Lynn McConnell
|
2nd ODI: New Zealand v Zimbabwe at Wellington, 4 Jan 2001 Lynn McConnell |
|
|
Pre-game:
Zimbabwe innings: New Zealand innings: |
This was a New Zealand team that shook off the malaise which resulted in its recent history in Taupo on Tuesday night.
The bowling during the Zimbabwe innings was far tighter while the fielding was much more supportive. From this foundation, a superb batting effort was built as New Zealand worked towards achieving the target of 237.
Nathan Astle became the second New Zealand batsman to score 4000 One-Day International runs when reaching 64 but far more encouraging was the fact that in partnership with Mathew Sinclair the Kiwis enjoyed an opening partnership of 153 runs, the best in 85 ODIs, and the first century partnership for New Zealand since November 1999.
Sinclair, whose previous highest ODI score was 19, was finally out for 85 when run out, the only way it looked like he could get out. He batted as well as he has since his Test debut double century last year and certainly deserved a three-figure score.
Astle, generally the aggressor par excellence for New Zealand, took more of a back seat, although he scored his half century only two balls slower than Sinclair.
Scott Styris was promoted to No 3 to keep the scoring momentum going and he blasted 48, also his highest ODI score, from 33 balls during a 56-run partnership off 49 balls.
Then Astle accelerated his scoring by taking three successive fours from the last three balls of Guy Whittall's 10 overs to leave him with 0/52.
Brian Murphy had the satisfaction of picking up Styris's wicket with the third to last ball of his 10 overs which gave him 1-38, an impressive effort on the night.
But this was New Zealand's night of redemption. The night which ended six ODI losses in succession.
Astle hit the winning runs, a cover driven four from Douglas Marrillier's bowling to finish on 89 not out while Fleming scored eight not out.
After 30 overs, New Zealand was 135/0 with Sinclair on 74 and Astle on 56.
They enjoyed New Zealand's first century opening partnership in 32 ODIs, dating back to November 1999 and in the process regained the initiative from a Zimbabwe side which was made to look vastly inferior to the side which won the first game in Taupo.
Equally, the New Zealand effort, firstly in the field and secondly with the bat was much more representative of the potential of the side.
Sinclair scored easily his best score in ODIs passing 50 for the first time while Astle scored his 25th half century and was set to go past 4000 runs when reaching 64.
This time it was the turn of the Zimbabwe bowlers to be blasted out of the game. Left-arm medium-fast bowler Bryan Strang had 36 runs hit off his first six overs. Angus Mackay had the misfortune to be taken out of the attack in his maiden ODI when his first two overs went for 14.
One of Astle's two sixes was off Mackay and was one of the bigger hits seen since the Stadium was opened last summer.
Nathan Astle, and a rampant Mathew Sinclair took to the Sri Lankan as New Zealand set out to score 237 to tie-up the three-match series. Sinclair raced to 47 off 55 balls while Astle had scored 28 from 36 balls.
Sinclair was dropped by second slip Stuart Carlisle when on 11 from Heath Streak's bowling, and then he decided to make capital from his luck and cover drive Streak on the up for four runs and then played an elegant square drive from the back foot for another four three balls later.
The 12th over proved especially fruitful for Sinclair as he drove Bryan Strang for three fours around the long on to long off region.
Astle, who had shown in the field that he was over the light-headedness that troubled him yesterday, pulled a ball from Strang into the crowd on the square leg boundary and an over later was dropped by Douglas Marillier at mid-on from what should have been a gift.
He greeted Angus Mackay's fourth ball in international cricket by depositing it over the long on boundary in one of the bigger hits yet registered at the ground.
Sinclair's -- was easily his highest in ODIs. His previous best was 19 scored against Australia in the last of last summer's ODIs.
Bryan Strang conceded 36 runs from six overs and Streak 24 from six.
From a position of strength after 30 overs of 122/2, Zimbabwe were unable to pass 200 until the 47th over. Some late big hitting by Heath Streak, who was caught on the long off boundary for 17, helped Zimbabwe end on 236/7.
That was largely the result of tight bowling by Nathan Astle, 1-35 off eight overs, Craig McMillan 2-30 off eight overs, and Scott Styris 1-45 off 10 overs, of which 14 came off his last over, the 49th.
