1st Test
Day 1
Zimbabwe 164
New Zealand 32/0 (10.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 132 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Neil Wagner's career-best 6 for 41 dismantled Zimbabwe's fragile line-up and the hosts were only saved from being dismissed for the lowest first-innings score in Bulawayo by their tail. Prince Masvaure and Donald Tiripano shared an 85-run ninth-wicket stand to take Zimbabwe from 72 for 8 to a relatively respectable total of 164, but the day belonged to the South African-born New Zealand left-armer.
Wagner employed a short-ball strategy his former countrymen are known for and extracted surprising bounce from a usually tame surface to force a Zimbabwean collapse. Twice. In the second hour of play, the hosts tumbled from 35 for 1 to 36 for 4, and then, in the post-lunch session, lost four wickets with the score on 72. Wagner had bowled throughout that period, in a marathon 13-over spell broken by lunch, before New Zealand were frustrated by Zimbabwe's late fightback.
Masvaure, playing his first Test, and Tiripano, in his second, batted for almost three hours and faced 260 balls in the partnership. The rest of Zimbabwe's line-up only fronted up to 207 deliveries. On a pitch which called for patience and application, and against an opposition who were aggressive with ball in hand and in the field, Zimbabwe's top-order was found wanting, which may prompt questions about why their captain exposed them so early.
With three debutants and plenty of inexperience in his ranks, Graeme Cremer would have been forgiven had he opted to field but he followed conventional wisdom and put his men in the firing line. Brian Chari was first to front up and Tim Southee did not allow him any easing in. The first ball swerved away, took the edge and went for four. The second did exactly the same but landed in the hands of Martin Guptill at second slip.
Hamilton Masakadza ushered debutant Chamu Chibhabha through a tricky period against Southee, who found consistent movement, and Trent Boult, who did not. Just as the pair settled, spin was introduced in the 12th over but it was Wagner who began the assault.
He banged in a series of short balls to Chibhabha, who eventually pulled uncertainly to mid-wicket. Wagner had the same plan for Sean Williams and hit him on the helmet first up. Williams had barely recovered from a change of grille when Wagner banged in another short ball. The batsman pulled and the ball went off his helmet to midwicket. Williams was given out, even as he pointed to his helmet in explanation. Sandwiched between those dismissals Masakadza gifted Mitchell Santner a return catch, which cost Zimbabwe their most experienced player.
Wagner continued to use brute force. He struck Craig Ervine in the rib cage and Sikandar Raza on the thumb but the pair survived to lunch. They enjoyed a small window of productive run-scoring after the break, headlined by Raza's strength while playing the drive, but it did not last long. Their partnership had reached 36 when Ervine stepped out of his crease to loft Santner over the infield, made no contact and was stumped.
That fired Wagner up even more and five balls later, Raza succumbed to yet another short ball. Wagner changed lengths to Regis Chakabva, who was caught behind off a length ball that slanted across him, and then dismissed the Zimbabwean captain for a golden duck in signature style. Cremer inside-edged to short leg to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 72 for 8.
Masvaure watched the carnage from the other end before he could face a ball but showed the temperament to suggest he could bat higher up. He and Tiripano kept Wagner out, forced Williamson to bring back both Boult and Southee for spells with the older ball, and even dealt well with legspinner Ish Sodhi in a lesson to the rest of their line-up.
They built slowly and cautiously, especially as Williamson continued to test them with close catchers in unusual positions. The pair pushed the score past 100 and then past 150, and sprinkled their circumspection with some stunning hits, mostly off Sodhi. Masvaure's back-to-back sweeps and Tiripano's six into the stands were highlights but it was the slow grind of their stand that they will be most proud of, although there would be disappointment at not carrying it further.
With the second new ball ten overs away, Williamson brought Southee back for a last burst with the old ball, and he had Masvaure trapped lbw. Michael Chinouya could not hand around long enough to help Tiripano reach his maiden Test fifty. Chinouya was bowled by a Wagner delivery with a hint of reverse-swing that left Tiripano unbeaten on 49, his highest Test score.
