Cricket: Astle guides New Zealand to victory

8.00am - By RICHARD BOOCK

UPDATE - New Zealand were forced to negotiate a nightmare period in the field before getting their Super Six campaign off to a successful start against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein this morning.

Needing to win at least two of their three Super Six matches, New Zealand took a valuable four points after chasing down Zimbabwe's total of 252 for seven, with six wickets and 16 balls to spare.

Under a sweltering Free State sun, the New Zealanders made up for a major lapse at the bowing crease to move up to fourth place on the second round table, courtesy of an unbeaten century from Nathan Astle and some more good batting from Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns.

Astle, who scored his only other World Cup century on debut against England back in 1996, had experienced a soul-destroying run of form since, and went into this morning's match with an average of just 16.

However, he picked an excellent time to find his touch, bleeding the Zimbabwean attack for a stream of low-risk runs and only occasionally bringing out the big shot, as he steered his side home with an unbeaten 102 of 122 balls - his 13th ODI century.

Cairns too would have been pleased with his improving form with the bat after grinding out a patient 54 off 73 balls as he and Astle added a match-winning 121 for the fourth wicket.

Fleming, who arguably played his finest ODI innings at the Wanderers in the first round, continued his masterly form with a breezy 46 off 42 balls, stroking 10 deliciously-timed fours in an innings that seemed destined for greater things until he was trapped lbw in the 14th over.

For all that, New Zealand were assisted during the chase in no small manner by an outrageous sequence of injuries in the Zimbabwe side, who were down to a skeleton crew of bowlers by the time they finished the match

It started when leg-spinner Brian Murphy tore a calf muscle while warming up during the lunch break, and continued through the second innings as first Douglas Hondo (left ankle) and then Guy Whittall (hamstring) were forced to leave the field for treatment.

However, by far New Zealand's biggest concern was the wayward effort with the ball in the closing stanzas of Zimbabwe's innings, when they conspired to concede an astonishing 62 runs off the last three overs to Heath Streak (72 not out) and Sean Ervine (31 not out off 14 balls).

Andre Adams was hammered for 54 off five overs to leave his position in doubt for Tuesday's match against Australia, and slow bowlers Daniel Vettori and Chris Harris were each collared in the final over of their spells.

ZIMBABWE-NEW ZEALAND SCOREBOARD:

Zimbabwe:

C Wishart c Styris b Cairns 30

D Ebrahim b Adams 0

A Flower run out 37

G Flower c Cairns b Oram 1

G Whittall c McCullum b Cairns 0

T Taibu lbw b Harris 53

A Blignaut run out 4

H Streak not out 72

S Ervine not out 31

Extras (9lb, 2nb, 13w) 24

Total (for 7 wickets, 50 overs) 252

Fall: 5 (Ebrahim), 59 (Wishart), 63 (G Flower), 65 (Whittall), 98 (A Flower), 106 (Blignaut), 174 (Taibu).

Bowling: S Bond 10 overs 0 maidens 37 runs 0 wickets (2w), A Adams 5-0-54-1 (1nb, 9w), J Oram 10-4-28-1 (1w), C Cairns 4-0-16-2 (1w), D Vettori 10-0-52-0, C Harris 10-0-45-1 (1nb), N Astle 1-0-11-0.

New Zealand:

C McMillan c Taibu b Hondo 8

S Fleming lbw b Blignaut 46

N Astle not out 102

S Styris c sub (Friend) b Blignaut 13

C Cairns b Ervine 54

C Harris not out 14

Extras (5lb, 1nb, 10w) 16

Total (for 4 wickets, 47.2 overs) 253

Fall: 27 (McMillan), 72 (Fleming), 97 (Styris), 218 (Cairns).

Bowling: H Streak 10-0-59-0 (1w), D Hondo 8.2-0-52-1 (4w), A Blignaut 10-0-41-2 (3w), G Flower 10-0-33-0 (1nb, 1w), G Whittall 3-0-19-0, S Ervine 6-0-44-1 (1w).

Result: New Zealand won by six wickets.

Man of the match: Nathan Astle (New Zealand).



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