach again.

M'shangwe departed and left Ray Price to finish things off. Waller smacked Graeme Alridge for two fours in the next over to ensure Zimbabwe needed 10 runs off the last 12 balls. The penultimate over saw Zimbabwe collect six runs in ones and twos, with Waller keeping strike. He was dropped twice at the start of the final over, both times by Taylor at short mid-wicket before Price was dismissed after getting a top edge to a short ball.

Waller made sure he crossed, kept strike and ended the drama with a calmly taken single on the off-side. He finished on 99 not out.

Zimbabwe's batting effort negated Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson's 195-run fifth-wicket stand, which came at close to nine runs to the over. The pair pulverised Zimbabwe's bowlers, particularly at the death, when they scored 69 runs off the last five overs.

That was after Zimbabwe had pushed New Zealand onto the ropes by reducing them to 41 for 3. After BJ Watling was run out for a duck off the second ball of the match debutant Njabula Ncube claimed two wickets, first when Vusi Sibanda took a blinder of a catch over his shoulder at point to dismiss Nicol and then when he had Brendon McCullum caught behind off a thing edge. Ncube was promising with his persistent back-of-a-length approach and bowling at the death, but occasionally banged it in too short. Meth was less successful and offered a few too many half-volleys early on.

Zimbabwe loosened their grip to allow Taylor and Jesse Ryder to rebuild. Ryder played with remarkable finesse and did well to work with Taylor through the middle period. He gave it away when he popped a leading edge back to Waller to fall three runs after reaching a gritty half-century.

Taylor had to consolidate with Williamson and, even when boundaries were rare, rotated strike well to avoid being tied down by Zimbabwe. The pair did not have to be patient for too long and were reprieved by all Zimbabwe's bowlers. When Meth offered the right length, the batsmen got under it; when Price bowled a full toss, they dispatched it; and even M'shangwe was punished when he erred. M'shangwe dropped Williamson when he was on 65, off his own bowling, an act that opened the floodgates at the end in which both Taylor and Williamson brought up centuries.

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Zimbabwe Need To Rally Around Taylor

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 3rd ODI, Bulawayo

The Preview by George Binoy

October 24, 2011

Match Facts
Zimbabwe v New Zealand, October 25, Bulawayo
Start time 09:30 (07:30 GMT)

Big Picture

For New Zealand to complete an all-round annihilation of Zimbabwe in this one-day series they need to achieve only one more thing - dismiss Brendan Taylor, for cheap.

During comprehensive victories in the first two ODIs, New Zealand denied Zimbabwe's bowlers wickets, scored with ease, benefitted from an extraordinary number of dropped catches, and ran through ten of their batsmen without too much trouble. Only Taylor has stood up to them, twice, with unbeaten centuries that dragged Zimbabwe from despair to totals that could have been defended, if his bowlers and fielders had stood by him.

The third ODI in Bulawayo is the last chance for Zimbabwe's batsmen to find form ahead of the only Test against New Zealand at the same venue. They adopted different approaches in the previous two games but both failed. In the first one-dayer, Zimbabwe's top order tried to be aggressive but lost wickets early and quickly. In the second, they were cautious and slow at the start, but lost several wickets as the pressure to accelerate grew. Both times Taylor bailed them out with assistance from one sidekick. Zimbabwe need for Taylor to be able to launch the innings without him needing to repair it as well.

Though they managed only one New Zealand wicket in the first 37 overs of the second ODI, Zimbabwe's bowlers did create several chances. Keegan Meth, whose mix of in-and-out swing New Zealand found hard to read, had a couple of close lbw shouts turned down, and then their fielders dropped Brendon McCullum not once, or twice but four times. Zimbabwe's out-cricket, which was a hallmark of their tenacious teams of the late 1990s, had deteriorated to worrying standards.

New Zealand have only one area of concern going into the third ODI. Their middle and lower-order batsmen haven't had enough time in the middle. Rob Nicol, Martin Guptill and McCullum have been greedy so far but New Zealand do have a tour game ahead of the Test to give the rest of their batsmen some match practice.

