WELLINGTON, February 20: New Zealand were on course for a big first innings lead over Zimbabwe by stumps on the second day of the first cricket Test at Wellington today.The home side were 176 for the loss of three wickets, just four runs shy of Zimbabwe's paltry first innings total of 180, and well set on a good batting wicket.
Captain Stephen Fleming, not out 33, was in the middle with Nathan Astle, on 19.
After dismissing Zimbabwe midway through the morning session, New Zealand got off to a disastrous start when they lost Bryan Young for a duck without a run on the board. Young drove at a ball from paceman Heath Streak but succeeded only in nicking it to Paul Strang at second slip.
Young's dismissal brought wicket-keeper Adam Parore to the crease. Parore and Matt Horne then laid the foundations of a big score.
Combining for a partnership of 103, Parore and Horne completely dominated the middle session.
Both hit sixes, Parore swinging legspinner Strang over square leg and Horne smashingoff-spinner Andy Whittal over wide mid-wicket.
Medium pacer Mpumelelo Mbangwa finally made the breakthrough when, with the last ball before tea, Horne edged a ball to wicket-keeper Andy Flower to depart for 44.
After the resumption Parore went for 78 when he looked to cut a wide ball from spinner Adam Huckle but instead nudged it into Flower's gloves.
Earlier, New Zealand left-arm medium pacer Shayne O'Connor took career best Test figures of four for 52 to Halt Zimbabwe's mini-recovery.
Zimbabwe resumed at 132 for eight and moved through to 171 before O'Connor trapped Streak leg-before-wicket for 39 in his first over with the new ball. O'Connor struck again in his next over when Huckle, on 19, edged behind to give wicket-keeper Parore his fourth catch of the innings.
SCOREBOARD
ZIMBABWE (1st Innings): (overnight 132-8) G Rennie b Doull 13, G Flower b Nash 38, M Goodwin lbw b Vettori 8, G Whittall c Parore b O'Connor 6, A Flower c Parore b O'Connor 2, A Campbell run out 37, P Strangc Young b Doull 1, H Streak lbw b O'Connor 39, A Whittall c Parore b Cairns 1, A Huckle c Parore b O'Connor 19, M Mbangwa not out 0, Extras (10 lb, 6 nb): 16. Total: 180.
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-53, 3-64, 4-70, 5-78, 6-89, 7-122, 8-131, 9-171.Bowling: Cairns 16-2-50-1 (3 nb), O'Connor 18.3-7-52-4, Doull 17-8-18-2 (1 nb), Nash 14-7-11-1 (2 nb), Vettori 20-10-39-1.
NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings): B young c Strang b Streak 0, Matt H c A Flower b Mbangwa 44, A Parore c A Flower b Huckle 78, S Fleming not out 33, N Astle not out 19, Extras: (1 lb, 1 b): 2. Total (for 3 wickets): 176.Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-103, 3-144.
Bowling: Streak 14-5-39-1, Mbangwa 11-3-28-1, Strang 24-6-58-0, Whittall 5-2-12-0, Whittall 4-0-14-0, Huckle 12-3-23-1.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
