New Zealand's Batsmen Wrap Up Series Win

New Zealand's Batsmen Wrap Up Series Win

Jacob Oram was back to his brilliant best in Whangarei.

©REUTERS/Nigel Marple. Picture Supplied by Action Images

New Zealand 372-6 (Nicol 146) beat
Zimbabwe 231-8 (Oram 3-29) by 141 runs
Second One-Day International, Whangarei
Scorecard

New Zealand handed Zimbabwe a batting masterclass on their way to taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series at Whangarei’s New Cobham Oval. Rob Nicol and Jacob Oram were the chief architects of the tourists’ destruction with innings of 146 and 59 from 28 balls respectively.

Zimbabwe’s bowling effort had begun well with Shingirai Masakadza and Kyle Jarvis combining to concede just 10 runs from the first five overs of the innings. Unfortunately for them, 40 runs came from the next five overs and the home side never really looked back, leaving a trail of battered egos in their wake.

Martin Guptill started the onslaught with an innings of 77 from 80 balls, which included a mid-innings spell of 46 from 27 balls, before he was the first batsmen to go with the score on 131. Jacob Oram – whose batting has shown signs of decline of late – then rolled back the years with a brutal knock of 59, that included four sixes over long-on, before he attempted a fifth but could only find Regis Chakabva running in from the boundary.

There was still no let-up for Zimbabwe, however, as Rob Nicol took over the mantle of chief aggressor and notched up his second ODI century from 115 balls before eventually falling in the penultimate over for 146 from 134. The acceleration late in his innings, combined with a cameo of 48 from 28 balls from Tom Latham, meant that the Black Caps took 86 runs from the last five overs of their innings as they ended on 372 for six, with the Zimbabwe bowlers struggling to locate the block hole.

Any hopes that the tourists might have had of overhauling their improbable target were soon dashed as they slumped to 17 for three early on in their innings, with Kyle Mills (two for 27) taking two of the wickets; and when Oram added the scalps of Chakabva and Malcolm Waller a short while later to make it 62 for five the end appeared in sight.

However, Zimbabwe – as is their wont – mounted something of a fightback, and fifties from Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura added an air of respectability to an otherwise disastrous performance. Shingirai Masakadza also chipped in with a late 38 from 31 balls to show some spirit as the tourist ended on 231 for eight from their 50 overs.

The two teams now move on to Napier for the third ODI on Thursday with Zimbabwe looking to restore some pride on what has been a torrid tour of New Zealand thus far.

© Cricket World 2012