Harare: New Zealand cruised to a 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first Twenty20 international at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
New Zealand`s disciplined bowling attack set the tourists on their victory path after restricting Zimbabwe to 123-8 inside 20 overs.
Seamer Kyle Mills and spinner Nathan McCullum took two wickets each as New Zealand`s attack kept Zimbabwe`s batsmen off balance throughout. Captain Brendan Taylor top-scored for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 50.
In pursuit, openers Martin Guptill (40 not out) and Brendon McCullum (81 not out) immediately went on the attack, taking advantage of Zimbabwe`s inaccurate bowling and poor fielding.
The touring side romped home with 39 balls to spare.
"We didn`t play well at all, we were not even close to our best, we didn`t hit the ground running today," Zimbabwe captain Taylor said.
Mills` accurate bowling was marked by good line and length as Zimbabwe struggled to score freely off him. He ended with figures of 2-15.
He removed both openers, Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha, for 9 to peg back the hosts. First to go was Masakadza, who fell to a full delivery that was caught at mid off by Nathan McCullum. Chibhabha drove straight to Brendon McCullum.
Forster Mutizwa, who scored 16, was Zimbabwe`s second-best scorer as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Zimbabwe`s batting lineup was weakened after in-form top order batsman Vusi Sibanda pulled out of the team just before the start of the game after learning of the death of his mother. Former captain Tatenda Taibu also withdrew after injuring his finger while batting in the nets.
The second and final game of the Twenty20 series is on Monday before three ODI matches and a one-off Test.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.