Match reports

Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 2015-16

Wisden's review of the first ODI, Zimbabwe v New Zealand, 2015-16

15-Apr-2016
First one-day international At Harare, August 2, 2015. Zimbabwe won by seven wickets. New Zealand 303-4 (50 overs) (K. S. Williamson 97, L. R. P. L. Taylor 112*, G. D. Elliott 43); ‡Zimbabwe 304-3 (49 overs) (H. Masakadza 84, C. J. Chibhabha 42, C. R. Ervine 130*; N. L. McCullum 3-62). MoM: C. R. Ervine. ODI debut: I. S. Sodhi (New Zealand).
New Zealand, playing in shirts emblazoned with "Aotearoa" (the country's Maori name) to celebrate Maori Language Week at home, looked secure after Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who hit his 15th century in one-day internationals, propelled them towards 303. Zimbabwe had only once scored more to win an ODI (329-9 against New Zealand at Bulawayo in October 2011, after Williamson and Taylor both made hundreds). But Chamu Chibhabha started with a sprightly 42, Hamilton Masakadza and Craig Ervine took the score to 194 in the 35th over, and there were no late wobbles. Ervine glided to his maiden ODI hundred in 99 balls, and finished with 11 fours and five sixes from 108. He brought the scores level with four and six from the last two balls of the 49th over, from Jimmy Neesham, and the match was won when the first delivery of the final over, from Nathan McCullum, was a wide. "They outplayed us in all areas," admitted Williamson.