adminMehluli Sibanda in Bulawayo
A MAIDEN Test century by left hander Sean Williams and a first ever half ton in the longer version of the game by Craig Ervine proved to be all in vain as Zimbabwe were beaten by an innings and 117 runs by New Zealand on the afternoon of the fourth day of the first Test cricket at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.
Williams, in to bat at number eight due to illness, made a career best 119 runs off the 148 deliveries he faced in 209 minutes spent at the crease, during which he slammed 21 fours while Ervine made exactly 50 as Zimbabwe, cleaned up for 164 in their first innings, were dismissed for 295 in 79 overs in their second time of batting.
This meant New Zealand, who scored 576 runs for six declared in their first innings, did not have to bat for the second time with the match wrapped up before tea.
Zimbabwe headed into the fourth day on 121 for five, Craig Ervine unbeaten on 49 runs while his batting partner skipper Graeme Cremer had 14 to his name, the home side still requiring 293 runs for New Zealand to bat again.
Ervine reached his maiden Test fifty with a single off Tim Southee’s opening over of the day. He did not last longer though as he was given out in unfortunate circumstances. The left hander departed for 50 from 60 deliveries, an innings made up of seven fours, given out to Trent Boult, adjudged to have gotten an edge to the wicket-keeper Bradley-John Watling but television replays showed that the batsman never got bat on ball and was unlucky to have been given out in what was a shocking decision by the umpire from England Michael Gough who was standing for the first time in Test cricket.
Cremer was joined at the crease by Williams with the two doing all they could to reduce the margin of defeat for Zimbabwe to less than 200 runs.
Williams was the more aggressive of the two batsmen, hitting 11 fours to get to his first ever half century in Test cricket off 63 deliveries, getting to the mark with a boundary off the bowling of leg spinner Inderbir Sodhi.
Heading into the lunch break, Zimbabwe had moved to 221 runs for six, still needing another 191 runs to make New Zealand bat again.
Williams was on 73 runs while Cremer had 32.
Cremer was given out leg before wicket to Sodhi for 33 runs to bring an end to a 118 run stand for the seventh wicket with Williams.
After 144 minutes at the crease during which he faced up to 106 deliveries, put away 20 fours, Williams raced his maiden century in Test cricket.
It was the fastest century by a Zimbabwean in Tests from 106 balls to beat Neil Johnson’s 107 ball hundred against Pakistan in 1998.
Regis Chakabva hung around a bit, facing up to 41 deliveries before he was bowled by round his legs by Southee for 11 runs.
Williams perished before tea, left arm spinner Mitchell Santner getting him caught at deep mid wicket by Kane Williamson, Zimbabwe nine down for 284. Donald Tiripano was the last Zimbabwean batsman out, having a wild swing at a Neil Wagner delivery to be taken behind by Watling to bring an end to Zimbabwe’s innings as well as the match.
Left arm seamer Wagner finished with figures of two for 62 runs to end the match with eight wickets after he picked up six in the first innings. Boult weighed in with four for 52, Southee had two for 68 with slow bowlers Santner and Sodhi getting one wicket apiece.
Former Black Caps captain Ross Taylor went away with the man-of-the-match award for his unbeaten 173 runs in New Zealand’s first innings.
The second and final Test gets underway at the same venue on Saturday.
Zimbabwe 164 all out 77.5 overs (Tiripano 49*, Masvaure 42, Wagner 6/41) and 295 all out 79 overs (Williams 119, Ervine 50, Raza 37, Boult 4/46, Wagner 2/62, Southee 2/68)
New Zealand 576/6 declared 166.5 overs (Taylor 173*, Watling 107, Latham 105, Williamson 91, Masakadza 1/25)
New Zealand win by an innings and 117 runs
Online Reporter