New Zealand wrapped up the second Test by an innings and 46 runs to win the series 2-0
Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2005
Scorcard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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After putting up a reasonable fight for most of the third day, despite two suicidal
run-outs, Zimbabwe capitulated feebly after tea to the pace of Shane Bond, who took
4 for 48, and went down to New Zealand by an innings and 46 runs at Bulawayo to lose the Test series 2-0.The morning session saw New Zealand fail to reach 500, perhaps the minimum score they had been aiming for, as their last three wickets fell quickly and they were
dismissed for 484. Heath Streak took 4 for 73 and Blessing Mahwire 3 for 121. This
included the wicket of Nathan Astle for a disciplined 128, taken by surprise by a
ball from Streak that cut back to bowl him between bat and pad. Zimbabwe went in
to bat 253 runs behind and with defeat virtually inevitable.The Zimbabweans batted quite strangely in their second innings, with periods of grafting giving way to spells of almost abandoned batting. There were six sixes in the innings, and some running between wickets that evoked memories of the Keystone Cops, two of which ended in run-outs.In the brief period before lunch, Zimbabwe lost Dion Ebrahim, the opener, caught off the
splice when taken unawares by a rearing ball from Bond, and Stuart Carlisle,
who ran himself out attempting an unlikely single. Afterwards Hamilton Masakadza
took the attack to the bowlers, showing his class but without the look of the solid
player who scored a century on his Test debut four years ago. He hit Daniel Vettori
for two sixes in an over before being beaten and bowled by a quicker arm ball for
28.This was followed by another foolish run-out, Craig Wishart going without facing a
ball, thanks to some brilliant fielding from Bond at mid-off after Brendon Taylor
called for a risky single. Taylor played some fine strokes and reached his fifty off 99 balls, but still has much to learn about working singles.Zimbabwe went in to tea at 134 for 4 and no doubt expected to hold out until the
following morning, but they found themselves unable to cope with Bond, returning
with the old ball. A slower delivery accounted for Taylor, who had held the innings
together with a gallant 77; deceived by the slower delivery, he chipped an easy catch
to mid-on.This opened the floodgates. In the following over Tatenda Taibu (25) failed to spot
Vettori’s arm ball and was trapped lbw and Streak’s miserable batting form
continued. However, Blessing Mahwire came out determined to fight, as he had done in
the first innings, and laid into pace and spin alike as he hammered an unbeaten 50
off only 34 balls, the fastest for Zimbabwe in Test cricket.The innings ended in typically bizarre fashion as last man Chris Mpofu, after
completing the single to bring Mahwire his 50, trotted down the pitch again to
congratulate his partner and was promptly run out. The whole day’s play seemed to
show exactly the state of Zimbabwe cricket today: talented but raw, impetuous and
naïve, and scarcely ready for Test cricket at present.
How they were out
Nathan Astle b Streak 128 (475 for 8)
James Franklin lbw b Streak 19 (484 for 9)
Shane Bond b Mahwire 8 (484 all out)
Zimbabwe second inningsDion Ebrahim c Styris b Bond 2 (4 for 1)
Stuart Carlisle run out (J Marshall) 10 (19 for 2)
Hamilton Masakadza b Vettori 28 (69 for 3)
Craig Wishart run out (Bond/McCullum) 0 (69 for 4)
Brendan Taylor c Vettori b Bond 77 (146 for 5)
Tatenda Taibu lbw b Vettori 25 (146 for 6)
Heath Streak c McCullum b Bond 2 (153 for 7)
Keith Dabengwa c McCullum b Bond 4 (164 for 8)
Graeme Cremer lbw b Vettori 1 (175 for 9)
Chris Mpofu run out (Vettori/McCullum) 3 (207 all out)
