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Tanmay Mishra scored 66 to rescue Kenya from an early collapse•AFP

A commanding bowling performance saw Kenya register a comfortable win over United Arab Emirates in the first of their back-to-back Intercontinental 50-over matches in Nairobi. Rajesh Bhudia’s five-wicket haul helped Kenya contain the UAE batsmen after a fourth-wicket stand of 133 between Tanmay Mishra and Rajesh Varsani saved Kenya from a batting disaster.Kenya chose to bat but were in trouble early on and lurched to 21 for 3 in the 10th over. New captain Collins Obuya was among the first three wickets to fall, scoring just one. Mumbai-born Mishra and local-lad Varsani batted together for more than 30 overs, crafting a careful partnership. They scored relatively slowly with Mishra’s 66 coming off 92 balls and Varsani’s 57 taking 100 balls but steered Kenya to safety.After they departed, both with the score on 154, the Kenya lower order had little to offer. Opening bowler Shoaib Sarwar tore through the remaining batsmen to end with a five-for and ensure Kenya were bowled out with three balls left in their innings.The UAE batsmen were no match for the Kenya bowlers and were pegged back to 11 for 4 in the 7th over. Bhudia claimed three of the first four wickets to fall. Three of UAE’s top five batsmen were out for ducks and they were not able to recover from that collapse.Amjad Ali’s 30 (off 31 balls) and Ahmed Raza’s patient 29 (off 69 balls) showed some promise but both needed to push on to have any hope of getting UAE back into the game. The highest partnership of the UAE innings was a 33-run eighth wicket stand between Raza and Nasir Aziz but by then it was too late. Rain stopped play after 35 overs with UAE on 119 for 8, well behind on the Duckworth-Lewis calculations.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has claimed that he was not part of the selection meetings for the final two one-dayers against West Indies in May earlier this year, despite being captain. A series of sharp comments made to the Pakistani media over the past couple of days seems to dispel any possibility of a reconciliation – speculation about which increased following the death of his father last month – with the cricket establishment.On his return from the Caribbean, Afridi hinted at differences with coach Waqar Younis that sparked off a controversy leading to Afridi’s removal as limited-overs captain and a legal battle with the Pakistan board.Waqar’s tour report of that series confirmed Afridi had walked out of a meeting over differences relating to selection. Pakistan lost the final two ODIs and PCB chief Ijaz Butt defended the decision to remove Afridi saying he wasn’t “captaincy material” in an interview last month.”I did not take part in the selection meeting on the eve of the last two matches,” Afridi told reporters in Karachi on Monday. “The team was selected by coach Waqar Younis and Intikhab Alam and I had no input in the selection of the playing eleven.”Everybody knows through the manager’s report that I wasn’t involved in selection because I walked away from the meeting. The chairman’s comments were really disappointing because the remarks he made don’t suit his stature. I was a hero for them after the World Cup and suddenly I became zero.”Afridi said his dispute with the PCB, which ended when he agreed to plead guilty of misconduct and paid a fine of 4.5 million rupees in exchange for permission to play domestic Twenty20 cricket in England, affected the team’s momentum. “I made many plans for the team,” Afridi said. “Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez and myself were involved in devising many strategies but it was ruined because of what happened afterwards.”Afridi, who retired “conditionally” from international cricket after his removal as captain, said he would not go back on his decision as long as the present regime of the PCB remained in power. “I cannot play with people who conspired against me and worked against the team, they have their personal interests paramount to them and they are only damaging the team.”I have always maintained that playing for Pakistan is my priority, I would always prefer representing my country over any offer from anywhere in the world,” he said.

