RESULT
2nd unofficial Test, Harare, October 14 - 17, 2010, New Zealand A tour of Zimbabwe
(T:18) 526/8d & 18/0
(f/o) 256 & 287

NZ A won by 10 wickets

Player Of The Match
26 & 8/81
brent-arnel
Report

New Zealand A take charge in Harare

New Zealand A were the more motivated and determined team on day two of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A, surging powerfully ahead with some excellent late-order batting to declare at 526 for 8

ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Oct-2010
Zimbabwe A 104 for 4 (Waller 37*, Mutizwa 22*) trail New Zealand A 526 for 8 dec. (How 115, Hopkins 100, Ncube 3-87) by 422 runs
Scorecard
New Zealand A were the more motivated and determined team on day two of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A, surging powerfully ahead with some excellent late-order batting to declare at 526 for 8. That effort was followed up by some fine bowling and catching and by the end of the day Zimbabwe A had four good wickets down for only 104 runs, and were facing a difficult struggle to save the follow-on.
New Zealand A, 329 for 4 overnight, were obviously intent on building a total of at least 500, almost regardless of time. They followed the same policy they had adopted on the previous day: see off the opening bowlers and then take advantage of the second string. Five runs came in 25 minutes against good bowling from Tinashe Panyangara and Njabulo Ncube, but then James Franklin attempted a half-hearted drive against the former and edged a catch to the keeper to depart for 47 off 136 balls.
His partner Reece Young was more aggressive, especially through the covers, and reached his fifty with a slice to the boundary that just cleared backward point. After he was dismissed for 76 off 123 balls, Jeetan Patel made only four and the score slipped to 406 for 7 - the last two wickets having fallen to Vusi Sibanda's gentle seamers. As New Zealand A play three batsmen whose natural position is No. 11 - No. 9 Brent Arnel has a career batting average of less than six - it appeared that the innings was almost over, even though Gareth Hopkins was still there.
Again, though, a Zimbabwean team showed its inability to break through the opposition tail. Arnel was perhaps fortunate to survive an appeal for a low catch to mid-on, which the umpires decided they were unable to be sure was valid. Arnel took the opportunity to dig in and lend invaluable assistance to Hopkins, who handled the situation of batting with the tail very well.
He never seemed to panic or worry about retaining the strike, but played his strokes calmly and skillfully. That pair added 71 before Arnel left, and then Bhupinder Singh also lent solid support, allowing Hopkins to reach a well-deserved century off 116 balls, with 15 fours. At this point New Zealand A declared, not long before tea, with their total 526 for 8. Njabulo Ncube recorded the best figures, taking 3 for 87, while the inexhaustible Panyangara deserved better than 1 for 88 off his 34 overs.
Zimbabwe were kept under pressure by New Zealand's bowlers from the start, Steve Marillier spending 35 uncomfortable minutes at the crease before edging a rising delivery from Chris Martin, while Vusi Sibanda slashed at his first ball and was brilliantly caught by Martin Guptill leaping to his right at second slip. Zimbabwe A were 16 for 2 in the ninth over.
After a short recovery, Zimbabwe A suffered a major blow as their in-form batsman, Tino Mawoyo, edged a ball from Franklin down the leg side and was caught by the diving keeper, out for 23 out of a total of 29. After Charles Coventry was caught at slip after an unnaturally reticent innings of 7, Forster Mutizwa's response was to assault the spin of Patel, hammering him for a four and a six, while Malcolm Waller also responded positively. The pair put on 43 together by the close and lived to fight another day - and fight is what they will have to do.