Williamson leads NZ to series win

Williamson recorded his sixth straight score of 50 or more as his 90 guided New Zealand to 273 for six, and although Zimbabwe’s opening stand gave the World Cup finalists a <g data-gr-id="20">scare</g>, the bowlers held their nerve to restrict the hosts to 235 all out.

New <g data-gr-id="23">Zealand therefore</g> completed a come-from-behind series victory, having lost the first ODI by seven wickets.“It certainly wasn’t easy on Friday, so the way that the boys stuck in it and put up a competitive total was a really good effort,” said Williamson, who was named man of the match and man of the series.

“We thought it was a very good total until Zimbabwe came out and played the way they did and put us under a lot of pressure, but full credit to our boys for learning from that first game and pulling it back nicely.”  On a dry wicket, New Zealand’s batsmen were tested by Zimbabwe’s spin duo of Graeme Cremer and John Nyumbu, who took five wickets between them.

Off-spinner Nyumbu made the initial breakthrough when he dismissed Tom Latham, and after New Zealand rebuilt to 100 for one, Cremer had Martin Guptill caught at slip for 42 and then spun one through the defences of Colin Munro.