Having already done the bulk of the day's work with the bat, Tiripano then had to open the bowling with Chinouya. Zimbabwe did not manage to build any pressure as New Zealand ended the day with all ten wickets intact and their sights on the best batting conditions in the match tomorrow.
Day 2
Zimbabwe 164
New Zealand 315/4 (100.0 ov)
New Zealand lead by 151 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Tom Latham's fourth Test century and 91 from Kane Williamson on his Test captaincy debut saw New Zealand dominate the second day against a hapless home side. Not only were Zimbabwe unable to make too many inroads into New Zealand's line-up, but they also had to attempt to do that without their wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva and left-arm spinner Sean Williams, both of whom were ill and sorely missed.
Brian Chari, not known for his glovework, missed three tough chances while Williams' bowling could have been used on a surface that took substantial turn as the day went on. In his absence, captain Graeme Cremer had to bowl a marathon spell of 26 overs and with bounce, spin and drift, got more threatening with each one.
Latham did not not have to contend with too much of the tougher conditions, with the exception of the chance he offered on 85. Chamu Chibhabha moved one in sharply, which took an inside edge but Chari moved too late to take the catch.
Chibhabha was the only seam bowler to trouble New Zealand's batsmen after frontliners Donald Tiripano and Michael Chinouya proved too predictable. Neither made an attempt to emulate Neil Wagner's short-ball approach from the first day and both stuck to full deliveries outside the off stump, which helped them contain the batsmen, but only for a short while.
Martin Guptill and Latham eased their way in, with 43 runs in the first hour of play, when Cremer kept close catchers in, and eventually spread the field. Zimbabwe's only success of the morning came with the change bowlers. Chibhabha shaped them away from Guptill and cramped him for room, before drawing him into the drive for a thick edge which carried to Craig Ervine at gully.
The second session was New Zealand's most productive as Zimbabwe tried to use their part-timers in containing roles without success. Prince Masvaure and Sikandar Raza helped Latham and Williamson up their scoring rate. Midway through that session, New Zealand were in the lead with nine wickets in hand and Cremer then brought himself back on. In the 44th over, after Latham had crossed 50 and with Williamson on 29, Cremer began his third spell. He did not stop until six overs before the end of play, when he took the second new ball.
At first, New Zealand, especially Latham, took Cremer on but they soon saw the threat he would pose. When Williamson was on 32, Cremer got one to rip across the face of the bat, the batsman had his back foot in the air but Chari could not complete the stumping. Williamson worked his way to a half-century but Cremer worried him again, with a ball turned out of the footmarks and snuck between the keeper and first slip.
With Latham approaching his century, New Zealand became more cautious. They treated Hamilton Masakadza with as much respect as Cremer and took no chances. Latham spent 23 balls and the tea break in the nineties, leaving balls he could have hit, before bringing up three figures with a dap into the covers off a Cremer wrong 'un. His father, Rod, had scored his only Test century in the same city in November 1992.
Cremer thought he had broken through when Williamson got an edge off a delivery that drifted in and Raza claimed the catch at slip but it was referred to the third umpire. A lengthy deliberation and several replays later, Williamson, on 72, was given not out.
Seven balls later, Latham, who had spent a minute short of three-and-a-half hours in the middle, had a concentration lapse. He could have left a Masakadza delivery outside off but nicked off to end a 156-run stand with Williamson.
Cremer got his own back when Williamson was legitimately caught at slip for 91, and with Zimbabwe applying sustained pressure for the first time refused the second new ball until the 95th over. What Cremer lacked was support at the other end. Raza continued to concede heavily and with the lead growing, Cremer brought his seamer back for a final burst. He was rewarded when Tiripano had Henry Nicholls caught behind but New Zealand remained well in front.
Day 3
Zimbabwe 164 & 121/5
New Zealand 576/6d
Zimbabwe trail by 291 runs with 5 wickets remaining
Ross Taylor and BJ Watling took 299 and 172 deliveries respectively to rack up 173* and 107 - their second hundreds against Zimbabwe - and build an advantage New Zealand may have considered unassailable. Tim Southee and Trent Boult took four Zimbabwean wickets for 10 runs in the space of 18 balls, and likely ensure the 412-run lead is more than enough.
