Run chase gives Zimbabwe something to smile about

teams in the past have never been successful in chasing down big totals and so not only will they be happy with the win but the fact that they chased down such a monumental total, regardless of the natureof the wicket, will or should put the team in high spirits.

Even though the two debutantes Njabulo Ncube and Natsai Mushangwe provedto be costly, both were very impressive in their first spells and giventime these two youngsters will most definetly become permanent playersin the side.

The fielding started off on a promising note with the team taking thefirst three chances that were presented but as the innings progressed,the old habits of taking their eyes off the ball returned and drop catches crept back in to their game.

Many people believe this game could have been won a lot easier had Elton Chigumbura, Keegan Meth and Raymond Price, to a lesser extent, not given their wickets away.
Chigumbura and Meth, in particular, swung the balance back in NewZealand’s favour as first Chigumbura, who had played so well, got outplaying a reckless shot to a good ball by Jacob Oram who has beenconsistent throughout the tour with his probing lines and lengths. Meth’s dismissal could have once again allowed Zimbabwe to have taken defeat from the jaws of victory.

Malcom Waller’s 99 not out, off just 74 balls, was an innings his father, who was renowned for his big hitting and world class fielding,would have been proud of.
But, to be fair, an innings of such quality from Waller was around thecorner as time after time he has got himself into the thirties and thengave it away. On this occasion his shot selection and composure was remarkable as he remained calm, even under the greatest of pressure, and his trademark flick over fine leg as well as his sweetly timed cover drives and pull shots over mid wicket, made his innings one of quality and character.

The real, and sadly, unsung hero of the series is unquestionably BrendanTaylor.
His 310 runs, with only one dismissal, came at better than a run a balland emphasised his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking at all times, something that most of the top order can learn from. The bowling throughout the T20, as well as the ODI matches, was disappointing and the fielding woeful, to say the least, but confidence is a strange old thing as one can so easily lose or gain it.

And you can’t help but feel that a huge amount would have been gained after Zimbabwe’s highest run chase was successfully achieved, which will also make positions for the Test 11 very interesting indeed.