Zimbabwe need to bounce back

with Heath Streak and his men winning the series 2-1.
But, this time around, it is going to be heavy going against a team that has been playing very good cricket over a long period of time.

The first sort of call is the University Oval in Dunedin, with the match starting just after midnight early this morning, and the pitch will more than likely be another one that will favour the seamers.
So, whoever wins the toss, will want to have a bowl under possible cloudy skies.
New Zealand have been nothing short of outstanding in the last two Test matches they have played.

Their bowling and fielding, in particular, has been right out of the top draw.
Their bowlers have maintained outstanding lines and lengths having no less than 26 batsmen caught behind the wicket.
Fourteen Zimbabweans and 12 Australians have perished that way while the Black Caps have also held on to 26 out of 27 slip catches in the last two Test matches.

Even though the version has changed from five-day Cricket to One-Day International cricket, the Kiwi bowlers are likely to stick to their accurate lines and lengths and on a pitch that will be seamer friendly.
And, with our batting still very low on confidence, the batsmen are likely to have their hands full.
It is also interesting to note that there are a fair amount of players making their debuts for New Zealand so the is blend of youth and experience should provide plenty of flair and exuberance, which is exactly what the crowds of New Zealand love to see.

So will Tino Mawoyo be given a run in the ODIs or will Stuart Matsikinyere be pressed into service?
Given the explosive way Matsikinyere played in the last edition of the Stanbic T20 competition at the top of the order, the coaching staff may well be tempted to open the innings with him, and possibly Hamilton Masakadza.

Masakadza, though, is desperately out of form and has been that way for a considerable period of time.
The top order also have to understand that they have to play the ball as late as possible and with soft hands instead of going at it with hard hands until such time they feel they have spent enough time out in the middle to express themselves.

This also means that strike rotation is of utmost importance.
Zimbabwe have relied heavily on their spinners to keep it tight in the middle overs for many years now but the general feeling is that the spinners may not be as effective as they used to be.

So the seamers will have to dig deep and be consistent in hitting the right areas.
Zimbabwe will be hoping that new ball bowler Keegan Meth, as well as old horse Raymond Price, would have recovered sufficiently from their injuries to be part of the team.

This may also turn out to be Price’s swansong tour as a combination of age and below average performances may see him watching from the sidelines the next time the team plays on foreign soil.