Martin Guptill is the outstanding candidate for this week's Cricket World Player of the Week award. The 25-year-old hit three consecutive half-centuries in as many matches against Zimbabwe to make himself a shoo-in for the award.
Martin Guptill blasted an unbeaten 91 in 54 balls to guide New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening Twenty20 International in Auckland.
Hamilton Masakadza had scored a half-century as Zimbabwe posted 159 for eight but New Zealand raced to victory in just 16.5 overs.
New Zealand rounded off their three-match One-Day International series against Zimbabwe by winning the final match by 202 runs in Napier to seal a 3-0 series victory.
Captain Brendon McCullum hammered 119 in 88 balls as the Black Caps scored 373 for eight and Zimbabwe were bowled out for a disappointing 171 in reply.
New Zealand batsman Dean Brownlie is likely to miss the rest of the limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe with a fractured finger. The 27 year-old made his debut in the first match of the series in Dunedin, but injured his hand while fielding in the second match.
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 top-order crumbled once again in Dunedin as the tourists followed their dismal performance in the first Test at Napier with one almost as bad in the opening One-Day International.
Chasing a modest New Zealand total of 249 to win, Zimbabwe lost three wickets - two of them to Kyle Mills (three for 26) - for just 15 runs at the start of their run chase and never really recovered, in spite of a buccaneering 58 from their captain Brendan Taylor.
It is from the wreck of England's disastrous second innings in Abu Dhabi that this week's award winner emerges. Abdur Rehman - a previously unheralded and underrated left-arm spinner from Sialkot in the north-eastern Pakistani province of Punjab - took six wickets for just 25 runs in England's back-footed capitulation of 72, and, in doing so, brought the tourists' pretensions of word domination sharply into focus.
New Zealand stormed to an innings-and-301-run win over Zimbabwe in well under three days of their only Test match in Napier.
After BJ Watling completed an unbeaten 102, New Zealand declared on 495 for seven and then shot Zimbabwe out for 51 and 143.
New Zealand captain and key batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against Zimbabwe with a calf strain.
He was forced to retire hurt having made 122 during the second day of the only Test match and scans have revealed a grade two tear in his right calf.
A look ahead to a busy week that sees three Test matches get underway in Australia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
In Adelaide, Australia take on India, then in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan take on England in high spirits following their ten-wicket win in the opener in Dubai and finally, New Zealand meet Zimbabwe in Napier.
New Zealand have added uncapped Otago all-rounder Sam Wells to their squad for the Test match against Zimbabwe which begins in Napier on 26th January.
Wells has impressed the New Zealand coaching staff during the three-day game between New Zealand A and the touring Zimbabweans and his inclusion completes the 13-player squad for the one-off Test.
New Zealand have named uncapped wicket-keeper Kruger van Wyk in their 12-man Test squad to take on Zimbabwe from 26th January in Napier.
Van Wyk is offered an opportunity as Reece Young misses out while Jesse Ryder is absent as he continues his recovery from injury.
Experienced Zimbabwean pace bowler Christopher Mpofu has been ruled out of his country's tour of New Zealand and has been replaced by Tendai Chatara.
Mpofu suffered a lower back injury during the recent Stanbic T20 competition in Zimbabwe and will miss the tour which comprises one Test, three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.
Experienced New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been ruled out of action for up to a month after suffering a hamstring injury.
The issue, which surfaced just prior to the second Test against Australia in Hobart, is a recurrence of an old problem and meant he missed the match at the Bellerive Oval.