Zimbabwe's top order were blown away by swing and teetered on 17 for 4. Given their first-innings collapse, a three-day finish seemed imminent. But Craig Ervine equalled his highest Test score - 49 - and formed partnerships with Sikandar Raza and Graeme Cremer to allow the hosts to live to fight another day.
Taking the match into the fourth day was Zimbabwe's second small success after they removed nightwatchman Ish Sodhi in the second over of the day. They did not see the back of another New Zealand batsman until 15 minutes after tea, when Watling dragged Raza to deep square leg. By then, the New Zealand wicketkeeper had a century, Taylor had 173* and their partnership - a chanceless stand headlined by crisp cuts, powerful pulls and careful strike rotation - had reached 253.
On its own, it was worth 89 runs more than Zimbabwe's first-innings total. Combined with the 79-run opening stand, the 156 runs Tom Latham and Kane Williamson added for the second wicket, and other small contributions, it put the match beyond Zimbabwe, who were kept under the Bulawayo sun for 166.5 overs.
Their second new ball was under six overs old when the day began and Donald Tiripano and Michael Chinouya started promisingly with it. Both showed marked improvement from their second-day performances and made the batsmen play at more deliveries by tightening their lines. Chinouya reaped some reward when Sodhi played an uncertain drive and edged to substitute wicketkeeper Brian Chari.
Sensing an opportunity to get into New Zealand's lower order, the pair tried the short ball but without the pace or the discipline to back it up, it was wasted. Too often, they offered their deliveries with width, allowing the batsmen to cut. Other balls were misdirected and invited the pull, a shot both Taylor and Watling played comfortably. Their ease against the short ball only highlighted Zimbabwe's deficiencies when faced with the same.
With the seamers struggling, Graeme Cremer brought himself on. He did not manage as much of the turn and bounce he got on the second day, but Taylor and Watling were still cautious against him.
It was only towards the end of the first session, when heavy legs caused Zimbabwe's fielders to make several fumbles, that the pair upped the scoring rate. Taylor took on the more aggressive role and showed his authority against Cremer while Watling hung back and rotated strike. By lunch, the lead was over 250 and the pair well settled.
They returned after the break to deal for another careful five overs before opening up. The next 15 overs brought 61 runs at over four runs per over. In that time, Taylor brought up his century with a signature square cut. His second fifty only took him 83 balls, compared to his first for which he faced 108.
Watling went into the tea break on 95 and brought up his century four overs later with a top-edge off a pull - the shot he had played so comfortably through his innings. The pair were given some freedom to bat on but managed only one more shot in anger before Watling holed out and Williamson called his men in, leaving Zimbabwe with a tough task to make New Zealand bat again.
They decided to take on the challenge head on and played their strongest hand by promoting their most experienced batsman Hamilton Masakadza to open. Brian Chari, who does not keep regularly and spent five sessions behind the stumps doing the job, was given some time to recover but he did not have too long.
Masakadza drove the first ball he faced for four but then edged the third, which moved away from him, to first slip to end a disappointing Test for him. Chari was in at No.3 and handled the first five balls he faced before a Boult inswinger snuck through the bat-pad gap and took out his off stump.
Chamu Chibhabha also failed to handle Boult's movement and poked at one that moved away to give Taylor a second catch, low and to his left. With his next ball, Boult angled it in to Prince Masvaure, who was hit on the pad in front of middle stump.
Sikandar Raza sliced the hat-trick ball through the covers for four and settled Zimbabwe's nerves somewhat. Raza and Ervine took a totally different approach to what may be expected from a side on the back foot, and played an aggressive range of strokes. They scored at 7.8 runs to the over and swiped their bats at anything, be it full or short. Raza fell on his sword when he top-edged a short ball and walked off before the catch was taken.
With news that Regis Chakbva and Sean Williams, neither of whom fielded at all because of illness, will be available to bat on the fourth day, Ervine will be hopeful of reaching a milestone and more, even if in vain.