The better lines and lengths bowled by the Kiwis were highlighted by the fact that it was the 49th over before the first wide, and unforced extra, was conceded.
The only batsman to make a significant impact on the business part of the innings was Alistair Campbell who scored 111. However, a late innings rally from Gavin Rennie, who was unbeaten on 46, proved timely as Zimbabwe made up at least some of its lost ground.
Campbell's fifth ODI century was a lovely innings, sensibly compiled with few rash strokes, only nine fours, and none after he was 72.
Having passed 4000 runs when he was 15, he hit his century from 124 balls and hit nine fours. He was landed with the responsibility of keeping his wicket intact, especially after three wickets fell for three runs in 19 balls.
Craig McMillan took the wickets of Douglas Marillier and Guy Whittall in three balls to put the brakes on the innings. That process was helped in the 31st over when Nathan Astle showed he was well and truly over whatever ailed him yesterday by taking a superb caught and bowled chance to remove Andy Flower.
The sudden collapse left Zimbabwe 142/5 and the tempo of the innings changed as working the ball around to keep the score ticking over to allow a late overs assault became the preferred scoring method.
Rennie proved a reliable ally and they put on 52 runs, off 62 balls, before Campbell was finally out for 111, caught by Stephen Fleming from Scott Styris's bowling. The only other risk was a chance dropped off Campbell by Parore when he was 109.
At the 30-over mark of the second game in the National Bank series, at WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington today, Zimbabwe was 136/2.
As expected the pitch was slow and a score of around 240-250 looked like being competitive.
Campbell, who had scored his 4000th ODI run when passing 15 today, is playing his 148th ODI. He shared a record second wicket partnership against New Zealand of 91 with Stuart Carlisle which broke the record of 85 set by Grant Flower and Guy Whittall at Auckland in 1995/96.
The stand was broken by Chris Harris when he bowled Carlisle for 32. As with Campbell, it was a more painstaking effort Carlisle in comparison to the first game. He took 58 balls to score his runs.
Campbell, meanwhile took 96 balls to get to 80 by the 30 over mark.
Compared to the score of 92/2 in the first game after 15 overs, Zimbabwe today was 55/1.
James Franklin, who made his ODI debut in the first game at Taupo on Tuesday, opened the bowling after Zimbabwe won the toss and batted first. He had the satisfaction of taking Trevor Madondo's wicket for seven, caught at mid-off by Wellington team-mate Roger Twose.
When he'd completed his first six overs, Franklin had 1-25.
Sharing the duties with Franklin was Scott Styris, the bowler who had 20 runs hit by Heath Streak from the last over he bowled in the first match. He did much better during his first seven overs today and conceded only 20 runs by that stage.
Alistair Campbell, who set the first game alight with a barnstorming start, was much more subdued today, although he had still done the bulk of the scoring by the end of 15 overs. He was 39 not out. Stuart Carlisle was seven not out.
Jacob Oram, playing his maiden ODI, was first change bowler.
Oram, the captain of Central Districts in New Zealand's domestic cricket, has played for the New Zealand 'A' team and the Academy XI.
A batsman who can bowl, Oram would be in contention to be the tallest player to represent New Zealand. He is 1.98m tall.
New Zealand called up Oram and off-spinner Paul Wiseman to cover for Chris Cairns, who was unavailable for this game, and Nathan Astle who had suffered a dizzy spell and was checked out at Wellington Hospital.
Left out of the New Zealand team which lost to Zimbabwe in the first game of the series at Taupo on Tuesday was fast bowler Chris Martin.
The teams are: New Zealand - Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Roger Twose, Jacob Oram, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Brooke Walker, Adam Parore, Scott Styris, James Franklin.
Zimbabwe - Heath Streak (captain), Alistair Campbell, Douglas Marillier, Stu Carlisle, Andy Flower, Gavin Rennie, Guy Whittall, Trevor Madondo, Heath Streak, Bryan Strang, Brian Murphy, Angus McKay.
The umpires today are: Tony Hill and Steve Dunne. Dave Quested (third umpire).
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 04 Jan2001 - 10:30