New Zealand 65 for 0 (Gaze 38*, Sharp 18*) beat Zimbabwe 64 for 9 (Mazvishaya 20*, Nensi 3-8, J Kerr 2-6) by ten wickets
New Zealand hardly broke a sweat as they won a third one-sided T20I against Zimbabwe, running out ten-wicket victors in the last game of the series in Hamilton on Sunday. They first restricted Zimbabwe to 64 for 9 and then got to the target in just 5.4 overs.
The bowling stars for New Zealand after Zimbabwe opted for first strike were Jess Kerr to start with and then Nensi Patel. Jess Kerr struck first, in the third over of the innings, removing Kelis Ndhlovu, and Modester Mupachikwa was run out next ball, leaving Zimbabwe 3 for 2. Nensi got her first in the next over, removing Beloved Biza, and soon, by the end of the seventh over, the scoreboard read 10 for 6. Nensi and Kerr both had two wickets at that stage.
It did get marginally better for Zimbabwe with Adel Zimunu scoring 20 and Audrey Mazvishaya 20 not out, and they had a partnership of 42 runs in 52 balls for the eighth wicket, and it made sure Zimbabwe batted out their 20 overs, even if they had only a meagre total on the board.
Nensi finished with 3 for 8 and Jess Kerr 2 for 6. Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green picked up a wicket apiece, Rosemary Mair didn't get a wicket but conceded just three runs in her three overs, while Kayley Knight was the most expensive of their bowlers, going at 5.33 in her three overs without a wicket.
The chase was expectedly straightforward. Isabella Gaze, following scores of 66* and 85*, didn't get a chance to score another half-century, but finished unbeaten on 38 from 20 balls, while Izzy Sharp scored 18 not out in 14 balls, and it finished in quite a hurry.
The teams will play a three-ODI series next, on March 5, 8 and 11, in Dunedin.