Day 4
Zimbabwe 164 & 295
New Zealand 576/6d
New Zealand won by an innings and 117 runs
Sean Williams' maiden Test century could not prevent Zimbabwe from crashing to defeat in the first match against New Zealand but it helped cushion the heavy innings loss. Williams, who took over after Craig Ervine reached his first fifty in the format, put on 118 for the seventh wicket with captain Graeme Cremer and the pair spent 33.2 overs together to frustrate New Zealand. Williams went on to hold the visitors at bay until 25 minutes before the tea break but once he was dismissed, Zimbabwe could not prevent the inevitable.
New Zealand's attack were kept on the field for longer than they may have expected, after they had Zimbabwe reeling at 17 for 4 and plucked a fifth scalp on the third evening. But the middle and lower order applied themselves well against swing from Tim Southee and Trent Boult, a short-ball barrage from Neil Wagner and spin from Ish Sodhi and Michael Santner, and took their innings deep to show improvement after their first-innings implosion.
Zimbabwe began the final day with some momentum after Ervine resumed from an overnight score of 49. He reached his fifty off the second ball of the day but then played inside the line of a delivery from Boult and was given out caught behind by debutant umpire Michael Gough. Replays showed Ervine had not hit the ball and the noise was likely bat-pad.
He was replaced by Williams, who got a rough decision in the first innings when he was caught off the helmet. Now battling flu, Williams, who wasn't on the field for New Zealand's innings, put his illness aside to play an authoritative knock, the most assured of his three-Test career.
He began with a quartet of crisp drives off Southee and one off Boult, whose pace stayed in the upper 120s throughout the match. Kane Williamson tried to clog up his scoring area with two slips, two gullies, two short covers and a backward point but Williams was wise to the trick and responded with shots in the vacant leg side.
With Southee and Boult unable to dislodge Williams, Williamson turned to first-innings hero Neil Wagner and gave him a license to attack. Wagner hit Cremer on the thigh pad, the left shoulder and eventually the left fore-arm, which Cremer broke earlier this year. The Zimbabwe captain, as he did with ball in hand, fought through it all.
While Cremer content to hold his end, Williams profited off the short ball and brought out an audacious range of strokes, including a cheeky ramp off Wagner and sweetly timed sweeps. He used his feet, scored quickly, with his fifty coming off 63 balls, and found the boundary often - 11 times in the fifty and 21 in his entire innings.
Williams took his partnership with Cremer to 100 runs with a straight dive and put himself into the nineties with a cut. His captain was not around to usher him to the century. Cremer was given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel to a Sodhi legbreak that hit him above the pad. The height made the decision questionable but Cremer had to go.
Instead, Williams' fellow sick-bed mate Regis Chakabva, whose tonsillitis meant he could not field, was at the other end when he outside edged a wrong 'un to third man to bring up the fastest hundred by a Zimbabwean in Tests. Williams faced just 106 balls, one less than Neil Johnson.
Although clearly affected by exertion after his illness, Williams did not let the landmark distract him from keeping Zimbabwe fighting for as long as possible. He watched as Chakabva was bowled around the legs by Tim Southee with the old ball, but then holed out to deep mid-wicket off Santner to end a courageous knock. Donald Tiripano was left to deal with the last rites, which came when he nicked off, with Zimbabwe five runs short of 300
2nd Test
Day 1
New Zealand 329/2 (89.5 ov)
Zimbabwe
Stumps
Tom Latham scored a second successive century in this series as New Zealand built the foundations of an imposing first-innings total on a flat track. Latham formed the spine of two tall stands, 169 with Martin Guptill for the first wicket and 160 with Kane Williamson for the second and wore down a Zimbabwe side that appeared out of ideas on a long first day in Bulawayo.
Despite adding a second specialist spinner, John Nyumbu, to their XI, Zimbabwe did not look likely to take any more than the six wickets they managed in the first match. They lacked discipline, penetration and assistance from the surface or the outfield, which has got quicker in the past week. What they had a surplus of was options but Graeme Cremer chose to stick with a five-man attack for most of the day. He left Prince Masvaure unused while only turning to Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza at the end of the day.