Trevor Hohns, the former chairman of selectors for Australia, has re-entered the fray as Queensland’s state talent manager and selection chairman.Having sat on the national panel for 13 years, 10 of them as chairman, Hohns brings plenty of experience and strong opinion to the job, which will see him work closely with the national talent manager and selector Greg Chappell.Since departing his national selection role in 2006, Hohns has stayed quiet, but a coffee with Queensland’s state coach Darren Lehmann was all it took for the onetime Australian legspin bowler to resume a formal role in the pathway between club cricket and the national team.Surveying the national game, which has fallen into a state of some disrepair since his departure, Hohns said rebuilding was evident not only nationally but in each state.”Australian cricket is a bit like here in Queensland,” Hohns told reporters in Brisbane. “They’re rebuilding, Queensland’s rebuilding, every other state is rebuilding, it’s just a period in time that the whole country appears to be going through.”And I think other countries have done the same over the years, so we’re just going through that period right now, and I think if the talent we have in Queensland is consistent throughout Australia, I think Australian cricket could be in for a pretty good period in the near future. It might take a year or it might take a couple of years, but there certainly appears to be plenty of talent around.”Hohns’ successor as chairman, Andrew Hilditch, is out of contract and widely expected to be replaced once the Don Argus-led review of the Australian team is tabled to the Cricket Australia board later in August. Wary of criticising selectors he once worked with, Hohns nonethless hinted that he might have made a few different decisions.”Of course you follow it, there’s no doubt about that,” Hohns said. “I’m just like anybody else these days, I’m a civilian, and of course you follow it, you watch it on TV. Everybody’s got differing opinions on things of course, and having been there for a long time, it’s a very difficult job, and they’ve got a job to do.”I’m like everybody else, I’ve got opinions, certainly there’s been some issues that have come up that other people may have done differently, but they’ve got to do it to the best of their ability and run that part of it as they see fit.”More detailed were Hohns’ views on spin bowling, and the need to nurture young talent without expecting it to bloom into another freak of the Shane Warne variety.”We’re trying to find a spinner or a couple of spinners to take us forward, there can be no doubts about that,” he said. “But let’s face it, everyone is thinking or hoping that another Shane Warne will come along, but he won’t. So we probably have to change the make-up of our side and the way we play the game accordingly.”But for now as we’ve seen over the last couple of years, it looks as though we’re trying to find the next couple of spinners to take us forward. Sooner or later two will emerge, I’ve no doubts about that.”As for Australia’s current lowly ranking of No. 5 in the world in Test cricket, Hohns expressed cautious optimism.”I suppose No. 5 is a bit disappointing, but at the same time we shouldn’t be that bad I don’t think,” he said. “I can see us starting to climb that ladder in the next couple of years, with the talent we have available.”Hohns is not the only new appointment to the national network of state talent managers. David Freedman, the former New South Wales wrist spinner and assistant coach, has replaced John Dyson in the role with the NSW Cricket after Dyson became general manager of the Sydney Thunder in the Twenty20 big Bash League.The Blues’ new assistant coach will be the former Sri Lankan Test allrounder Chandika Hathurusingha, who will commence his role with the Champions League in India in September.

