NAPIER: New Zealand highlighted the gulf in international cricket when they bowled Zimbabwe out twice on Saturday to win the only test match of their tour at McLean Park here by an innings and 301 runs.
The hosts declared their first innings at 495 for seven earlier on Saturday after wicketkeeper BJ Watling posted his maiden test century, then bowled the visitors out for 51 and 143 to record their largest victory by an innings in tests.
It was the third time a team has been bowled out twice in one day. New Zealand also dismissed Zimbabwe twice in a day for 59 and 99 in Harare in 2005, while India were dismissed for 58 and 82 by England in Manchester in 1952.
New Zealand are eighth in the International Cricket Council's test rankings, while Zimbabwe are unranked. Only 10 countries have test status, with Bangladesh the ninth-ranked team.
The Africans only returned to playing test cricket last year following a voluntary five year absence after the country was engulfed in political turmoil, forcing many leading players to retire from international cricket.
The visitors had crashed to 19 for five in their first innings and looked in danger of being bowled out for the lowest total in test cricket though Malcolm Waller took the attack to New Zealand's bowlers and saw them past the mark before he was caught in the slips by Dean Brownlie off Tim Southee for 23.
The lowest score is held by New Zealand, who were dismissed for 26 against England at Eden Park in 1955.
Waller's dismissal left Zimbabwe on 50 for eight and they added just one run for the final two wickets to record their lowest score in tests, before stand in captain Brendon McCullum enforced the follow on.
McCullum took over the captaincy after Ross Taylor was ruled out of the rest of the matches against Zimbabwe, which includes three one day internationals and two Twenty20 matches, when he strained his right calf muscle while batting on Friday.
Zimbabwe again flirted with the lowest test score when Doug Bracewell took two wickets in the first over after tea to reduce them to 12 for five, but Forster Mutizawa saw them past the mark before he was dismissed for 18.
Regis Chakabva (63) and Graeme Cremer (26) combined for a stubborn 63-run partnership that temporarily thwarted New Zealand's victory push before Chris Martin cleaned up the tail to finish with six wickets for 26 runs.
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