Zimbabwe's total of 258, after electing to bat would have been a bit of a disappointment to their skipper, who had himself set the foundations for a total which should have approached 275. They got away to a flying start, with ten runs coming from Simon Doull's first over, but in the next over, Grant Flower was unlucky to see Craig McMillan scoop up an excellent catch at point as he pushed forward at an innocuous delivery from Geoff Allott.
With Campbell in scintillating form, driving exquisitely both square of the wicket and straight down the ground, Zimbabwe raced to their fifty in just the seventh over of the innings. With Campbell at the crease was newly qualified debutant Neil Johnson, and after playing himself in, he too settled down to produce some handsome strokes.
Campbell was fortunate to survive a half chance when he was on 39. Looking to work Simon Doull away through mid wicket, he used a little too much bottom hand in his shot, and the resultant leading edge lobbed straight up in the air. Unfortunately, McMillan, who was now stationed at short mid- wicket, was just a fraction late to react, and in the end his despairing dive could not prevent the ball eluding his outstretched fingertips.
In the tenth over, captain Stephen Fleming finally began to ring the changes which really had been called for a lot earlier. The introduction of pseudo- leg-spinner Chris Harris at one end made an immediate impression. Harris was right into his groove, and neither batsman was able to do any more than just work the ball around the infield.
Fleming went on the defensive at both ends, spreading the field as far as the restrictions would allow, and replacing Doull with medium pacer Alex Tait, playing in his first international. Tait should have had a wicket with his second ball, but Nathan Astle completely misjudged a skied drive at mid off, and contrived to somehow not even get near the ball as it dropped to ground. Astle's misery was compounded when Johnson leant into the next delivery from Tait and drove it high, wide and handsome over wide mid wicket, narrowly failing to clear the fence.
That audacious stroke was Johnson's last act though, and the half-full Bangabandhu stadium erupted in delight when the batsman hoicked ingloriously across the line at Tait's next ball, and was comprehensively bowled. At 75-2 in the 12th over though, Zimbabwe would have been perfectly content with the way things were going. Murray Goodwin came out to join Campbell, and he too found that Chris Harris was not going to be easy to score off. The double change had also forced the hitherto aggressive Campbell into a defensive mode, from which he really never emerged. Score one to Stephen Fleming.
Campbell reached his half century in the fifteenth over, with the help of some sloppy fielding on the boundary line, but in the following over, Murray Goodwin played a very poor stroke, pulling a long hop straight into the hands of McMillan at mid wicket. Andy Flower was the next an in, but he was made to wait a while by the Kiwi fielders, who decided that now was as good a time as any to take a drinks break. Umpire Bucknor did not appreciate this however, and got things rolling again.
Harris changed ends, and Daniel Vettori replaced Alex Tait, and all of a sudden, the game changed complexion. The ball was now softer, and stopping just a fraction off the pitch, making strokeplay very difficult. Campbell was now struggling to time the ball, and Flower was content to just play himself in, as the Zimbabwean scoring rate began to drop.
As the partnership began to develop, Zimbabwe slowly began to re-assert themselves, primarily through the superb strokeplay of Andy Flower. Flower was unafraid to use his feet, at times rocking right back to play square on the off side, and at times down on bended knee to sweep, or using his feet to come down the track. He played one of the shots of the day when he eased down the wicket to Chris Harris and drove him superbly through extra cover for four, and he soon had brought up his fifty.
As Zimbabwe approached the forty over mark, both batsman made it very obvious that their intent was to pillage the attack. Flower continued his delightful innings with a tremendous six over long off from the bowling of Tait. Not to be outdone in the entertainment stakes, Nathan Astle attempted a slower delivery, but succeeded only in bowling a head high full toss at Flower's head. The batsman, taken by surprise, was unable to take full advantage, and was further dismayed to find that Peter Willey had not ruled the delivery a no-ball.
In the 43rd over Flower met his end leaning right back and away to the leg side, attempting to force a ball on off stump from Nathan Astle through the covers, but managed only to scoop it up to Chris Harris in the covers. Campbell completed his third ODI century in the 48th over, earning a standing ovation from the 25,000 strong crowd. But he was soon after clean bowled by Allott with his score on 100. Despite a last ball six from Wishart, Zimbabwe would have been disappointed with their final total of 258.