Form guide
(most recent first)

Zimbabwe: LLLLL
New Zealand: WWLWL

In the spotlight

Keegan Meth's return to the team for the second ODI, after recovering from a severe mouth injury, was an impressive one. He scored an aggressive 20 in the lower order before bowling a testing opening spell. Meth has the gift of swinging the ball both ways at medium-pace and the use of a new ball from either end increases his effectiveness. He also has pluck, and Zimbabwe could use more cricketers like him.

New Zealand's middle-order batsmen haven't had much to do in this series. The match was all but won when they got a small opportunity in the second ODI and three of them got out cheaply, giving Zimbabwe the faintest of hopes. It was left to Kane Williamson and Jacob Oram, batting at No. 8, to secure victory. Ross Taylor and co will want to be more clinical if given the chance in Bulawayo.

Team news

Fast bowler Chris Mpofu had a poor second ODI, conceding 49 in 7.2 overs for one wicket. Zimbabwe could replace him with Kyle Jarvis.

Zimbabwe: (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Brendan Taylor (capt), 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Forster Mutizwa (wk), 6 Malcolm Waller, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Keegan Meth, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Ray Price, 11 Chris Mpofu/Kyle Jarvis.

New Zealand had rested fast bowler Kyle Mills from the previous game because he had a slight groin strain. If they decide to play him, Mills could replace any one of Doug Bracewell, Graeme Aldridge or Andy McKay. Since New Zealand have already won the series, they might consider giving their inexperienced new-ball attack of Bracewell and Aldridge more match practice.

They also played an all-seam attack in the previous game and a spinner, most likely Nathan McCullum, could come in if the Bulawayo surface is slower. Jesse Ryder could return for BJ Watling if he has recovered from his stomach bug.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Rob Nicol, 3 Brendon McCullum (wk), 4 Jesse Ryder/BJ Watling, 5 Ross Taylor (capt), 6 Kane Williamson, 7 James Franklin, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Nathan McCullum/Kyle Mills/Andy McKay, 10 Doug Bracewell, 11 Graeme Aldridge.

Stats and trivia

Zimbabwe have lost their previous five matches in Bulawayo - four ODIs and a Test. Before that, they had beaten a second-string Indian side by six wickets in an ODI in May 2010.

Brendan Taylor has scored 235 runs in the ODI series, which is equal to the aggregate runs scored by all of Zimbabwe's other batsmen.

Quotes

"It was slightly better today but we're up against a good side so it's always going to be tough whatever total you post, then when the wicket flattens out it's always going to be hard defending."
Brendan Taylor after his side lost the second ODI.

"We stuttered a little bit at the end but I think we had it under control. We would have liked to have finished it off a bit more professionally but we'll take the win."
Ross Taylor after New Zealand stuttered ever so slightly before going up 2-0.

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Martin Guptill's Ton Leads New Zealand To Series Win

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Harare

The Report by George Binoy

October 22, 2011

New Zealand 261 for 6 (Guptill 105, McCullum 87) beat Zimbabwe 259 for 8 (Taylor 107*, McKay 4-53)

Had it not been for Brendan Taylor's century, which rescued a Zimbabwe innings that had floundered after a slow start, New Zealand would have beaten the hosts much earlier and more comfortably than they eventually did in Harare. Taylor became the first Zimbabwe batsman to score back-to-back ODI hundreds, and while he rescued his team from 83 for 4 in the 25th over, he watched helplessly as his bowlers once again struggled to take wickets, primarily because his fielders dropped as many as four catches.

New Zealand, for the most part, were clinical on either side of Taylor's century and secured the series 2-0 with one to play. Their disciplined seam attack forced a cautious start from Zimbabwe after which the increasing pressure to score yielded several wickets and allowed them only 259 despite Taylor's strong finish. New Zealand's batsmen were not as untroubled during the chase as in previous matches but Martin Guptill launched and then anchored the innings with his second ODI century. He had Brendon McCullum, who benefitted from all four dropped catches to score 87, for company during a 157-run partnership. Though New Zealand lost three wickets for 16 runs and stuttered late in the innings, the top order had already done enough to prevent a shock Zimbabwe win.

