Kiwi bowling plan works well in victory over Zimbabwe

New Zealand Under-19 targeted the highly-rated Zimbabwean top order with devastating effect in their match at Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln University today.

The New Zealanders were concerned after the abandonment of their game with Sri Lanka on Saturday that they could be troubled by the well-performed Zimbabwe top order.

But they needn't have worried too much as their plan, once the opening bowlers found their lines, worked to perfection and the top-order was cleaned out in a swathe by big Aucklander Michael Bates who took four wickets in seven balls to leave the Africans reeeling at 21/4.

That effectively shut the Zimbabweans out of the game and once the New Zealand medium pace and spin attack tied the middle and lower order down even more, the only question was how long it would all take.

As it turned out, the game was all over before the scheduled lunch break as New Zealand wiped out the 72 runs required in 10.3 overs to win by six wickets.

An embarrassing glitch in the New Zealand batting did leave the side with something to think about from the game, especially after the loss in concentration which meant New Zealand lost by three wickets more than it really should have.

Bates' performance earned him the Man of the Match award. The Suburbs New Lynn left-armer normally finds with his inswing bowling to right-handers that his main method of dismissals are leg before wicket but he switched to bowling more out-swingers to the right handers and had the unusual experience of getting edges, which were well taken behind the wicket.

"Getting three in one over was a great way to start. The wicket did a little bit but it was nothing amazing.

"We were disappointed that our first game was abandoned because we felt we were just starting to get back on top of Sri Lanka when the game ended. We had fought back well and we knew that because of that if we didn't do well we would be back in Auckland [in the Plate Championship] for the second round of the tournament," he said.

Bates finished with four for 26 from his eight overs while Richard Sherlock was sitting on a hat-trick when taking two for 12 from his eight overs.

The efficiency and containment of Peter Borren, a medium-pacer, and Rob Nicol who bowled off-spin, was obvious from their figures. They took one for 12 and one for 18 respectively from their 10 overs.

The last wicket went to Iain Robertson who took one for one from the two balls he bowled.

New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said a lot of planning went into the game.

"We were very nervous because the raining out of the Sri Lankan game made this a must-win for us. We knew that in their top order one has been a Test player and one has been scoring freely so we wanted Sherlock and Bates bowling to a plan.

"They started steadily but were not implementing the plan but then it clicked in.

"We wanted them bowling in partnerships and for a plan to work it has to be implemented at both ends.

"Then the others came on and squeezed it up," he said.

New Zealand then attacked from the outset with the bat in chasing their target of 72 but came undone and while that was unfortunate it had left the side with something to think about after the loss, he added.

New Zealand lost Simon Allen in the sixth over for 16 with the score 37 but Jesse Ryder kept hitting out and the 50 came up off 38 balls.

Then leg-spinner Hamilton Masakadza got into the act by having Nicol caught for six when the score was 67. The score went through to 70 when a misunderstanding between the umpires and the scorers had the umpires pulling up stumps and the players congratulating one another thinking it was the end of the game.

The umpires seemed to be looking to the scoreboard for clarification that an over was completed, and the scoreboard staff replied that it was over, as in six balls completed, but the umpires thought they meant it was over, as in game completed.

Once it was all sorted out, Ryder attempted a run off the first ball afterwards and was just short of his ground. Then skipper Ross Taylor tried to ensure it was all over with an attempted pull shot which lobbed down to mid off for New Zealand to end up four wickets down before the winning runs were scored.

"It was a good lesson because it showed that if you lose a bit of concentration for even a short period of time you can suffer for it," Greatbatch said.

He was especially pleased with Ryder's batting approach and commented that he had done some work with Ryder in Napier, where they both live.

Ryder had a high skill level and in recent times he has been working on the mental side of his game. He has started playing senior cricket in Hawke's Bay and completed his first club century just before Christmas.

Greatbatch said Ryder was starting to make some good decisions with his batting and he was very careful that Ryder maintained the naturalness that is so much a part of his game.

New Zealand will be hoping so too, for the harder games that lie ahead in the not too distant future for the side.

New Zealand play Namibia on Wednesday while Zimbabwe now have to beat Sri Lanka on Thursday to take a qualifying place. Both games will be at Hagley Oval.