In the only test played in the Zimbabwe tour of New Zealand on 2012 Jan 26 at Napier, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field first. This decision doesn’t go well for Zimbabwe, with Brendan McCullum and Martin Guptill showing utter class and bringing up the hundred percent for the first wicket. The start provided by the duo helped make a solid momentum for the other players and allowed them to play freely. New Zealand’s Captain Ross Taylor looked most impressive in the center and was the highest run-scorer for New Zealand. BJ Watling showed an aggressive batting style while playing his magnificent knock of 102 runs. Other run-scorers for Zealand were Martin Guptill (51 runs), Tim Southee (44 runs), and Daniel Vettori (38 runs). The team’s combined effort helped New Zealand achieve the mammoth score of 495 at the loss of 7 wickets, with Ross Taylor declaring the innings.
New Zealand showed complete dominance in Zimbabwe’s first innings, with Zimbabwe coming to bat. With Chris Martin, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, and Time Southee taking two wickets each and Daniel Vettori sending one-person home. The team’s combined effort bowled out Zimbabwe at their lowest test score of 51 runs. Malcolm Waller was the only guy for Zimbabwe to reach double figures. Later, New Zealand implied follow-on, and Zimbabwe was forced to bat again. Zimbabwe again was not able to perform against the magnificent bowling of New Zealand, as they likewise were stopped at a total of 143 runs. Chris Martin led New Zealand’s bowling attack and was a nightmare for the visitors with his spell of 6-26 in the second innings. Other bowlers to take wickets for New Zealand were Doug Bracewell (3 wickets) and Kane Williamson (1 wicket). New Zealand won the match with a massive margin of an innings and 301 runs, which is their largest victory in cricket history. Chris Martin was awarded the man of the match for his spectacular bowling performance.