New Zealand got off to an unconvincing start chasing a substantial Zimbabwe target of 259. Openers Bell and Astle failed to satisfy a boisterous crowd with the now traditional early throws of the bat. Bell fell the fourth over to an uppish but unremarkable delivery from Johnson. Worse was to come when Fleming sent Astle back looking for a second run, and Astle was ignominiously run out. Zimbabwe's tight bowling and lightning quick fielding has made the outlook for New Zealand, at this early stage, fairly bleak. Things only got worse as Astle was sent back attempting a second run by Fleming and was run out. The poor start became a sluggish first half as further wickets fell. Macmillan was taken by Flower off Strang in the 21st over. Television replays showed that the batsman was very unfortunate - the fielders had appealed for a stumping, which leg umpire Peter Willey correctly turned down, but McMillan looked up to discover that Steve Bucknor had in fact given him out, caught behind. Next up to bat Parore failed to make any more impact on the attack than his compatriots, the pair adding 35 runs as the run rate required began to creep over 7. Goodwin came on at the pavilion end in the 27th over and bowled a tidy medium pace which complemented a typically mean Strang spell at the opposite end. But New Zealand's steady if meagre accumulation of runs kept them within reach of Zimbabwe whose own run rate had began to tail off rapidly in the same stage of their innings. Fleming and Parore, in little danger of getting out, trundled gently to a total 175 at the 40 over mark. Parore's most effective shot, the sweep, threatened to lift the gloom for New Zealand, but he never made sufficiently good contact to beat the leg side field. Indeed, he was almost caught off Strang attempting to clear the boundary. His partner Fleming never really looked like making quick runs, failing to time his shots. The crowd warmed to a cracking Parore cover drive in the 33rd over off Goodwin, but had to wait another five overs before the next boundary which came off a wide delivery from Olonga and the edge of Fleming's bat. Olonga's failure to find his line in his return spell was New Zealand's only hope of bringing a wayward run rate down to realistic levels.
A run chase that never really started was given a boost by Fleming when he hit a straightish one hand six back over Johnson's head. It had an immediate impact on the crowd - one of the pitch side spectators took a direct hit. Fleming's new found confidence lasted only five more balls when Whittall bowled him and seemingly sealed the Kiwis fate.
But Chris Harris looked much more the part even with his first swing of the bat, and spectators were left to rue why he hadnt been introduced earlier when his positive attitude might have made a more significant impact on this game. Three fours off Johnson, two to the leg side and one skied through the covers left New Zealand needing 22 off the last two overs. A quick single left Harris facing Streak, who bowled a quick ball into the blockhole and followed through with words of warning for Harris. The next ball seemed to clear the boundary when Whittal failed to hold on to it at long on, but umpire Bucknor signalled four after consultation with the third umpire. Streak bowled out the over only conceding three further runs leaving Harris to face the last over from Johnson. Johnson's first, a no ball, conceded a single to Harris. The second came off Tait's inside edge for a four at fine leg. The third was dropped at square leg and conceded two. The next two were singles. The sixth was a bye as Harris ran through to the batsman's end. As the orgnaisers were contemplating a bowl out, which would decide a tied game, Harris dispatched the seventh and last imperiously through the covers for four.
Zahid Newaz reports from the post-match press conference:
``One day cricket is a lottery,'' said the Zimbabwean captain after their last ball defeat against New Zealand. Alistair Campbell who himself scored the first century of the mega do-or-die tourney said it was their bad luck that they lost the game.
However, he highly praised the good innings of Chris Harris who scored 37 runs in 22 balls that featured six fours, including the match winning one off the last ball. ``Harris played a very good innings.''
Asked whether they were defeated due to inexperience of Johnson who bowled the last over and gave 65 runs in his stipulated quota, Campbell said it happens in cricket. ``One bowler can snatch one day and may bowl badly the other day. This is cricket. But we played good cricket. And it's our satisfaction.''
After the nerve wrecking match, New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said their starting against Zimbabwe in the opener of Wills Cup was not so good, but they finished very well.
``Around 260 runs is a very, very good score and finally we chased it,'' he said adding their next match against Sri Lanka in the quarter final would be a very tough match as the World Champions are very tough side.
The Kiwis captain, who was adjudged man of the match for his innings of 96, said he is not satisfied over bowling of his team and expects a better performance from them in next match as Sri Lanka have a very good batting side.
``They have also some good bowlers and we have to do better... We are confident to show our best performance to qualify for the semi-final,'' said Fleming.