Zimbabwe's bowlers faced a familiar struggle. They had taken a total of three wickets in two Twenty20s and the first ODI, and they were able to take only one in the first 37 overs of New Zealand's chase. They should have had more.

Guptill had got New Zealand off to a brisk start with powerful cuts to the boundary and drives on both side of the wicket. In the sixth over, however, he survived a close lbw appeal from Keegan Meth, who was troubling the openers with his ability to swing the ball both ways. Guptill and Rob Nicol, who had also survived a strong lbw appeal from Meth, added 49 for the first wicket before Nicol was splendidly caught down leg side by the wicketkeeper in the eighth over.

Meth could have got McCullum four balls after Nicol fell but Hamilton Masakadza could not hang on to a firm flick at midwicket. New Zealand went into a bit of a lull as only 12 runs came between overs eight and 13 but Guptill and McCullum soon stirred out of it. McCullum charged Price to loft over long-on for six and Guptill cut Chris Mpofu to bring up a run-a-ball fifty. On 23, however, McCullum popped a catch back to Elton Chigumbura, who failed to latch on during his follow through. Soon after, on 31, he gave Chigumbura another opportunity, slashing towards sweeper where Malcolm Waller spilled a sitter.

With both batsmen well set, and 114 needed off 120 balls, New Zealand took the batting Powerplay in the 31st over. McCullum began to tee off, and flicked Meth over the square leg boundary. When he tried the shot a second time, on 59, he picked out Waller at deep square leg, but the catch was dropped once again. McCullum promptly clobbered the next ball far over square leg as Meth watched in anguish. McCullum ended the Powerplay with a straight six off Price - 46 runs had come off five overs and the contest was all but over.

Zimbabwe's marginally improved bowling but abject fielding effort had come after Taylor played a blinder for the second time in two matches. At 53 for 3 after 17 overs, Zimbabwe's hopes of competing depended on their captain.

Zimbabwe's fightback was launched in the 28th over, when Taylor swung James Franklin over the long-on boundary for the innings' first six. He had the plucky Waller for a sidekick. The surge came against Nicol, who bowled innocuous offbreaks and conceded 17 in the 30th over. Waller drove through the offside and slog-swept for fours. So did Taylor.

Taylor reached his half-century off 55 balls with a classy straight drive off Doug Bracewell and Waller brought up the fifty partnership, off only 6.5 overs, by cutting a short and wide ball for four. Waller was dismissed in the second over of the batting Powerplay, bowled by McKay who ended on a career-best 4 for 53.

Taylor, however, maintained the momentum Zimbabwe had acquired through that 86-run partnership with Waller. McKay delivered a series of full and very wide balls outside off, but Taylor chased and drove a couple to the boundary, forcing the abortion of that strategy.

Zimbabwe needed a strong finish and Taylor provided it. He paddled the third ball of the final over to the fine-leg boundary and lofted the next over mid-off for four, before watching Ray Price clout the last delivery to deep midwicket to round off a 14-run over. He ended on 107 off 105 balls, but it would be another valiant century in vain.

Match Summary

Innings	Dot Balls	4s  &  6s	PP1        PP2        PP3	Last 10 Overs	NB/Wides
Zimbabwe	181	29      2	38/0       21/1       35/1	64/3	1/13
New Zealand	141	18      4	54/1       19/0       46/0	52/4	0/8

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Debutants Nicol and Bracewell Give NZ 1-0 Lead

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 1st ODI, Harare

The Report by Nitin Sundar

October 20, 2011

New Zealand 232 for 1 (Nicol 108*, Guptill 74) beat Zimbabwe 231 for 6 (Taylor 128*, Mutizwa 69, Bracewell 3-55) by nine wickets

New Zealand's debutants - Rob Nicol and Doug Bracewell - played starring roles in a nine-wicket steamrolling of Zimbabwe that gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the ODI series. Nicol hit a fluent century and his opening stand of 153 with Martin Guptill made short work of Zimbabwe's inadequate 231 for 6.

That Zimbabwe even got that far was down to a stirring rearguard led by their captain Brendan Taylor, whose unbeaten 128 lifted them from the shambles of 21 for 4 in 11 overs. Zimbabwe's bowling woes, however, continued unabated as they allowed New Zealand to take their tour tally to a prolific 546 for 4 off 75 overs, one of those rare breakthroughs coming courtesy a run-out.