Australia’s meticulous planning and organised performance against a Sri Lankan team that has floundered rather more than it has flourished will count for very little should the hosts gather themselves and win the final Test in Colombo. For all the progress that appears to have been made under the captaincy of Michael Clarke, there will be nothing to show for it in terms of the series or the ICC rankings if the Australians slip up at the SSC.Shane Watson, the vice-captain, was extremely wary of this fact as he looked back upon the second Test in Pallekele, which the tourists dominated to an even greater extent than they had in Galle, only for rain and bad light to scupper any chance of the victory that would have secured a 2-0 series lead. Having worked so assiduously towards the goal of success in Sri Lanka, the thought of going home with a 1-1 scoreline from the Tests drew a pained look on Watson’s face.”That’s the most disappointing thing about this Test,” Watson said. “We played really well throughout the whole Test and didn’t get the result to be able to win the series. We’re really going to have to be on, because if we’re not on in the last Test we could draw the series.”Given how well we’ve played over the last two Tests we’ll be letting ourselves down if we don’t play as well as we know we can and give them a chance to get back into the series.”Critical to the fortunes of both teams will be the matter of physical recovery, for despite all the rain breaks, and numerous innings of brief duration, team physios and the medical staff have been stretched to the edges of their capability by the scheduling of three back-to-back Tests. Watson, well-attuned to the need for rigorous personal training and maintenance after an injury-riddled start to his career, emphasised the need for a light few days.”The most important thing is to recover as well as we can,” Watson said. “We need to go into the third Test as fresh as we possibly can so these next three days are going to be so important to make sure we are ready to go and play well again.”[For me] it means not doing too much at all apart from a little bit of batting to be able to get that going well, but bowling-wise I won’t be doing too much because I bowled a bit through this game. I know exactly what works for me and that is freshening up as much as I can to give myself every chance to be in a good place going into the last Test, because three Test matches in three weeks is hard work and you need every chance of energy you can.”Within the Australian XI, the most critical questions of fitness will surround the pace spearhead Ryan Harris, due to have a stiff right hamstring assessed on his arrival in Colombo on Tuesday afternoon, plus the inexperienced duo of Nathan Lyon and Trent Copeland.”That [injury] has always been part of his history unfortunately,” Watson said. “We’ve seen how well he’s bowled in the last two Tests. When he’s fit and going he’s definitely one of our first picked bowlers because he charges in all day and bowls well with the new and old ball. But that is always the question, playing three Tests back to back with his history. We’ll see how he pulls up.”Lyon and Copeland have so far responded stoutly to the physical and technical challenges presented to them, but may yet face their most pressing questions on a Colombo pitch that will more than likely sit heavily in the favour of the local batsmen.”That’s always a big challenge, getting used to playing three games back to back, technically, mentally and physically so it’s going to be a good test for them,” Watson said. “That’s the thing with Test cricket, it is a big test but they are holding up alright and Copeland is used to bowling a lot of overs in the forms he plays for New South Wales. Lyono will be ready to go, he is obviously still very excited about being able to play Test cricket so hopefully there won’t be too much rain in Colombo and the wicket will break up more and bring him into that game.”Watson is not on the tour selection panel that now comprises Clarke and coach Tim Nielsen, but he favoured minimal changes to the team that had done everything within its power to secure the series in the first two matches. To keep a stable team, Watson reckoned, would be to help build the confidence and culture of a team that had taken plenty of hits in the preceding 12 months.”My opinion is I would prefer to keep with a group that’s doing really well,” Watson said. “There’s no doubt that’s when you are able to continue to build as a team and the individuals within the team as well, the more continuity you get I think the better for everyone.”On the fresh legs side of things I am not sure what will happen, I know what we have been able to do as a group bowling-wise has been very impressive. I think what we are building has been very exciting.”In Pallekele that building included Shaun Marsh, who now must wait to discover if he can keep his spot when Ricky Ponting returns.”It’s a great thing, something we haven’t had too much over the last year or so really, pressure for spots even within our team,” Watson said. “So that’s a great selection drama to have within our team, because it means some guys are performing very well. There’s no doubt Shaun being able to come in and bat No. 3 on debut and make the most of the opportunity is very impressive, to see the way he batted in his first Test, so it’s definitely going to make selection very difficult.”

