Zimbabwe outplays New Zealand

TAUPO (NEW ZEALAND), JAN. 2. Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the three match one-day cricket series against New Zealand, thrashing the home nation by 70 runs in the opening game here on Tuesday.

New Zealand was dismissed for 210, chasing a revised victory target of 281 after seven overs were lost due to rain between innings.

Zimbabwe scored 300 for seven in its 50 overs, with Andy Flower top scoring with 80. In response New Zealand lost wickets regularly as the original required run rate of 6.5 continued to spiral.

Of the New Zealand players, only captain Stephen Fleming could look back on the run chase with any satisfaction, after he scored a stylish 64 in an otherwise dismal batting effort. ``We were totally outplayed. We were flat the way we plyed today, we weren't allowed to get into the game,'' Fleming said.

``We had good preparation but they took the game away from us and we didn't respond with the ball as we should have,'' he told the New Zealand Press Association.

Adding to New Zealand's disappointment, the comeback from injury of all-rounder Chris Cairns proved be shortlived. He is doubtful for the second match in Wellington on Thursday after suffering a new leg injury. Fleming's departure with the score on 151 dashed any faint hopes of New Zealand ending its losing streak in the one- day arena, which now stretches to six matches following its 0-5 defeat in South Africa late last year.

But Fleming was confident his team could bounce back. ``The one- day game is pretty easy to turn around, you just need a couple of turning points to happen,'' he said. A crowd of 6,260 had thinned out appreciably even by the time Guy Whittall finished matters by catching tailender Chris Martin off the bowling of Brian Murphy.

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Section  : Sport
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