Faced with a middling target and a tame attack, Guptill and Nicol wasted no time in putting the nature of the pitch into perspective. Zimbabwe's easy lengths, delivered at amiable pace, sat up nicely for Guptill to launch the chase with a raft of drives. He repeatedly moved into line to punch Kyle Jarvis and Chris Mpofu through the off side. Nicol, fresh from a century for the Mashonaland Eagles in the domestic Pro50 Championship, backed up Guptill with a series of leg-side fours as New Zealand rolled past 50 in six overs.

The introduction of Ray Price slowed down the scoring a touch, before it was more a case of the batsmen pacing themselves. Elton Chigumbura troubled Nicol briefly with a couple of spirited legcutters but, almost on cue, the bowling Powerplay was taken in the 16th over and released the pressure. Jarvis was reintroduced, and Guptill resumed his belligerence over the off side, while Nicol kept turning the strike over.

Zimbabwe were going through the motions by the time Guptill deposited Prosper Utseya over midwicket in the 26th over. Guptill's expression when he holed out for 74 suggested the agony of a batsman who had let go a hundred that was there for the taking. But Nicol persevered to become the seventh batsman to hit a century on ODI debut, a list that includes Guptill's name. An early batting batting Powerplay and the presence of the in-form Brendon McCullum at the crease meant New Zealand were home with plenty to spare.

Despite their toothless bowling, Zimbabwe lost the game in the first quarter of their innings. Broad shouldered and tattooed, with muscular arms, Bracewell strode in with a streamlined open-chested action and hit perfect lengths from the outset. He dislodged Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha with exemplary away seamers, but the wicket that stood out was Hamilton Masakadza's.

Bracewell worked him over with a string of ten dot balls consisting largely of length deliveries that landed on the seam, interspersed with a pacy yorker and a well-directed short ball. The eleventh was full, Masakadza's eyes lit up as he lurched forward to drive, and the ball grazed the inside edge to uproot middle stump. Tatenda Taibu was then consumed by Kane Williamson's acrobatics at cover, as Zimbabwe stumbled out of control.

Though crease-occupation was their prime objective, Mutizwa and Taylor managed to pump adrenaline into the innings from the outset. They were cautious initially, and release came in rare spurts, predominantly against Andy McKay. Taylor cracked him square and carved him through the covers, while Mutizwa slammed him over midwicket.

Defence, misses and singles remained standard fare until the introduction of spin eased the pressure. Taylor and Mutizwa handled the offspin duo of Nicol and Nathan McCullum with relative ease to chug past their 50-run stand. The pressure began to show on New Zealand, with Nathan McCullum spilling a return chance and McKay parrying Taylor over the long-off boundary for the first six.

Taylor celebrated the miss by clattering McCullum for six more as Zimbabwe ushered in the batting Powerplay on the ascendancy. Taylor and Mutizwa pulled off a series of audacious laps over fine-leg to take 32 off the five-over block, which meant momentum was coursing through the Zimbabwe innings when the slog overs commenced. Though Mutizwa fell in the 42nd, Taylor was primed for assault.

He remained subdued until he reached his 100 in the 47th over, but exploded in Bracewell's final over. Bracewell served Taylor a full toss, a slow length ball and a short delivery, all of which were gleefully deposited into the leg-side stands. One debutant had endured a ragged finish to his day, but another was about to more than make up for it.

Match Summary

Innings	Dot Balls	4s  &  6s	PP1        PP2        PP3	Last 10 Overs	NB/Wides
Zimbabwe	166	13       6	19/3       20/0       32/0	73/2	0/1
New Zealand	135	19       3	62/0       22/0       38/0	14/1	2/7

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Zimbabwe will Face New Zealand In 1st ODI Tomorrow

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 1st ODI, Harare

The Preview by Nitin Sundar

October 19, 2011

Match Facts
Zimbabwe v New Zealand, October 20, Harare
Start time 09:30 (07:30 GMT)

Big Picture

Can a wicket-taking bowler from Zimbabwe please stand up? New Zealand have so far faced a little over 31 overs on tour and clattered 314 for three wickets, one of which came courtesy a run-out. The Zimbabwean attack has been the epitome of toothlessness, at the risk of sounding insensitive to Keegan Meth fans. With the competition shifting to the 50-overs format, the tourists can afford to slacken the pace of their accumulation. However, there will be no let-up in their appetite for runs, unless Zimbabwe can conjure some incisiveness.

