Date-stamped : 05 Oct97 - 14:10 THIRD ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, ZIMBABWE v NEW ZEALAND, at Harare Sports Club, Sunday 5 October 1997 by John Ward LUNCH-TIME REPORT (No preview was possible owing to the apparently requisite technical problems) Lunch-time score: New Zealand 294/7. For the first time on tour, New Zealand have taken the initiative in a match, and Zimbabwe's hopes of winning the one-day series are very close to zero. The revamped New Zealand batting line-up has pasted the Zimbabwe bowling all over the field and set the home team an almost impossible target. Zimbabwe replaced Eddo Brandes, in poor bowling form, with Bryan Strang, thus extending the international 'family record' section: in this match: they are fielding not only the three pairs of brothers who appeared in the First Test but also the Whittall cousins. New Zealand played an unchanged team again. New Zealand, batting on winning the toss, altered their batting order, sending in Chris Cairns as a pinch-hitter to open the batting and demoting Craig Spearman. Although Cairns did not play one of his best innings, his brisk fifty undoubtedly gave his team their best start of the tour, in partnership with Nathan Astle. For once, John Rennie failed to take an early wicket, although he did eventually break through, taking a fine low caught-and-bowled off a straight drive. Then came an umpiring decision with far-reaching effects, as Stephen Fleming got the benefit of what looked to be a good appeal for a catch at the wicket before he had scored; he went on to hold the middle order together with a good fifty. Chris Cairns enjoyed some slices of luck, on several occasions mistiming the ball in the air but clear of fielders. Eventually he hit a skyer to deep extra cover. Matthew Horne was batting competently when he drove straight to be superbly caught-and-bowled by Grant Flower, low down to his left. Zimbabwe did hold all their catches, but there were a number of fumbles in the field which gave away runs and may have cost them a couple of run-outs. Fleming's innings came to an end when he skied a catch to long-off, but New Zealand were well on top at this time. A good partnership followed between Craig McMillan and Chris Harris, who was not dismissed in any of the one-day matches. McMillan batted particularly well, and in the 47th over hit two successive sixes off John Rennie. In the next over, however, he skied a ball towards the deep extra cover boundary, and Andrew Whittall, running to his right, held on to a catch of rare brilliance. Craig Spearman was another batsman to sky a catch, but his replacement Adam Parore played a dashing innings of 14, including two sixes, off only 6 balls. He was bowled, losing his bails, going for another big hit, while his replacement, Daniel Vettori, hit a six over long-on and a single off the remaining two balls of the innings. 30 runs had come off the last two overs. Zimbabwe had little to encourage them this morning, apart from some fine catching, and are currently staring defeat in the place. However, the New Zealand bowling on form this tour has not been strong -- but neither was their top-order batting. It is not an impossible target, but given the poor returns of several of Zimbabwe's top batsmen, unlikely. FINAL REPORT Final score: New Zealand 294/7; Zimbabwe 211. New Zealand won by 83 runs. As seemed likely at lunch, New Zealand won the final one-day match against Zimbabwe and so drew the one-day series along with the Test series. At one stage, Zimbabwe had looked likely to put up a good fight, but shot themselves in the foot with four run-outs, which ended their chances. Zimbabwe also altered their batting order, a good move with Andy Flower moving up the order to open with his brother Grant. Admittedly this was hard on Gavin Rennie, demoted to number eight after his excellent innings yesterday. But the Flower brothers know how to get an innings off to a brisk start, and they did just that, with 63 runs in just under 10 overs. Andy did have a narrow escape, getting a leading edge just clear of the bowler when on 9, but they ran well between wickets and kept piercing the field with well-struck boundaries. Grant was eventually out to a lofted off-drive which carried to the deep fielder. Guy Whittall soon settled in and batted well with Andy, who looked likely to make his first major batting contribution of the tour, until he tried one quick single too many and was well run out by Chris Harris, always a danger in the backward point area. Alistair Campbell, hero of yesterday's match, came in and played himself in carefully. But the prospect of another fine captain's innings was rudely cut short when Guy Whittall played a ball into the covers, called for a run and then changed his mind, leaving his captain stranded half-way down the pitch. Shortly afterwards, Whittall himself, on the verge of his fifty, drove over the top of a good ball from Astle, pitched well up to him, and was comprehensively bowled. Dave Houghton was probably Zimbabwe's last realistic hope, a man who can tear an attack apart. But, like Campbell, his innings was tragically cut short by another run-out as he attempted a quick single to a misfield in the covers by Craig McMillan. Wickets then fell steadily. Craig Evans, who could have taken Zimbabwe close, hit a straight-forward catch to short fine leg, while Gavin Rennie skied a drive to mid-off. The match was already lost when the fourth run-out came. John Rennie, like certain others on this tour, seemed completely blind to the talents of Harris at backward point, and was rightly sent back looking for an impossible run to that particular fielder. Paul Strang swung a catch to deep square leg, and the last pair was together. Zimbabwe were grateful to Bryan Strang and Andy Whittall for first of all reducing the margin of defeat to two figures and then for taking the total to over 200. Whittall included in his innings a fine six over long-on, but it couldn't last; Bryan Strang was last out as he found the leading edge to a rustic leg hit and was caught by the bowler. More than ever Zimbabwe will rue their failure to grasp the first match of this series when they looked certain to win. New Zealand showed great resilience throughout the tour, but only in this last match did they strike their best form; Zimbabwe never did. Chris Cairns was adjudged man of the match for his good innings and some useful bowling, while Chris Harris was an obvious choice for man of the series with his vital contributions in three departments of the game. In view of Zimbabwe's obvious advantage in talent, it is greatly to New Zealand's credit that their fighting spirit enabled them to draw two series which Zimbabwe should have won. Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)