Cricket: Zimbabwe T20 to get Taylor era under way

The Zimbabwe tour offers a first chance for promising Central Districts allrounder Doug Bracewell. Photo / Paul Estcourt

It's been one of the longer breaks for New Zealand in recent years, but it ends in Harare early tomorrow.

The first of two T20 internationals against Zimbabwe get new captain Ross Taylor's reign under way.

The teams have met just once in the shortest form of the game, New Zealand winning a Duckworth Lewis finish by seven runs in Guyana last year during the world T20 championship.

New Zealand's last commitment was at the World Cup at the end of March when they were beaten in their semifinal by Sri Lanka.

Since then, some players have had stints in English county cricket, others have done time in the Indian Premier League or, more latterly the Champions League in India, where James Franklin helped Mumbai Indians win the title for the first time, beating the Dan Vettori-skippered Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Vettori is absent for the limited-overs leg of this tour - two T20s and three ODIs before joining the tour for the only test in Bulawayo starting on November 1. That opens a short form spin vacancy, for which Nathan McCullum has first dibs.

From Taylor's perspective, victory is what matters, and what is expected in Zimbabwe, who had their own four-month break until Bangladesh arrived early in August.

Since then, they've played 12 internationals across the three versions with mixed results.

They beat Bangladesh in the only test, and won the subsequent ODI series 3-2, but lost all six games against Pakistan.

"Zimbabwe play well at home. They know their conditions well and we're under no illusions that this is going to be a walkover," Taylor said.

"But we're still expecting to win. We know we can play well when we play as a team."

The tour offers a first chance for promising allrounder Doug Bracewell and veteran seamer Graeme Aldridge, while there are recalls for batsman BJ Watling and allrounder Rob Nicol.

How Taylor and coach John Wright rotate their players through the five games will be interesting.

There are tougher challenges ahead this summer, in the form of Australia and South Africa, but there's little point taking players and not finding out how they measure up at international level .

Left armer Andy McKay, Aldridge and experienced Kyle Mills will vie for the new ball; Jacob Oram, Nicol, Bracewell and Franklin offer allround qualities; while the top four in the batting order should be locked in, with Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill opening, with Jesse Ryder and Taylor to follow.

Zimbabwe have some handy performers,but their depth is limited, the quality up and down, and anything other than a comfortable clean sweep should furrow New Zealand brows.

Zimbabwe v NZ

Harare, 1am NZT tomorrow

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (c), Charles Coventry, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Keegan Meth, Natsai M'shangwe, Christopher Mpofu, Forster Mutizwa, Raymond Price, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller

New Zealand: (from) Ross Taylor (c), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, James Franklin, BJ Watling, Jacob Oram, Rob Nicol, Doug Bracewell, Luke Woodcock, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Graeme Aldridge, Andy McKay.