Perhaps Cremer wanted to spare the part-timers the toil of being taken on by a New Zealand top three who offered only three chances all day. Guptill, shortly after he reached his half-century in the second session, lashed at width from Cremer and got a thick edge but debutant wicketkeeper Peter Moor could not hold on. The only other opportunity Guptill gave was taken when Donald Tiripano beat his inside edge and trapped him lbw 13 short of a century. Zimbabwe had to wait until the final over before they took another wicket, Latham finally losing concentration for 136.
Much like his hundred in the first Test, Latham was extremely patient. He may have enjoyed better batting conditions though with the Queens Sports Club not offering the same turn as it had a week ago. The cover drive was his most successful scoring shot.
At the other end, Williamson collected runs at will in his 50th Test, enough that even if he were dismissed before he reaches three-figures, his average would stay above 50.
New Zealand began dictating proceedings from the opening three overs when Zimbabwe's frontline quicks failed to threaten them at all. Tiripano and Michael Chinouya provided freebies and the score raced to 27 before they reined it in. Tighter lines produced four consecutive maidens but the squeeze did not last. Zimbabwe only delivered eight more maiden overs for the rest of the day, which spoke to their inability to contain New Zealand.
Gaps were pierced, strike was rotated and though it was only the first morning of a Test they had to win to level the series, Zimbabwe's fielders appeared fatigued. Not even the introduction of spin in the 21st over, when captain Cremer brought himself on, had an impact on the scoring rate. Zimbabwe went to lunch wicketless, having conceded 101 runs.
Both openers reached their fifties after the break but attention moved off the field and into the stand where the biggest crowd of the series was gearing up for a peaceful protest. In the 36th over, with the grandstand filled with Zimbabwe flags, the people stood to sing the national anthem and followed it with a chant of "Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe." Had you not known of the call for action made earlier this week, you may have wondered why fans were cheering a team that had yet to take a wicket.
Guptill was milking the spinners and hurtling towards a hundred when he was dismissed against the run of play. That was the 16th time, out of 19 fifty-plus scores, that Guptill was unable to convert to three figures.
Latham continued, undisturbed by the loss of his opening partner. He took 31 balls to move from 67 to 80 but needed only 15 more to get to reach his fifth Test century. His acknowledgment of the landmark was austere - a simple raise of the bat and some handshakes - as was Wiliamson's when he brought up fifty. New Zealand's score had gone past 200 by tea.
The pair got back to work after the break, taking runs at every opportunity, and they were given plenty. Cremer, who bore the bulk of the bowling load delivering 25 overs before making way for the part-timers, did not take the second new ball and allowed New Zealand to see out the day and Latham almost did. On the penultimate ball, he bunted a catch back to Williams. He left Williamson five runs away from a completing a full set of centuries against every Test nation.
Day 2
New Zealand 582/4d
Zimbabwe 55/0 (30.0 ov)
Zimbabwe trail by 527 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Another day of Test cricket in Bulawayo belonged to New Zealand as they piled on the runs on Zimbabwe with three batsmen scoring centuries and two notching half-centuries in their first-innings total of 582 for 4. New Zealand batted for two entire sessions before declaring during the tea break in a bid to take a few wickets in the last session but Zimbabwe's opening stand stood unbroken after 30 overs.
Tino Mawoyo and Chamu Chibhabha saw through the new ball, a short-ball barrage and 11 overs of spin to end the day on a respectable 55 for 0. While Mawoyo, who came in for Brian Chari, was more resolute, Chibhabha offered a few more shots to finish the day on 31 off 89 balls, compared to Mawoyo's 20 off 91 balls. Once New Zealand saw there was no swing on offer for the first five overs, which were all maidens, the slip cordon was trimmed and the leg-side field was packed as Tim Southee and Trent Boult switched to a short-ball strategy. When that did not work either, Kane Williamson brought on the spinners and Neil Wagner but the openers' tactics did not waver to head towards the half-century stand.
While Kane Williamson became the first New Zealander to score a Test century against all nine other Test nations, Ross Taylor overtook his mentor Martin Crowe's tally of 5444 runs and is now his country's third-highest run-scorer. Although New Zealand's focus was on winning the second Test, the records meant something to the two batsmen.