Mumbai Indians’ injury worries have deepened with South African opener Davy Jacobs being ruled out of the Champions League Twenty20 with a hip injury.Jacobs was stretchered off the ground after picking up a hip injury while batting in the nets on Sunday, a day before Mumbai Indians’ second match of the tournament, against Trinidad & Tobago in Bangalore.Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai Indians captain, confirmed the team was trying to find a replacement. “He’s out of the competition,” Harbhajan said after Mumbai’s final-ball win on Sunday. “I think our management is looking into the matter. We have to have another player in the side; we only have 13 players.”Jacobs joins a long list of injured players for Mumbai Indians, which includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ali Murtaza, Dhawal Kulkarni, Suryakumar Yadav, Pawan Suyal, Dhawal Kulkarni and Aditya Tare. The franchise has been allowed to play five foreign players during the Champions League because of the number of injuries to Indian players. With Jacobs injured, however, they now have only six foreign players in their squad.Harbhajan compared the situation to the one India faced on their recent injury-ravaged tour of England. “Earlier Dhoni had a very tough time in England when the injury list was increasing, and we finished the tour with ten players [injured]; it gets very difficult for any captain. Dhoni was fighting alone there; hopefully it’s not my turn now.”Mumbai have a support staff filled with prominent former players, and Harbhajan joked that the team might have to rope them in as cover. “If there are one or two more injuries, we don’t know whether we will be able to put up a show,” he said. “Might have to bring Jonty Rhodes in then, [Shaun] Pollock also … and Robin Singh as well.”Jacobs was signed by Mumbai Indians in the January auction ahead of the 2011 IPL, after he had finished second in the run-charts during the 2010 Champions League, leading Warriors to the final. Jacobs only managed 92 runs in six innings during the IPL but impressed with his wicketkeeping. He will fly back to South Africa on Tuesday. “Last year’s (Champions League T20) changed my life. Very grateful, will always be a special tournament for me. So sad to leave now! But will be back,” Jacobs tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Michael Clarke has conceded that Shaun Marsh is in doubt for the second Test in Johannesburg after he struggled with a stiff back on the first two days in Cape Town. Marsh did not field on the second day and batted at No.10, clearly hampered as he walked to the crease and faced his only two deliveries, including a delivery that kept low and trapped him lbw.The problem arose on Wednesday during the latter stages of Marsh’s first-innings 44, and the issue worsened on Thursday. The Wanderers Test starts in a week and Clarke, as a man who has suffered serious back problems himself over the years, said the most important thing was to ensure Marsh was not forced to play if he was not quite right.”I’m a little nervous, no doubt,” Clarke said after play on Thursday. “I know the feeling when you do your back, it’s always a couple of days of mending time and treatment to try and get it right. I’m confident if he does get it right in this period before the second Test then he’ll be fine to play.”But I need to trust the judgment of Alex Kountouris, our physio, who has had a lot of experience on backs, unfortunately. Shaun knows his body pretty well. He’s a big player for us, he’s in all three forms of the game. He’s a wonderful guy with a lot of talent, so I want to make sure we make the right decision.”Should Marsh be unavailable for the Johannesburg Test, it would mean a call-up for Usman Khawaja, the back-up batsman in the squad. While Khawaja is a fine prospect, Marsh has been one of the shining lights for Australia during their past three Tests.He scored a century on debut in Pallekele in September and made 81 in his second Test, before starting his South African trip with a pair of half-centuries in the tour match in Potchefstroom last week. In the first innings in Cape Town, he was the only one of Australia’s specialist batsmen who showed the centurion Clarke any support.Marsh has had ongoing back issues throughout his career. He was ruled out of the third ODI against Sri Lanka last November and the Australia A game against England that followed due to back trouble, and a similar problem also ruled him out of the tour of New Zealand early last year.

Ajit Agarkar, the Mumbai fast bowler, has left the team in Cuttack because he was disappointed after being dropped from the XI for the Ranji Trophy match against Orissa. Agarkar was part of Mumbai’s 15-man squad, and had played their previous game against Karnataka, but he was told by the captain Wasim Jaffer, coach Sulakshan Kulkarni and selector Ravi Thakkar after a team meeting on Monday that they had decided to pick Aavishkar Salvi ahead of him.”They did not tell me before going that I am not going to be the part of the XI. I do not expect to not play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai,” Agarkar told ESPNcricinfo. Agarkar had missed Mumbai’s first two games of the season with a thigh injury and was wicketless in the third-round match against Karnataka at the Brabourne Stadium.With Zaheer Khan playing against Orissa to prove his fitness for India’s tour of Australia, the Mumbai selectors had a choice to make between Agarkar and Salvi.”My only issue is, if they had decided beforehand in Mumbai, they could have easily told me and I might not have gone to Cuttack,” Agarkar said. “For someone who has been around for this long, just telling him the night before the match that he is not in the playing XI is not what you accept.”Once he had decided to return to Mumbai, Agarkar followed protocol and called Nitin Dalal, the Mumbai Cricket Association secretary, requesting permission to return home. “I asked him and the team management to allow me to go. I was feeling very dejected and me sitting there in the dressing room sulking with the young guys around would only add unnecessary pressure.”Agarkar said he was hurt because the selection committee, along with Jaffer and Kulkarni, had known him for a long time and he felt he deserved a call in private. “The captain knows me for the last 20 years, since my school days. The selection committee chairman [Milind Rege] actually got me [a job with] Tatas. Abey Kuruvilla, another selector, has played cricket with me and Sulakshan Kulkarni has played Ranji Trophy with me. Anyone of these people could have told me before the squad left for Cuttack.”Agarkar was not worried about the potential repercussions of his decision. “I am hurt because after one match you are telling me that I have become that bad for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team then obviously there is something more to it than just cricket.”Salvi had missed Mumbai’s previous two matches – against Rajasthan, because he was not well, and against Karnataka, because Mumbai chose to play three spinners – with Agarkar getting selected ahead of him.