It isn't surprising that these teams have clashed only 29 times in ODIs. While both sides frequently figured in the glut of meaningless tri-series in the late 90s, organisers seldom found space to accommodate both in the same tournament. It has been more than ten years since their last bilateral series as well, a period in which they have clashed a mere four times. The last of those games was in the World Cup, when New Zealand emerged easy victors. Ominously for Zimbabwe supporters, the margin of victory in that game was ten wickets.

Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill were in pristine form in that match, as they have been in the Twenty20s here. McCullum in particular has shown a propensity to launch sixes into the stands and trees surrounding the Harare Sports Club. Given Zimbabwe's bowling woes, the ODI series should help him further his reputation for minnow-bashing.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLLL
New Zealand: LWLWW

In the spotlight

A dose of Ray Price's aggression will go a long way towards lifting Zimbabwe on the field. Armed with the mind of a fast bowler, Price trots in and lets the ball grip and rip, before breaking into the most exaggerated follow-through for a spinner since Brad Hogg's retirement. Given the carnage his team-mates endured, Price escaped relatively unhurt in the Twenty20s, but he will have wickets on his mind when the ODIs begin.

Jacob Oram's fairytale return from knee surgery in August 2010 has lasted longer than even he would have imagined. Oram initially expected to sign off with the World Cup, a tournament where he gave his all, most famously in the quarter-final shocking of South Africa. He hasn't batted so far in Zimbabwe, but expect him to unleash his trademark swings to midwicket when he gets in. Zimbabwe will find his wobblers from ten paces tough to get away as well.

Team news

Zimbabwe will be anxious to have Tatenda Taibu back after injury kept him out of the Twenty20s. Vusi Sibanda, too, missed the Twenty20-leg, bereaved by his mother's death, but is expected to return at the top. Zimbabwe juggled the batting line-up around in an attempt to find stability, but the lower order misfired in both games. A lack of options, though, might prevent them from making too many changes. Meth could come in for Charles Coventry, who isn't in the ODI squad.

Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Brendan Taylor (capt), 4 Chamu Chibhabha, 5 Tatenda Taibu/Regis Chakabva (wk), 6 Forster Mutizwa, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Keegan Meth, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Ray Price, 11 Kyle Jarvis

Kyle Mills is likely to reclaim his spot in the XI from Graeme Aldridge, who went for 45 runs in four overs on debut. The No. 5 slot will be a toss-up between Rob Nicol and Kane Williamson who both played a Twenty20 each, but were denied the chance to bat by the top order.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Jesse Ryder 4, Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson/Rob Nicol, 6 James Franklin, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Luke Woodcock

Stats and trivia

Zimbabwe have won seven and lost 20 of the 29 ODIs between these sides
With 192 ODI appearances, Brendon McCullum is the seventh most-capped New Zealand player

Quotes

"To get over 100 two games in a row sets a benchmark. Brendon and Guppy [Guptill] batted sensibly and complemented each other very well."
Ross Taylor will expect his opening pair to continue to meet their lofty standards

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Opening Partnership Was Outstanding - Ross Taylor

New Zealand in Zimbabwe 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

October 19, 2011

Ross Taylor and John Wright, New Zealand's captain and coach, have praised the exploits of their openers, Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum, who secured a 2-0 victory in the Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe with century opening partnerships.

"The opening partnership was outstanding," Taylor said. "To get over 100 two games in a row sets a benchmark. Brendon and 'Guppy' [Guptill] batted sensibly and complemented each other very well."

Guptill and Taylor added 127 in 13.3 overs to secure a ten-wicket win in the first T20 and then put on 120 in 11.1 overs in the second to help New Zealand post 187 in 18 overs.

