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.
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.
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.
Experienced Zimbabwean pace bowler Christopher Mpofu has been ruled out of his country's tour of New Zealand and has been replaced by Tendai Chatara.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.
Zimbabwe's domestic Twenty 20 competition, the Stanbic Bank T20, came to its conclusion at the weekend with the Mountaineers franchise ending up as the overall victors and Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego was named as Player of the Tournament.
It is time to celebrate some of the performances of top cricketers and teams who dazzled their way to stake their claims for the 2011 Cricket World Awards.
Now you can nominate the batsman, bowler, and the team, who you think have produced outstanding performances on the cricket field either with the bat or the ball in the last 12 months.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan won its vital cross-over matches in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2011 (WWCQ) in Dhaka, Bangladesh and by virtue of doing so have qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013.
The two sides will join West Indies and South Africa at the event in 2013 which also features current world champions England, along with Australia, India and New Zealand.
West Indies and South Africa maintained its unbeaten runs in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2011 (WWCQ) in Dhaka as the sides won both of its final rounds of group matches at the tournament.
By virtue of topping its groups the two sides have now qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 and have also retained its ODI statuses.
Khadiza Tul Kubra claimed six wickets against Ireland today to lead Bangladesh to its second win of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
Bangladesh captain, Salma Khatun, had helped the side to a total of 209 after the 21-year-old struck 73 runs at BKSP* 3, but in response Ireland fell 95 runs short of the target.
Eimear Richardson helped Ireland to its first victory of the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifiers 2011 in Dhaka today after the 25-year-old all-rounder hit a half-century and claimed five wickets to steer the team to 255-run victory over Japan at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur.
Pakistan, West Indies, Netherlands and South Africa all claimed victories on the opening day of the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ahead of the 11-day qualifying tournament in Bangladesh, all ten captains of the competing teams pose with the Women's World Cup.
From left to right they are: Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Ema Kuribayashi (Japan), Doris Francis (USA), Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Salma Khutan (Bangladesh), Sana Mir (Pakistan), Dilani Manodara (Sri Lanka), Isobel Joyce (Ireland), Helmien Rambaldo (Netherlands), Sharne Meyers (Zimbabwe).
Kumar Sangakkara hit 144 in the first innings of the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah, and followed it up with a second innings 51 to make him only the third Sri Lankan batsman to score 500 runs in a Test series. What makes it even more remarkable was that he did so in a losing cause, prompting Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors, Duleep Mendis, to say, "Apart from Sangakkara the batting has been a complete let down. He has been brilliant and he alone is carrying the batting most of the time."
New Zealand survived an impressive Zimbabwe counter-attack to take victory in the one-off Test in Bulawayo by just 34 runs having been pushed all the way by their hosts.
Eventually, despite Brendan Taylor's knock of 117, a target of 366 proved beyond Zimbabwe as Doug Bracewell took five wickets and Daniel Vettori three.
It is Zimbabwean all-rounder Malcolm Waller who takes this week's award following his match-winning innings of 99 not out from only 74 balls in the final one-day international against New Zealand. Responding to the Black Caps' imposing total of 328 for five, the 27 year-old from Harare hit 11 boundaries during his innings and, in conjunction with an innings of 75 from his captain Brendan Taylor and 53 from Tatenda Taibu, took his side home with one ball to spare. He also top-scored for Zimbabwe A in their two-day tour match against the New Zealanders.
Malcolm Waller hit an unbeaten 99 in 74 balls as Zimbabwe recorded their highest successful run chase to beat New Zealand by one wicket with one ball of the third and final One-Day International remaining in Bulawayo.
In a high-scoring game, twin centuries from Ross Taylor, who made 119, and Kane Williamson, whose 100 came from just 69 balls, were not enough for New Zealand, who nevertheless clinched the series 2-1.
The ten teams involved in the ICC Women's World Cup qualifier have named their 14-player squads for the tournament, which begins in Bangladesh on 14th November.
Four of the teams will qualify for the 2013 World Cup once the tournament ends on 25th November and join reigning champions England, hosts India as well as Australia and New Zealand.
This week's award goes to Brendan Taylor, who has hit two centuries in the past week, albeit in losing causes, in doing so becoming the first Zimbabwean to hit back-to-back tons.
The 25-year-old from Harare has been the rock upon which Zimbabwe's successful return has been built and the captaincy of the side appears to have only increased his already not insignificant hunger for runs. He can only hope that his current rich vein of form continues and that the rest of his teammates can follow his example.
Martin Guptill scored a century and Andy McKay took four wickets as New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by six wickets in the second One-Day International in Harare to move into an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Guptill made 105 and Brendon McCullum 87 as the Black Caps overhauled a target of 260 by closing on 261 for six in reply to Zimbabwe's score of 259 for eight.
Rob Nicol marked his One-Day International debut with an unbeaten century as New Zealand handed Zimbabwe a nine-wicket thrashing in the first game in Harare.
Brendan Taylor had earlier stroked a fine century to rescue Zimbabwe from an earlier collapse but their score of 231 all out proved woefully inadequate against a rampant New Zealand outfit.
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