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Dunedin: Discipline with the ball and aggressive leadership from captain Brendon McCullum have seen New Zealand secure an emphatic victory over Zimbabwe in their three-match one-day series in the first one-day international on Friday.
The Kiwis outclassed the tourists by 90 runs at University Oval in Dunedin to take a 1-0 series lead into the second game at Whangarei on Monday.
Defending their 248 in 48.3 overs, the New Zealanders had plenty of room to spare as they dismissed Zimbabwe for 158.
The tourists began their response in nervous fashion as veteran seamer Kyle Mills struck two early blows to help reduce them to 15 for three and when Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor later proved a thorn in their side his opposite McCullum turned to his slow bowlers to unsettle his momentum.
Having employed three slips and a man under the helmet in the early stages as Taylor and Tatenda Taibu cautiously looked to repair the damage, McCullum entrusted offspinner Rob Nicol with ending Taylor’s spikey resistance midway through the innings.
The tactic worked a treat, with Taylor accepting the invitation to use a strong tailwind to help hit Nicol over the ropes. But he attempted to repeat the stroke one ball later and was caught just inside the boundary at long off by Andrew Ellis.
It ended a fine innings of 58 off 68 balls, with eight fours and one six all around the ground, and reduced Zimbabwe to 97 for five, from which they never recovered.
The New Zealanders were seldom kept waiting although Taylor and Taibu did put on a stand of 52 for the fourth wicket before Taibu became seamer Ellis’ first one-day international wicket when caught at mid off for 20 by Kane Williamson.
Outside of Taylor, Taibu and later Ray Price, who made 26 not out in his 100th one-day international, Zimbabwe offered little and they perished in 41.1 overs after Nicol cleaned up the tail to finish with career best figures of four for 19 off 25 balls in his fourth appearance at this level.
Mills also enjoyed his work in taking three for 26 off eight overs.
Earlier, Shingirai Masakadza took four wickets in a display of controlled medium pace bowling to help Zimbabwe restrict New Zealand to 248 batting first.
Masakadza's outstanding spell of 4-46 from 9.3 overs, bowled into the teeth of a stiff breeze, vindicated the decision of Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor to bowl first after winning the toss.
New Zealand lost its first two wickets for four runs in the first eight balls of the innings. But Martin Guptill made 70 in an 88-run partnership with Kyle Williamson (35) which lifted New Zealand to 92-3.
Elton Chigumbura then captured the wickets of Guptill and debutant Tom Latham (24) to slow New Zealand's fightback and Masakadza rolled through the middle order to leave Zimbabwe a competitive target.
Mixing a well-disguised slower ball with deliveries that sometimes surprised the batsmen with pace and bounce, Masakadza helped Zimbabwe put the brakes on New Zealand's scoring after Guptill's dominant innings.
Guptill reached his half century - his 13th in one-day internationals - in 82 minutes from only 44 balls with seven fours. He played some outstanding shots down the ground as he re-established New Zealand's innings after the loss of Rob Nicol (0) to the fifth ball of the innings and captain Brendon McCullum (3) to the eighth.
His partnership with Williamson ended in the 17th over when Williamson offered a difficult return catch to Masakadza, giving the bowler the first of his four victims. Guptill fell himself in the 25th over, with New Zealand 130 for four, when he was bowled between bat and pad by Chigumbura.
New Zealand fielded three players on debut Friday and all made contributions. Latham, the son of former Test opener Rod Latham, made 24 from 33 balls, allrounder Andy Ellis made 33 from 30 balls and test batsman Dean Brownlie was run out for 19 in his first one-day international.
Masakadza snuffed out the innings of Ellis as he threatened to lead a late New Zealand recovery and of Nathan McCullum who made 30 from 42 balls, bowling both players.
He then wrapped up the innings when he trapped Tim Southee lbw with the third ball of the 49th over. Masakadza received strong support from Kyle Jarvis, who took 2-41 including the wicket of Brendon McCullum, and Chigumbura who finished with 2-46.
Veteran left-arm spinner Ray Price went wicketless in his 100th one-day international.
Brief scores
New Zealand 248 (Guptill 70, Shingi Masakadza 4-46)
Zimbabwe 158 (Taylor 58, Nicol 4-19, Mills 3-26)
Result New Zealand won by 90 runs
MOM Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