"Both Brendon and Guppy have played really, really well," Wright said. "It's an ideal opportunity in this country, because the batting conditions are very good. Their stroke play has been encouraging. We haven't had a lot of batting outside the top three, but that will address itself in the 50-over format."

Guptill, who scored 40 and 67 in the two T20s, had spent New Zealand's off-season with Derbyshire and he said there was no rustiness because he had been in touch with the game. "I played a lot of cricket when I was over there [Derbyshire] so there was no stiff legs after the first game so that was quite handy,'' Guptill told the New Zealand Herald. "We started off very well in the first Twenty20 and to back it up with a batting and bowling performance like that [in the second T20] is very pleasing.''

New Zealand will begin the one-day leg of their tour of Zimbabwe in Harare on October 20.

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Guptill And B.McCullum Sets Up T20 Clean Sweep Win With 2-0

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 2nd Twenty20, Harare

The Report by Firdose Moonda

October 17, 2011

New Zealand 187 (Guptill 67, B McCullum 64) beat Zimbabwe 154 (Chibhabha 65, N McCullum 3-23) by 34 runs under D/L method

The brothers McCullum ensured that New Zealand sealed their two-match Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe with a convincing win in the second game. Brendon scored 64 off 37 balls and Nathan took three key wickets with his offspin to wreck Zimbabwe's hope of evening the series. The hosts were more competitive than they had been in the previous game; after an ordinary performance in the field they batted bravely, but the target was too tall for them.

Chris Mpofu started well, with five, precise, back-of-a-length deliveries but indiscipline crept in when his sixth delivery was a legside wide that ended up costing five runs. Kyle Jarvis also had an impressive initial burst with his first ball resulting in a confident appeal for lbw against McCullum. The ball looked destined for middle and leg stump but the umpire did not think so. McCullum was on two at the time and went on to capitalise on his good fortune. The floodgates opened when he clipped Jarvis over mid-wicket for six in the same over.

Another six, off an Mpofu slower ball took New Zealand to 28 without loss when rain interrupted play after three overs. The 20-minute break shaved four overs off the game, reducing it to 18 overs a side. It should also have given Zimbabwe's bowlers enough time to rethink their strategies, but it served only to motivate McCullum and Guptill, who returned to the crease breathing fire.

The better they batted, the worse Zimbabwe bowled. Jarvis could not find the right length; Prosper Utseya tossed it up too much and even Ray Price was guilty of dropping it too short. McCullum took a particular liking to Utseya, smacking him for two sixes in the ninth over to get to the brink of his half-century. His fifty came up, surprisingly, with a single off Elton Chigumbura.

Just when it looked as though the rest of New Zealand's batsmen might not get a chance to occupy the crease, Zimbabwe got a breakthrough with the first ball of Jarvis' third over. McCullum tried the paddle scoop and missed.

But the dismissal was a false dawn. Even as it sent one powerhitter back to the dressing room, it brought another one out. Jesse Ryder played carefully for the first few balls he was at the crease and then pulled Utseya over square leg for four to announce his arrival. With McCullum gone, Guptill took over and reached a fifty of his own, without taking many risks. He pummelled Mpofu in the 16th over, before falling to a big shot off Jarvis.

Although the stats do not reflect it, Zimbabwe's bowlers produced a number of good deliveries. Unfortunately for them, they also sent down at least one hittable delivery in every over. Mpofu finally got it right in the final over, when he bowled full and straight and was able to squeeze the New Zealand batsmen, but it was too little, too late.

Zimbabwe will take heart from their chase, which started in promising fashion, was quickly pegged back with early two wickets but then took flight again. With moisture still hanging in the air, Hamilton Masakadza was undone by seam movement from Doug Bracewell and was caught behind. In the next over, Brendan Taylor was bowled by a slower ball from Aldridge.

Instead of allowing the innings to unravel, Chamu Chibhabha and Elton Chigumbura took the fight to New Zealand. Chibhabha, a man known for his ability to hit the ball a long way in domestic cricket, tucked into debutant Graeme Aldridge, who bowled too full at first and too short later. Chigumbura dealt with changes in length and speed in the same fashion, by taking dispatching the deliveries over the boundary and Chibhabha did well to attack the spinners. Their third-wicket partnership of 57 threatened to give Zimbabwe an unlikely chance at victory but Nathan McCullum put an end to any thoughts of a win.

