Taylor wants happy returns

A win on Monday would put the icing on Zimbabwean skipper Brendan Taylor's birthday cake.

The wicketkeeper batsman, who turns 26 on Monday, is determined to turn the tables on the Black Caps during the One Day International at Cobham Oval, following a disappointing effort by his Zimbabwe test side in Napier last week where they lost by an innings and 301 runs.

Taylor dismissed the test loss as water under the bridge as his squad concentrates on three limited overs games at University Oval (yesterday), Cobham Oval on Monday and at McLean Park, Napier on Thursday.

"Obviously we were massively disappointed with the loss but it was the wake-up call we needed. Each individual in the squad has worked hard on their batting, bowling and fielding - we just need to get it right for the ODI series," Taylor said.

Zimbabwe are confident with the technical side of their game, but have spent a lot of hours working on their mental approach to competition.

"We need to have the right mindset as to how we approach these games,"he said.

Zimbabwe know they can beat the Black Caps - having won the third ODI by one wicket in Bulawayo during the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe in October last year, where Taylor hit 75 runs.

But it was a matter of picking themselves up from the test loss and turning around their luck. "You can't get much worse cricket than what we played in that test," he said.

"However, it's a different format. We have prepared well and we're excited about the series ... a win would be nice."

Conditions were proving a bit of a mystery for the Zimbabweans and very different to those on the African continent. Pitches in Zimbabwe tend to have a spongy, tennis ball type of bounce, and are slower, whereas in New Zealand, the ball swings and bounces more, aiding the fast bowlers.

"The pitches and conditions are a lot different here but I guess that's the joy of travelling the world playing cricket," Taylor said.