New Zealand Overpower Zimbabwe For Easy Win

New Zealand Overpower Zimbabwe For Easy Win

Brendon McCullum hit a quickfire half-century as New Zealand powered to a dominant victory in Harare

©REUTERS / Action Images

New Zealand 127-0 (McCullum 81no) beat
Zimbabwe 123-8 (Taylor 50) by ten wickets
First Twenty20 International, Harare
Scorecard

New Zealand overpowered Zimbabwe to beat them by ten wickets in the opening Twenty20 International in Harare and get their tour off to a winning start.

Brendan Taylor scored 50 in 46 balls for the home side but they were restricted to 123 for eight and were helpless as Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill knocked off the runs in just 13.3 overs.

Taylor's knock included five fours but no other player could reach 20 as an the Black Caps delivered an excellent performance in the field.

Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum took two wickets apiece while debutant Doug Bracewell, Jacob Oram and Luke Woodcock also took a wicket and bowled economically to impress and put Zimbabwe under huge pressure.

Mills was the pick of the bowlers with two for 15 while McCullum's brace cost just 17 runs.

It was a completely different story when New Zealand came out to bat as McCullum smashed 81 in 46 balls and Guptill 40 in 36 to hand their side a comprehensive win.

McCullum helped himself to five fours and six sixes as he tore into the Zimbabwe bowling while Guptill hit two fours and two sixes.

The second and final game is in Harare on 17th October.

© Cricket World 2011