He got rid of Chigumbura after reacting speedily to take a good return catch and dismissed Charles Coventry for a duck in the same fashion. Chibhabha continued to fight hard but, after reaching his highest score in this format, was undone by the two brothers: he was stumped by Brendon off Nathan. With Chibhabha gone, Zimbabwe's chase fizzled out and came to an ignominious end with four wickets falling in four balls in the 17th over, two of them run-outs.

Match Summary

Innings	Dot Balls	4s	6s	Powerplay      (16-20)Overs	NB/Wides
New Zealand	40	13	8	47/0                   42/2	3/9
Zimbabwe	41	14	7	44/2                   14/5	0/1

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New Zealand Favourites For T20 Series Win Over Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 2nd Twenty20, Harare

The Preview by Dustin Silgardo

October 16, 2011

Match Facts
Zimbabwe v New Zealand, October 17, Harare
Start time 14:00 (12:00 GMT)

The Big Picture

The heady heights of a Test win must be a distant memory for Zimbabwe, even though it was only two months ago that they beat Bangladesh in their comeback Test. They have now lost nine international games on the trot and are coming to terms with what looks like it will be a long, hard slog to prove they are worthy of Test status.

Though they are inexperienced at Twenty20 cricket, this may be the format most likely to provide Zimbabwe rare wins against Test-playing nations. The brevity of the game means there is not much time for a better side to make the difference in quality count, and an individual performance or a single phase of play can often be enough for an underdog to cause an upset.

Zimbabwe's problem in Twenty20 cricket seems to be the inability to get off to quick starts with the bat. They had an opportunity to beat Pakistan after they kept them to 141 in Harare during the recent home series, but the top order floundered and left the middle order too much to do.

From the strength of the side New Zealand put out in the first Twenty20 international it is clear they are not treating this series as one to test new players; not surprising considering their embarrassing 0-4 defeat to Bangladesh just a year ago. They have beaten Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in both their last two encounters, the first being in the World Cup, but even if Zimbabwe do break through the opening pair, a middle order featuring Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and James Franklin looks imposing.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLLL
New Zealand: WLWWL

Spotlight

With Brian Vitori out injured, 22-year-old Kyle Jarvis has been entrusted with being Zimbabwe's spearhead. Spin is Zimbabwe's strength at home but if Jarvis can provide a couple of early strikes it will make Ray Price and Prosper Utseya's task easier. Jarvis will have to quickly forget the 32-runs-in-three-overs mauling he was subjected to on Saturday.

Brendon McCullum grabbed the headlines in the first Twenty20 with his 81 off 46 balls, but his brother Nathan McCullum once again showed why he is fast becoming one of New Zealand's most-important players in the limited-overs formats. With Daniel Vettori having retired from the shorter formats, Nathan McCullum is New Zealand's lead spinner, and this tour is a chance for him to adapt to that role.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for the first Twenty20, at the same ground, was flat, and Zimbabwe's score of 123 was well under-par. Brendan Taylor had said at the toss his side were aiming at 160, but the way the New Zealand openers went about things, even that may have fallen well short. Pakistan smashed 198 in a Twenty20 here in September, and with the weather in Harare surprisingly cool for this time of year, conditions should be good for batting.

Team news

Zimbabwe went in with just three specialist bowlers in the first T20I, and after their part-time seamers went for 58 runs off five overs, they may consider bringing in either Chris Mpofu or Keegan Meth for a batsman. Tatenda Taibu did not recover from an earlier injury in time for the first game, while Vusi Sibanda missed the first T20 as his mother died on the morning of the game. Taibu, if he is fit, will replace Regis Chakabva.

