Cricket: Cairns seventh Kiwi bowler in ton-up club

By Richard Boock

At the World Cup

LEEDS - Chris Cairns joined an elite band of New Zealand cricketers early yesterday morning (NZ time) after capturing his 100th one-day international wicket during the weather-affected World Cup showdown between the Kiwis and Zimbabwe.

The 28-year-old allrounder took three for 24 during Zimbabwe's innings of 175, carrying his overall career tally to 101 wickets and joining just seven others who have performed the feat for New Zealand.

But Cairns was unlikely to have slept soundly after bad light forced New Zealand from the field soon after their reply was rocked by three quick wickets, leaving them with the nasty little task of scoring another 106 runs in 35 overs earlier today, with seven wickets in hand.

It seemed for a time that the target would be reached or at least threatened yesterday morning as Nathan Astle and Matt Horne rediscovered their form and blasted 58 off the first nine overs, but as it happened, both openers and Craig McMillan perished within the space of another 24 balls and the innings was in need of some repair.

This was supplied in brief by Stephen Fleming (although he could twice have been dismissed) and Roger Twose before the Yorkshire rain intervened again.

With New Zealand's World Cup hopes hanging heavily on this morning's effort, their ability to start again overnight could be crucial to the outcome.

On the face of it, the equation appeared to favour the Kiwis as Zimbabwe almost certainly needed to bowl their opponents out to win the match.

New Zealand were well aware that if they could manage to bat anywhere near the 50 overs they should come out on top. After all, they needed just three an over for the remaining 35.

It would have been much more preferable if either Horne or Astle, whose opening stand of 58 was 53 better than any previous New Zealand first-wicket partnership at this tournament, had been able to preserve their wickets until the umpires abandoned play at 7.05pm (British time). Their contribution was still a vital one and, as it happened, both were a tad unlucky to be dismissed.

Horne, who played some lovely on-drives and, even more rarely seen, a cluster of off-drives during a run-a-ball 35, found the fence four times before advancing to Guy Whittall's friendly medium pace and being dubiously adjudged leg-before by the umpire.

Astle left an over later, brilliantly caught in the covers by a diving Heath Streak after scoring 20 off 28 balls, including four boundaries, and McMillan continued to worry the New Zealand management when he again looked scratchy before being trapped plumb in front by Streak two-and-a-half overs later.

That New Zealand were seeking such a modest target was mainly down to their impressive effort with the ball, with their persistence proving as much of a problem to the opposition batsmen as the lengthy showers which robbed the day of about 200 minutes of playing time.

Although Allott and Cairns took three wickets apiece, it was New Zealand's effort in closing down the Zimbabwe run-rate to 3.5 an over which was the real triumph, with Chris Harris, Gavin Larsen and Astle all proving difficult to get away.

Murray Goodwin and Alistair Campbell attempted to set the Zimbabwe innings up with a fourth-wicket partnership of 91, with Campbell taking 101 balls over 40, and Goodwin 90 over 57, but the investment was lost when both departed within the space of 12 runs.

New Zealanders to take 100 wickets in ODIs are: Richard Hadlee 158, Ewen Chatfield 142, Chris Harris 130, Danny Morrison 126, Martin Snedden 114, Gavin Larsen 111, Chris Pringle 103, Chris Cairns 101.