Whittall, Streak frustrate Kiwis

Resuming at 228-5 whittall and Streak carried Zimbabwe to 285 at lunch, their 106-run partnership spanning 57 overs.

Whittall’s unbeaten 131 has come from 311 balls and Streak has made 41 off 172 deliveries.

The touring team’s attack struggled to make an impact on a pitch which has remained sound into the fifth day.

Earlier on Friday, requiring 299 to avoid an innings’ defeat, Zimbabwe werein trouble at 48-4 during the morning session when Flower and Whittall came together to take home team to 228 for five wickets.

But the pair scored 105 not out and 65 respectively, to take the match into the final day against the odds.

Grant Flower and Alistair Campbell had both been run out in the pre-lunch session and the home side were in trouble.

But Andy Flower and Whittall went after the New Zealand seam attack with relish.

Flower reached his 3,000 runs in Test cricket, the first Zimbabwean to do so, when he reached 59. He was caught on 65 with Matthew Sinclair diving to snatch a full-blooded square-cut.

Then Whittall took up the charge. He already has a double century and another hundred in the record books. He sped to a third in 202 balls, hitting two sixes and 15 fours.

His second six off Nathan Astle was a full-blooded blow back over the bowler’s head and it brought up his century in a way that symbolised Zimbabwe’s new-found defiance.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand (1st innings): 465
Zimbabwe (1st innings): 166

Zimbabwe (2nd innings; overnight 228-5): G Flower run out 10, G Rennie c Spearman b O’Connor 1, S Carlisle c Fleming b Astle 20, A Campbell run out 10, A Flower c Sinclair b O’Connor 65, G Whittall batting 131, H Streak batting 41, Extras: 7. Total (for 5 wkts in 138 overs) 285
Fall of wicket: 1-1, 2-27, 3-39, 4-48, 5-179

Bowling: O’Connor 34-16-45-2, Nash 17-8-27-0, McMillan 17-3-49-0, Astle 31-13-70-1, Cairns 23-5-53-0, Wiseman 16-6-34-0.