Zimbabwe (probable) 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Brendan Taylor (capt), 4 Forster Mutizwa, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Regis Chakabva/ Tatenda Taibu (wk), 8 Keegan Meth, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Ray Price, 11 Kyle Jarvis

New Zealand should go in with the same side, with 21-year-old allrounder Doug Bracewell getting another chance after making his international debut on Saturday.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Jesse Ryder 4, Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson, 6 James Franklin, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Luke Woodcock

Stats and trivia

Zimbabwe have not beaten New Zealand in any international match since January 2001

In 14 Twenty20 internationals against Test-playing nations, Zimbabwe have scored more than 150 while batting first just once

Brendon McCullum has the most runs in Twenty20 internationals for any batsman, with 1181 runs in 41 innings

Quotes

"I thought we batted poorly, there were just too many dot balls and in the end 123 was never going to be enough to trouble New Zealand."
Alan Butcher, the Zimbabwe coach, points out the reasons for Zimbabwe's loss in the series opener

"When you have been out of cricket for so long, the way we backed up the bowlers in the field was excellent."
Ross Taylor, New Zealand's captain, appreciated his players' efforts six months after their last international game

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Ruthless Brendon McCullum seals easy win against Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe v New Zealand First T20, Harare

The report by Siddhartha Talya

October 15, 2011

New Zealand 127 for no loss (Brendon McCullum 81 *, 40 * Guptill) beat Zimbabwe 123 for 8 (50 * Taylor, Mills 2-15) by 10 wickets

The New Zealand were playing in his first international match since the World Cup semi-final in March, but was completely at ease at the Harare Sports Club. Their bowlers showed a lot of discipline and some signs of rust in Zimbabwe 123 to limit a good batting pitch, and the couple opened Brendon McCullum led, has ensured that it was all one way with a dominant Chase.

Asked to bat, Brendan Taylor, said, hoping to score 160, but the early loss of the open inning, got the rest of the configuration approached with caution. Kyle Mills bowled off a channel constant popping out and a few boundaries, although supplanted Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha in QuickTime. He received a small movement, and was assisted by a knife aggressive purpose - Masakadza tried to swarm him at mid-off, but was caught when a swing-blind Chibhabha produced from the outer edge.

The responsibility fell on Taylor to anchor sleeves and well when it was, did not find the desired support at the other end. He turns to strike and it worked well between the wickets in the ground once spread, but for most of his sleeves, Zimbabwe could not keep a running pace of just over six years in which much more is needed. Forster Mutizwa, Malcolm Waller and Charles Coventry starts, but all had difficulty in forcing the pace, and lost their wickets.

New Zealand, spinners, Luke Woodcock and Nathan McCullum, found no support in the field, but changed its flight, the duration and timing and to avoid escalation of Zimbabwe. They did occasional bad balls hanging container Taylor - Woodcock, sent through the door when running and slog-swept acute Nathan McCullum, who was also broken by six of Waller. However, while Taylor took them, that have been successful at the other end. Mutizwa was stuck in the front, Coventry and Waller fell in their favor the big boys.

Only Elton Chigumbura joined Taylor, who seemed to Zimbabwe could achieve a competitive total, and a couple of steps two at a running hard and go forward but their efforts were not sufficient. On a flat field, their strength and took a lot of progress and the inning, which was connected to the game as ODI Twenty20 since they have lost the open has given them a lower score.

Brendon McCullum made them pay for hurricane innings, backup, and Martin Guptill. Zimbabwe was the first roll over and let Brendon McCullum twice in his Blitz, and began to make fun of what their batsmen had failed. The signs were already evident at third, when he commanded Kyle Jarvis, and launched the massive six over long-off. He showed tremendous bat speed, cutting and pulling the bowlers for more than one square meter and was completely at ease, giving space and loft out over the covers.

Brendon McCullum for rent in Jarvis on his return later in the sleeves and accelerated in order to break Chibhabha of six consecutive one more of the 20 recovered. Guptill was not far behind, swaying in the stands Masakadza end to a stream of 40 years, but a companion game ended in edit mode, the dance of Ray Price and send the ball over to allow a large relatively long crowded Harare surprised by his ruthless hitters.

Match Summary.

Innings	Dot balls	4s	6s	Powerplay	16-20 overs	NB/Wides
Zimbabwe	56	10	2	34/2	24/3	3/1
New Zealand	34	7	7	43/0	-	Time

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