Black Caps in town BLACK CAPS . . . New Zealand cricketers emerge from the Arrivals Lounge after they touched down at Harare International Airport yesterday for their showdown against Zimbabwe
BLACK CAPS . . . New Zealand cricketers emerge from the Arrivals Lounge after they touched down at Harare International Airport yesterday for their showdown against Zimbabwe

BLACK CAPS . . . New Zealand cricketers emerge from the Arrivals Lounge after they touched down at Harare International Airport yesterday for their showdown against Zimbabwe

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
NEW ZEALAND cricket team are here for serious cricket business after completing their warm-up matches in South Africa on a high. The Black Caps arrived in Harare around midday yesterday ahead of a three-match One-Day International series starting on Sunday and a lone Twenty20 to wrap up the tour on August 9.

The tourists have been camping in Johannesburg, where they hoped to acclimatise ahead of a longer tour in that country.

They will play three ODIs and two T20s against the Proteas soon after the tour of Zimbabwe in August.

Black Caps team manager Mike Sandle told reporters on arrival that they have had a good preparation ahead of their tour of Africa.

They are coming from a tour of England, where they impressed with their battling performances.

Sandle believes the game time in the previous tour and their four-day camp in Potchefstroom meant a lot ahead of the first ODI at Harare Sports Club this Sunday.

“It’s nice and warm here. The weather is great,” said Sandle.

“The boys have been playing cricket in England and we have had four days preparing in Potchefstroom, which is a very good facility, so I think we are pretty well prepared.”

New Zealand have made their intentions clear with the coach Mike Hesson telling the Black Caps website that they have two major aims coming to Africa.

Firstly, he would like to win the two One-Day International series and, secondly, see some of his players further evolved in terms of being “solid international cricketers”.

“If we can achieve both of those things then we will have had a good tour,” said Hesson.

New Zealand played two practice matches against North West Cricket Club and won both. The team welcomed Mitchell McClenaghan into camp this week.

Former captain Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Nathan McCullum are expected to join the squad in Zimbabwe after playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

New Zealand left our Brendon McCullum, Trent Boult, Corey Anderson and Tim Southee from the tour of Africa.

McCullum and Southee were rested while Boult and Anderson were sidelined by injuries that prematurely ended their tours of England.

The Black Caps won the second warm-up game comfortably after beating the North West Cricket Club by 114 runs in Potchefstroom.

Opener Tom Latham and all-rounders Grant Elliot and Luke Ronchi dominated the local attack with fierce hitting.

Latham scored 51 runs from 56 balls, Elliot 54 from just 33 and Ronchi 32 from 19 to help the side reach 267 in the 35 over match.

The tourists did not train yesterday and will rest again today to allow their players to recharge the batteries.

New Zealand will have their first workout tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe continued with their preparations yesterday.

The selectors will probably announce the final team tomorrow following a week of preparations.

Zimbabwe regrouped last Wednesday, just two days after completing a rather disappointing tour of India with a consolatory T20 match win.

New Zealand Squad
Kane Williamson (captain), Doug Bracewell, Grant Elliott, Matt Henry, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler

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