Cricket: Zimbabwe makes late Streak into history

By RICHARD BOOCK

Zimbabwe did not as much play as streak their way into the history books yesterday, snatching a dramatic one-wicket win over New Zealand in the deciding cricket one-dayer at Eden Park.

Needing to win yesterday's final to chalk up their first series win overseas, the Zimbabweans overhauled New Zealand's 273 for nine courtesy of a barnstorming innings from man-of-the-match Heath Streak, who plundered an unbeaten 79 off 67 balls and finished the game with a mighty six over extra cover.

Zimbabwe's win was all the more remarkable for the fact that they were on their knees in the early stages of the chase, losing their first five wickets for 64 runs

However, in front of a crowd of about 14,800, the tourists gradually recovered their impetus, thanks largely to another sublime innings from Andy Flower, who breathed life back into the reply with a composed 81 off 86 balls.

Flower combined with Dirk Viljoen to add 82 for the sixth wicket, and after he left Streak nudged the total closer to the mark with some intelligent hitting, five times clearing the fence.

It was Zimbabwe's second consecutive series win over New Zealand, following the 2-1 victory in Africa last year, and the first overseas since they started playing ODIs in 1983.

Rocked by a successful opening spell from James Franklin and Scott Styris, it seemed they had blown their chance of making history until that Sultan of Sweep, Flower, gave his team a chance with another wonderfully eclectic innings, full of classic strokes and improvisation.

The left-hander led all scorers in the three-match series with 176 runs at 58.66, and yesterday turned the game on its head just as New Zealand seemed to be running away with the silverware. He hit offspinner Paul Wiseman out of the attack in the space of two overs and resurrected his team's hopes with a low-risk, yet productive game-plan.

Zimbabwe, who in the first and third ODIs smashed 90 and 74 runs respectively off their last 10 overs, needed 30 off the last five and 12 off the final two, but Streak put the matter beyond doubt when he took six runs off the first three balls of the 49th - bowled by Craig McMillan - and then smashed the game-winning six over the offside.

"I was thinking all the time about the right ball, and the right shot," Streak said afterwards. "I knew where I wanted to hit and if something landed in the right area I was going to climb into it.

"Once I'd scored six runs, the plan was to hit another four if I could and then pick up a single to get to the other end. But I was given some width, so I freed my arms.

"I knew it had gone for six immediately. It came right out of the screws, and with the short boundaries at Eden Park I knew it had gone."

New Zealand, who only made it through to 273 after a belligerent and unbeaten 53-ball 75 from McMillan, looked tidy enough in the field at the start. But they could not stem the flow of runs through the middle of innings and started to look increasingly vulnerable.

Wiseman conceded 21 off two overs, McMillan went for 49 off 6.4, while Franklin, after impressing during the opening stanzas, was also a tad expensive at the end.

"We were in a fantastic position," said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.

"But we weren't able to press on and make the vital breakthrough. We were very happy with the total we had to defend, it was a huge bonus actually, but we didn't have the strike-power to restrict Zimbabwe when it mattered."