Cricket: Zimbabwe ready to enjoy their bowling

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak reckons playing in New Zealand conditions will help rather than hinder his side in their one-off cricket test in Wellington.

Streak said last night that his team's pace bowlers would enjoy the conditions.

He said the ball should move about more than it did in India, where the team have just come from.

Zimbabwe were welcomed informally in Christchurch yesterday for a short tour which includes one test and three one-day internationals.

The tour starts with a one-day match against Canterbury in Christchurch tomorrow, followed by a three-dayer against the same province starting on Thursday.

Streak, usually the pace-bowling spearhead, said the ball deviated little on the subcontinent, where Zimbabwe were beaten 1-0 in the two-test series and lost the one-dayers 1-4.

"Our guys will hopefully enjoy bowling more here," said Streak, on his third tour to New Zealand.

He said that although New Zealand beat them 2-0 in the test series in Zimbabwe in September, his team still rated their chances.

"A lot of things have happened since then and your side is a bit different now with [Chris] Cairns, [Dion] Nash and [Daniel] Vettori out."

Another capable pace bowler, Henry Olonga, who is easily recognisable with his distinctive dreadlocks, may remain with the side after initially being omitted from the NZ segment of the tour.

He arrived with the team but whether he stays depends on injuries to two other players, medium pacer Travis Friend (ankle) and batsman Dirk Viljoen (groin).

Missing from the bowling attack is accomplished legspinner Paul Strang, who was the best-performed bowler against New Zealand in Zimbabwe.

Strang had to return home after the tests against India with a recurrence of the tendinitis in his spinning fingers. Streak rated Brian Murphy as a promising replacement.

The visitors' strength is in their middle-order batting, built around the experienced Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, and Alistair Campbell.

They displayed their renowned fighting qualities against India recently where, after losing the first test, Zimbabwe batted 2 1/2 days to save the second, with Andy Flower scoring a magnificent unbeaten 232.

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (capt), Guy Whittall, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Travis Friend, Gus Mackay, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Murphy, Mlukeli Nkala, Gavin Rennie, Bryan Strang, Dirk Viljoen, Henry Olonga.

- NZPA