Zimbabwe v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754: 2nd T20I at Harare – First Innings Recap
New Zealand posted a massive total of 187 while batting first in the second Twenty20 International against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045, at Harare, on Monday, October 17, 2011.
Due to a delayed start and rain intervention during the innings, the game was eventually reduced to 18 overs each side. Courtesy to hard-line half-centuries by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Guptill-c1980, the Blacks Caps eventually made a par total.
There was nothing wrong with the pitch but the Zimbabwean skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BRM-Taylor-c1200, preferred chasing on a track that was likely to stay ideal for the batting till the last ball of the clash.
With the inclusion of the veteran seamer, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CB-Mpofu-c1219, the Zimbabwean bowling attack was expected to give some tough time to the Kiwis. However, the class of McCullum and Guptill was too much for Zimbabwe to handle.
Both opening batsmen played attacking cricket from the very first ball and it was extremely hard for the rival captain to set a field for the two belligerent batsmen.
The two openers put on a dominant 120-run-partnerhip and set a solid platform for an imposing score. While the Rhodesians failed to maintain a correct line and length, Guptill and McCullum sent the balls out of the boundary with ease before http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JD-Ryder-c1679 joined the party and provided a finishing kick by an unbeaten 30.
The Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman amassed 64 runs with help of two boundaries and six sixes while his opening partner clattered 67 runs including seven lovely boundaries and a couple of big hits.
Inconsistency was the biggest dilemma for the home side, as the Zimbabwean bowlers produced a number of good deliveries along with a lot of hittable balls throughout the innings.
Thanks to brilliant batting by the three giants at the top-order, the Black Caps finally reached 187 for the loss of three wickets after 18 overs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LRPL-Taylor-c1849, ran himself out on the last ball of the innings.
To hamper Black Caps from making it 2-0, the Rhodesians needed 188 at an asking rate of over-nine per over.
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