New Zealand seamers dominate first day

New Zealand A 79 for 3 (How 12*, Brownlie 8*, Garwe 2-19) trail Zimbabwe A 186 (Waller 29, Martin 4-41, Aldridge 3-42) by 107 runs
Scorecard

New Zealand A had the better of the first day of the third unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A at the Country Club ground in Harare, dismissing the hosts for 186 as seamer Chris Martin picked up figures of 4 for 41. The Zimbabweans did not fold completely, however, Trevor Garwe striking twice before the close to reduce the visitors to 79 for 3 at the close.

After captain James Franklin won the toss and opted to field, Martin - a veteran of 56 Tests with 206 international wickets to his name - and his new-ball partner Graeme Aldridge soon had the Zimbabweans in trouble. Aldridge removed former Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Tino Mawoyo for single figures, and Martin got past left-hander Friday Kasteni in the very next over.

Brent Arnel, who made his Test debut against Australia earlier this year, then removed the out-of-sorts Vusi Sibanda for a six-ball duck and bowled opener Steve Marillier for 22 as Zimbabwe A slipped to 37 for 4. Regis Chakabva and Malcolm Waller, who top-scored with 29, lead a brief rearguard in adding 48 for the fifth wicket before Martin returned to remove Chakabva for 27.

Waller soon followed him to the pavilion, bowled by Martin, and as wickets continued to tumble Zimbabwe collapsed to 145 for 9. Taurai Muzarabani and Mike Chinouya leant a sheen of respectability to the score with a fighting 10th wicket stand, Muzarabani slamming two sixes and three fours in a 24-ball 27 but the introduction of Jeetan Patel's offspin brought an immediate end to the innings as he had Muzarabani caught by Tim McIntosh with his very first ball.

It seemed as though New Zealand would then take complete control of the game as McIntosh and Peter Ingram eased the opening stand past fifty, but shortly before the close Zimbabwe struck back as both were removed in consecutive overs with the score on 57. Seamer Garwe then bowled Martin Guptill for 1 to reduce New Zealand to 65 for 3. Jamie How and Dean Brownlie held firm to deny Zimbabwe any further breakthroughs, and will be at the forefront of New Zealand's push for a first-innings lead tomorrow.