"I did an interview for a newspaper back home before this Test so I knew I was close," Taylor said. "I don't usually look at the score when I am batting but I heard some applause, so I knew I must have got there. It was nice to beat Hogan. He was my mentor for many years. When I first met him he said he wanted me to at least beat his records; so it was nice to achieve one of the goals he set for me."
In turn, Taylor has set a goal for Williamson. "Not many people have got centuries against every Test playing country home and away and I am sure he would like to do that in his career," he said.
Taylor praised Williamson's century for its consistency and class. "It just shows that he can do it against all opposition in all conditions," but admitted he did not know it could have been the captain's early birthday present to himself. "Is it his birthday? He has kept that pretty quiet," Taylor asked. "He's an old 26 year old isn't he? He's a pretty quiet lad. He was just born to bat. And captain."
Earlier, Ross Taylor became the third centurion of the innings after Tom Latham on day one and Williamson early on day two as New Zealand showed no mercy to Zimbabwe's wearing attack. Taylor and Latham have scored centuries in both matches of this series but it may be the other hundred that grabs the headlines.
The New Zealand captain became the first from his country, the 13th overall and only the second after Younis Khan among the current crop of internationals to score a century against all nine other Test nations. Continuing from 95 overnight, he whipped the eighth ball he faced this morning to the square-leg boundary to bring up the landmark.
He did not hang around for long though, giving Zimbabwe a rare moment of celebration when he edged Michael Chinouya to gully but their joy was shortlived. After Williamson's dismissal, Taylor continued the grind and surpassed his mentor Martin Crowe's tally of 5444 runs to become the third-highest run-scorer in New Zealand's Test history.
All that meant Zimbabwe were subjected to more toil on a surface that offered no assistance. The only indication the bowlers would make any impression on New Zealand's batsmen came early in the day with the second new ball when Chinouya and Donald Tiripano, the pace duo, found some movement. Chinouya beat Taylor twice, but with the pace in upper 120s and no slips in place, they had to work within their limitations.
The quicks bowled seven-over spells each before Graeme Cremer brought himself on and immediately found the drift that was lacking on the first day. He struck off his fifth ball when Henry Nicholls was trapped in front while attempting a sweep. With two wickets for 20 runs, Zimbabwe may have seen an opportunity to claw their way back in, but Taylor and BJ Watling shut them out.
Cremer and offspinner John Nyumbu tried everything to stem the run flow, switching angles from over to around the wicket, and keeping fielders close in but nothing worked. In fact, Craig Ervine, who was stationed under the helmet at short leg, was hit three times by the batsmen as they whipped Cremer away.
Watling's footwork and Taylor's deft touches were a slow burn on Zimbabwe's energy reserves and Cremer turned to the part-timers to buy time. Sean Williams was punished but Prince Masvaure produced the only chance of the afternoon session when he tempted Taylor into reaching for a short and wide ball but debutant wicketkeeper Peter Moor could not hold on to the edge. Six balls later, Taylor drove Williams to long-off to bring up his hundred.
Zimbabwe's disciplines deserted them as the tea break approached and they offered the New Zealand pair several short deliveries which were put away. Almost without trying, the Taylor-Watling stand grew to 193 and the score approached 600 before tea was called and New Zealand decided to declare.
Day 3
New Zealand 582/4d
Zimbabwe 305/6 (120.0 ov)
Zimbabwe trail by 277 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Zimbabwe celebrate their heroes on August 8, and in Craig Ervine they certainly found one. His maiden Test ton and 148-run sixth-wicket stand with debutant Peter Moor took Zimbabwe to within 78 runs of avoiding the follow-on. Perhaps more crucially, he frustrated a New Zealand attack that now has a maximum of two days - could be lesser if the visitors have to bat - to take 14 wickets and on a flat Queens Sports Club surface.
In their favour is the fact that New Zealand have discovered the best way to break through - reverse swing. With the second new ball that is more than 30 overs old, they may start looking for it again early on fourth morning. When they found it with their first ball, they made life uncomfortable for the Zimbabwean line-up, who were suffocated with close fields to the spinners.
