04 February,2012 07:05 AM IST | | AFP
New Zealand defeated Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the first one-day international at Dunedin yesterday as poor batting by the tourists undermined a creditable bowling effort.
Zimbabwe, reeling from a humiliating innings-and-301-run defeat in a one-off Test in Napier last week, were set an achievable target of 249 after winning the toss and sending New Zealand in to bat on a seaming wicket.
But the hard work by Zimbabwe paceman Shingi Masakadza, who took four for 46, was undone by a weak batting display in which captain Brendan Taylor's 58 off 68 balls was the sole bright spot.
