After crashing to a record defeat against New Zealand in the one-off Test, Zimbabwe will look to restore some pride in the ODI series beginning Friday (local time). The Africans managed to win a match in this format when New Zealand toured Zimbabwe last November, and the shorter matches probably suit their game better because of their lack of a penetrative fast bowler.
The New Zealand side is missing arguably their three best players of recent times, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor (injury) and Daniel Vettori (retirement from ODIs). This will likely result in some new faces in the side, with a possibility of Tom Latham making his ODI debut at No. 6 and Dean Brownlie and also to don the black cap for the first time in this format. If the inexperienced Brownlie bats at No. 5 then Kane Williamson will probably move up the order to take over Taylor's No. 4 spot. With Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum the incumbent opening pair we could see Rob Nicol bat at first drop.
Doug Bracewell has only played two ODIs, but owing to his impressive performance in Tests there is every chance he will play as the third bowler, behind Tim Southee and the returning Kyle Mills. Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum look to make up the rest of the bowling unit, and if Oram doesn't bowl ten overs there are plenty of part-time spinners in the team, with Guptill, Williamson and Nicol all able to tweak the ball.
Zimbabwe will depend on their captain Brendan Taylor to put up some big scores if they expect to take down the Black Caps on their home turf. Taylor scored two centuries and a 75 in the three ODI matches played in Zimbabwe last October, and he will want to show the world what form he is in after an underwhelming Test match. Malcolm Waller - whose 99* was instrumental in the ODI match that Zimbabwe won last October - will also fancy his chances of putting on a big score. They will have to figure out a way of dealing with Kyle Mills though, who strangled them in the first ODI in Zimbabwe, conceding only 29 off his 10 overs.
Taylor will be aware that his bowlers have to take early wickets if they want to get into the inexperienced Black Caps middle order, and this job will mainly fall to Brian Vitori, whose ability to move the ball should be dangerous on the Kiwi wickets. Although Vitori's 1-94 in the Test failed to impress, he has a strike rate of 23.2 with two five-wicket hauls in his five ODIs so far. Like his captain, Vitori will be aware that Zimbabwe are a better side than they showed in the Test and will be hungry to prove himself.
New Zealand probable: 1. Brendon McCullum, 2. Martin Guptill, 3. Ron Nicol, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Dean Brownlie, 6. Tom Latham, 7. Nathan McCullum, 8. Jacob Oram, 9. Kyle Mills, 10. Doug Bracewell, 11. Tim Southee.
Zimbabwe probable: 1. Hamilton Masakadza, 2. Stuart Matsikenyeri, 3. Brendan Taylor, 4. Tatenda Taibu, 5. Regis Chakabva, 6. Malcolm Waller, 7. Elton Chigumbura, 8. Prosper Utseya, 9. Ray Price, 10. Kyle Jarvis, 11. Brian Vitori.
Unfortunately for those fans of the underdog, the cricket simulator at ODI CricSim doesn't hold much hope for the Zimbabweans winning a match, let alone the series. In 1,000 simulated matches with the teams listed above, New Zealand won 871 matches to Zimbabwe's 129. |