With just eight Tests under his belt, Ervine, the most experienced of Zimbabwe's line-up going into this match, played the way a senior should. His approach combined caution with clever stroke-play and ensured the scoreboard kept ticking over. Zimbabwe scored 250 runs on the day, 120 in the final session alone. The dismissal of Moor for 71 in the last half hour lifted the morale of the visitors, who were run ragged after a spirited start.
Ervine was needed after Zimbabwe's openers - Chamu Chibhabha and Tino Mawoyo - gave the team their best start in 13 Tests, over five years, with a 65-run stand. Chibhabha was lucky to survive a confident shout off a Trent Boult delivery that tailed back in late. There was a bat-pad noise which may have put umpire Paul Reiffel off.
His opening partner Mawoyo appeared to be better equipped to play defensively and bullishly. He fronted up to Neil Wagner's short-ball strategy before inside-edging a drive onto the stumps.
After they were separated, Sikandar Raza, batting at No. 3 in place of the injured Hamilton Masakadza, squandered an opportunity to present his case further. By then, a spell of uncertainty had been woven into the Zimbabwean mindset. For 9.3 overs, Raza looked to have put away his aggressive streak but then drove lazily at a wide Wagner delivery with no foot movement to give Kane Williamson at gully a present on his 26th birthday.
Chibhabha, for all his fidgeting, had shown ability to occupy the crease. He fought his way to fifty and looked like he would see out the opening session. But Williamson's decision to introduce spin in the form of Mitchell Santner paid off as Chibhabha drove with hard hands to find short cover.
New Zealand could have had one more in the opening session when Southee tempted Ervine to drive, only to see Ross Taylor grass an opportunity in the slips. Instead, they had to wait until after the break when Prince Masvaure brought about his own dismissal as the ball bounced back off a half-hearted defense to hit leg stump.
That brought Zimbabwe's most assured pair of Ervine and Sean Williams together. While they were watchful, they also cashed in when the bad balls came their way. Williams, fresh off a century in the previous Test, was in sparkling form till he was adjudged lbw off a premeditated reverse-sweep against Ish Sodhi.
After a period of settling in, Moor scored freely, especially off the second new ball, which became available with 25 minutes left in the session. But Williamson, who waited until there were only 10 overs left before taking it, may need to wait a little longer before it brings rewards.
Day 4
New Zealand 582/4d & 166/2d
Zimbabwe 362 & 58/3 (25.2 ov)
Zimbabwe require another 329 runs with 7 wickets remaining
New Zealand have 90 overs to take seven wickets after they set Zimbabwe a target of 387 runs in a contest that bears an uncanny resemblance to the one these teams tussled in five years ago at the same venue.
Then, Zimbabwe went into the final day having lost two wickets. This time, they are another man down and without Brendan Taylor or Tatenda Taibu. Worse, the men who will bat in their places are both carrying niggles. Craig Ervine was hit on the knee during his first innings 146 while Prince Masvaure sprained his ankle during Tuesday morning's warm-ups. Masvaure may not bat but Ervine should be able to.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult managed to get late movement and prey on the less experienced batsmen but Ervine has showed he has the ability to front up to them. He took Zimbabwe close to avoiding the follow-on in their first innings. His carefully crafted, career-best score had its most impressive moments on the third day but he did his best to marshall the tail on the fourth morning. He did not have much support and Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets for 43 runs to concede a deficit of 220, but Kane Williamson decided New Zealand would extend the lead.
With a license to attack, Tom Latham and Martin Guptill began aggressively but both fell on their swords early on. Donald Tiripano found Latham's edge in the sixth over to give wicketkeeper Peter Moor his first Test catch. Guptill cut Michael Chinoiya to John Nyumbu in the gully. New Zealand were 26 for 2 and Zimbabwe had bought themselves some time. Only eight runs came in the next seven overs as Williamson and Ross Taylor treated the opening bowlers with respect.
New Zealand upped the ante against Chamu Chibhabha and Graeme Cremer. Williamson brought up his third fifty-plus score in the series and cut loose after tea. The pair smashed 48 runs in four overs and Taylor, with his unbeaten 67, now has 364 runs in the series without being dismissed.
