Confident Williamson hopes to build on Zimbabwe gains

On slow surfaces, New Zealand suspected they would rely on spinners to win the series in Zimbabwe but did they think one of those would be Martin Guptill?

“We thought maybe he has been practicing a bit when no one has been watching, because we don’t see him bowl too much in the nets,” Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain, joked afterwards. “The wicket was suited to [spin] but to be able to put the ball in consistent areas and spin it hard as a part-time offie is something that’s fantastic to see and another string to his bow.”

In an unexpected coup, Guptill bowled a seven-over spell in which he found more turn than either of New Zealand’s specialist spinners. He ended up with the same number of wickets as Ish Sodhi – three – and the best bowling average of the series to give New Zealand a left-field option as they head to South Africa for two Tests.

Unlike the Queens Sports Club surface in Bulawayo, Kingsmead and SuperSport Park are unlikely to require two specialist spinners, which means the balance of New Zealand’s attack could change. With the pace duo of Doug Bracewell and Matt Henry in reserve, as well as offspinner Mark Craig, they have plenty of options, especially as neither Sodhi nor Mitchell Santner threatened over …

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