Only Test - New Zealand v Zimbabwe

Martin rips apart Zimbabwe, Match ends in 3 Days

Chris Martin picked 8 wickets in the game helping his team take a 301 run victory with an innings. The match ended in just 3 days despite rain spoiling majority of second day.

ZIM : 143/10 (48.3 Ovs) & 51/10 (28.5 Ovs)

NZ : 495/7 (123.4 Ovs) decl

New Zealand won by an innings and 301 runs

The day started with New Zealand loosing another wicket and Zimbabwe had the chance to wrap up the tail. It was not to be and BJ Walting along with Tim Southee stuck together a 50 run partnership. Southee specially was spectacular as he toyed around the with the Zimbabwe bowlers and stuck a quickfire 44 that included 6 fours and one six.BJ Walting meanwhile looked calm and composed and accelerated towards the end and notched up his 100. New Zealand declared soon after he struck his century.

Zimbabwe needed 296 runs to avoid the follow-on. It was a pretty tough ask for Zimbabwe and one expected them to show some fight. When the New Zealand bowlers took to field, they just steamrolled the Zimbabwe batsman. They played 15 overs before lunch, lost 5 wickets and scored only 18 runs. It was going to be a dance in the park for the New Zealand bowlers for sure, but they just ran through them. With none of the batsmen getting into double figures in the session, Zimbabwe pretty much had an Everest to climb to add some respect to the total.

Post Lunch, it was a similar story, The batsman kept walking back. Before the post-lunch procession started, there was a streaky DRS appeal and though Hot Spot showed something, the Umpire did not give it out. After that, the batsmen started from where they left off. It was only a matter of time before they were dismissed and they surrendered for 51, which in turn was their Lowest test total ever. Only Malcolm Waller reached double figures and scored 23. Except for him, none of the Zimbabwe batsmen could even get to double figures with three of them dismissed for ducks. 

The bowlers took wickets regularly and they all took turns in demolishing the opposition. It was hard to single out praise for one bowler as they hunted in a pack and got their prey. It is going to be a New Zealand victory for sure, but how quickly that will happen remains to be seen. If Zimbabwe continue this performance, they will be the first team in a very long time to be dismissed two times in a single day. Lets hope that does not happen.

The second innings was no different. New Zealand lost the top order in a hurry being 37-6 and then came a promising stand between Chakabva and Masakazda. The 63 run stand came with couple of drop catches behind the stumps. Chakabva scored a promising half century and in the very last ball of the day, Masakazda edged one to Watling of Martin forcing to extend the play by 30 minutes.

Martin then came back in the next over removing the last 2 batsmen in 2 deliveries ending up with a 8 wicket haul in the match.