Williamson's declaration 25 minutes into the third session left New Zealand with 116 overs to bowl Zimbabwe out. They would have thought that was enough when in the third over Chamu Chibhabha had a nibble at a ball that moved away late and edged it. The bowler Southee looked his second slip Guptill, who had to reach to his right but could not hold on.
Chibhabha was a mixture of feistiness and trepidation. He had a life in the third over, pulled and drove the aggrieved bowler Southee fours and went fishing in the off-stump corridor against Boult.
As was the case in the first Test, Neil Wagner troubled Zimbabwe most. His short-ball strategy from around the wicket tested Tino Mawoyo's defences. The batsman eventually grew comfortable with that line of attack, forcing Wagner to go back over the stumps and he had a close shout for caught-behind.
Mitchell Santner, brought on in the 10th over, found turn and drift to leave Chibhabha particularly puzzled but it was Wagner who got the reward. He got one to move away and take the edge to Guptill at second slip.
Stumps was nine overs away, Southee and Boult returned for their final bursts and Zimbabwe grew tense. Mawoyo held out until the penultimate over, when an inswinger from Boult had him lbw Two balls later, Southee trapped Raza with a similar delivery to end the batsman's first Test at No.3 with just three runs to his name.
Zimbabwe lasted 108.1 overs in 2011 against the same team, at the same venue and very nearly beat them. They'd dream of going a step further tonight, while New Zealand would prefer a less nerve-wracking experience on the final day.
Day 5
New Zealand 582/4d & 166/2d
Zimbabwe 362 & 132
New Zealand won by 254 runs
After wondering whether they could pick up 20 wickets on unresponsive Zimbabwean surfaces before the series began, New Zealand did it twice to seal the rubber 2-0. They took seven for 35 on the final day in Bulawayo to round up a Zimbabwean line-up that was as unlucky as they were uncertain.
Two poor umpiring decisions in the morning session opened Zimbabwe up and the middle and lower order could not muster the fight they had shown earlier in the series. Martin Guptill proved a surprise destroyer-in-chief, finding turn that neither of New Zealand's specialist spinners had produced, although, Ish Sodhi finished the match with seven wickets including a career-best four for 60 in the first innings.
Zimbabwe's hopes of batting out the day started well as nightwatchman Donald Tiripano and Craig Ervine saw off 70 minutes of play. They left well, coped with movement from Trent Boult and the short-ball symphony from Neil Wagner. They were dealing with spin equally well until Mitchell Santner sent Tiripano a delivery that pitched on leg, went on with the arm hit the batsman's pads and seemed to miss the stumps. Umpire Paul Reiffel, however, upheld the appeal.
Prince Masvaure, who sprained an ankle in warm-ups on the third day had recovered to join Ervine, but looked edgy. He had faced 10 balls when he tried to turn Santner to short leg and gave Henry Nicholls a chance but the ball popped out of his hands. Two balls later, Masvaure thought a single was on and was halfway down the pitch at the non-strikers' end, but got back in time to avoid any damage.
With Williamson keeping the field spread, Zimbabwe were hopeful of getting to lunch without further damage. But Guptill found a way through Ervine, dragging the batsman forward to defend and having him caught behind. Replays indicated there was daylight between bat and ball though.
After the break, it appeared the sting had been taken out of the Zimbabwean tail. A combination of poor shot selection - Sean Williams drilled a drive off a Guptll half-volley to Williamson at short cover while Peter Moor played for turn when there was none from Sodhi - and more poor umpiring decisions led to their undoing. Reiffel ruled Graeme Cremer lbw even though he had hit the ball and Michael Gough ruled Masvaure out caught though the ball had lobbed off his pad to slip. New Zealand needed only 44 minutes to wrap up the five wickets they needed.
Despite the decisions, the end result reflects the difference between the two teams. While New Zealand had three centurions in each Test, Zimbabwe only had two in the series and could not string together enough big partnerships. Zimbabwe were unable to bowl New Zealand out even once and managed just 12 wickets in the series but showed that with more cricket, there have the talent to improve.
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