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The Astle Factor and Zimbabwe's record chase
Francis Payne - 8 January 2001

It should come as no surprise that New Zealand's only victory in the one-day series against Zimbabwe should coincide with Nathan Astle's one big innings during the three matches. The fortunes of the New Zealand opener have had a marked effect on the eventual outcome of New Zealand's matches as the following table reveals:

               Matches   Runs    Ave    100s
When NZ win       48     2142   49.81     7
When NZ lose      66     1672   25.33     1

(ties and no results not included)

Astle's career is also markedly different at home and overseas:

       Matches   Runs    Ave    100s
Home      49     2101   50.02     4
Away      75     1972   26.64     4

Despite his away average being half his home figure, Astle's eight centuries are split evenly between New Zealand and abroad. Take away his four centuries and Astle averages just 21.71 outside New Zealand.


During his 89 not out at Wellington, Astle became the first player to total 2000 runs in One-Day Internationals in New Zealand. The leaders on this list are:

                  Runs   Matches    Ave
Nathan Astle      2101      49     50.02
Martin Crowe      1884      57     44.85
Ken Rutherford    1613      55     33.60
Stephen Fleming   1501      53     35.73
Andrew Jones      1378      45     36.26
Chris Harris      1362      74     34.92
Chris Cairns      1239      61     26.36
John Wright       1136      43     27.04
Mark Greatbatch   1101      45     26.21
Roger Twose       1015      32     42.29
Adam Parore       1015      65     23.60

The highest run-scorer from overseas is Mark Waugh with 891 at 46.89 in 20 matches


Astle has some way to be the best at Eden Park, however. The highest run-scorers at Auckland are:

                  Runs   Matches    Ave
Martin Crowe       719      17     79.88
Nathan Astle       578      14     48.16
Andrew Jones       446      16     34.30
Chris Harris       443      21     40.27
Mark Greatbatch    435      16     27.18
Chris Cairns       397      19     24.81
Ken Rutherford     394      18     24.62
Stephen Fleming    360      15     25.71
John Wright        313      14     24.07


Zimbabwe's epic run chase in the third One-Day International was the highest ever total - win or lose - by a team chasing at Eden Park. It erased Pakistan from top place gained after their memorable win in the semi-final of the 1992 World Cup.

The table which follows shows just how meritorious the Zimbabwe win was as, apart from the top four entries, the others are of distinctly modest proportions and support the oft repeated theory that Eden Park wickets tend to "die" as the day progresses and play lower and slower, making run scoring more difficult.

The highest totals by teams chasing in one-dayers at Eden Park are:

274-9   Zimbabwe v New Zealand       2000/01   (won)
264-6   Pakistan v New Zealand       1991/92   (won)
251-3   Pakistan v New Zealand       1988/89   (won)
250-7   New Zealand v West Indies    1999/00   (won)
229-8   New Zealand v Australia      1992/93   (lost)
229-9   Zimbabwe v New Zealand       1997/98   (lost)
227-9   New Zealand v Australia      1994/95   (lost)
217-4   West Indies v New Zealand    1986/87   (won)
217     England v New Zealand        1990/91   (lost)
215-3   New Zealand v South Africa   1998/99   (won)


Just for the record, here are the best chases overall in New Zealand. Zimbabwe again figure in top spot, but were on the receiving end on this occasion. Andy Flower made his debut in this game, by the way, scoring a century. Only three others (Desmond Haynes, Dennis Amiss and Salim Elahi) have reached three-figures in their first One-Day International.

313-7   Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe        New Plymouth   1991/92   (won)
301-9   New Zealand v Australia     Christchurch   1999/00   (lost)
282     West Indies v New Zealand   Christchurch   1999/00   (lost)
274-9   Zimbabwe v New Zealand      Auckland       2000/01   (won)
264-6   Pakistan v New Zealand      Auckland       1991/92   (won)
260     New Zealand v Australia     Dunedin        1999/00   (lost)
254-4   New Zealand v Pakistan      Wellington     1988/89   (won)
252-5   India v Australia           Dunedin        1994/95   (won)
251-3   Pakistan v New Zealand      Auckland       1988/89   (won)
251     Pakistan v New Zealand      Christchurch   1984/85   (lost)
250-7   New Zealand v Australia     Hamilton       1992/93   (won)
250-7   New Zealand v West Indies   Auckland       1999/00   (won)


Zimbabwe have become adept at chasing big targets in recent times as the following list of their best chases illustrates:

290-4   v West Indies   Chester-le-Street   2000      (won)
284-9   v India         Jodhpur             2000/01   (won)
278-9   v Australia     Delhi               1997/98   (lost)
274-9   v New Zealand   Auckland            2000/01   (won)
269     v India         Cuttack             1997/98   (lost)
268-4   v New Zealand   Bulawayo            2000/01   (won)
262     v India         Rajkot              2000/01   (lost)
261-7   v Bangladesh    Dhaka               1998/99   (won)
261     v India         Vadodara            1997/98   (lost)
259-6   v Australia     Lord's              1999      (lost)
252-6   v India         Sharjah             2000/01   (lost)


New Zealand's defeat in the third one-dayer was just their fourth by the margin of one wicket. The games concerned are:

New Zealand (213-8)   v Pakistan (214-9)      Sialkot        1984/85
New Zealand (196-8)   v Australia (197-9)     Christchurch   1992/93
New Zealand (243)     v West Indies (247-9)   Kingston       1995/96
New Zealand (273-9)   v Zimbabwe (274-9)      Auckland       2000/01


The selection of some new and relatively inexperienced players in the New Zealand one-day side produced produced some unsual scenarios.

James Franklin, for instance, has now played in as many One-Day Internationals (three) as he has Shell Cup games and his two wickets for Wellington positively pale alongside the five he picked up for New Zealand.

Jacob Oram, used as first change bowler in his two games, has a useful record with the ball in first-class cricket but has been seen less often at Shell Cup level. In his 30 Shell Cup games he has just four wickets at 72 apiece and has bowled in only 14 of his appearances - and never the full ten overs.

Neither Franklin or Oram had ever played on the main ground at Eden Park before. Both had appeared on the Outer Oval where Oram hit a fine Shell Cup century for Central Districts in 1997/98. Chris Martin, who was in the squad but did not play, has played once on the number one ground.

© CricInfo


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