Shane Warne has suffered serious burns to his bowling hand a mere five days from the Melbourne Stars’ first match in the Twenty20 Big Bash League, placing his fitness for the start of the tournament in some jeopardy.The burns, which Warne relayed to the world via a graphic image on Twitter, were sustained in a cooking accident.His team was due to take part in a practice match on Monday, though the Stars have indicated that Warne was not scheduled to take part in the fixture.”Not ideal preparation for practice match today-burning the bowling hand Get better quickly please,any suggestions-HELP,” Warne wrote. “Ps no more trying to be a master chef ! Stop and by a bacon roll on the way to the ground next time – silly Shane !”Cameron White, the Stars’ captain, said Warne was confident he would be fit to play on Saturday.”I saw his hand and I saw the pic on Twitter as well – it’s one of those things, it looks a lot worse than probably what it is,” White told reporters. “He said to me in the rooms before that he’s pretty sure he’ll be able to bowl on Wednesday and 100 per cent confident he’s going to play on Saturday as well.”It’s just part and parcel of Warney. The boys are really looking forward to playing with him and what he brings to the table – from burning his hand cooking a bacon sandwich to everything that he’ll do out on the ground.”Warne’s mishap was not the only drama to envelop Melbourne’s two T20 teams in the days before the start of the BBL.Another Star, the Tasmanian allrounder James Faulkner, suffered a dislocated finger in the field during the practice match, while the Renegades’ Brad Hodge has suffered a hamstring injury. Simon Helmot, the Renegades coach, said he felt “sick” after confirmation that Hodge had suffered a hamstring tear.”Obviously when one of your main men go down, it’s disappointing,” he said. “He was a bit dejected at the time, he was really disappointed. But he’s a competitor, he’ll do everything possible to get himself right as soon as possible.”

Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlviro Petersen and Jacques Kallis made a mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl•Associated Press

Alviro Petersen made a memorable return to Test cricket, and Jacques Kallis enjoyed his new-found batting freedom as South Africa made a merry mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl at Newlands. Kallis had a sense of occasion, converting his 114-ball century into a 150-plus score in his 150th Test. His first ton against Sri Lanka, and his first in a year, was all the more significant since it silenced murmurs of failing form following the first pair of his glittering career, in Durban.Kallis’ century reaffirmed his love affair with Cape Town, a venue where he now has nine Test hundreds and over 2000 runs. But one man who might be happier with his day’s work is Petersen, whose fluency during his second Test ton glossed over the fact that he was returning to the side after a year. The pair’s dominance yielded 205 runs in under 50 overs, and negated any advantage Sri Lanka had gained from Dhammika Prasad’s early breaches.Regardless of the ease with which South Africa progressed, there was merit in Sri Lanka’s call to bowl; their historic win in Durban did not mask their problems against pace and bounce, and was founded upon South Africa’s own abject batting display. Dilshan’s decision shielded his weaker suit, and gave his seamers the mandate to attack South Africa in marginally helpful weather. He was, however, let down by a sketchy plan of action, and conditions that quickly played into the batsmen’s hands. Sri Lanka were too full in the first hour, too short in the second, and all over the place in the afternoon, before tightening their act after tea.

Smart stats

• Jacques Kallis became the sixth player overall and the first South African to feature in 150 Tests. Among South African players, Mark Boucher is next with 144 matches.

• Following his first pair in the Durban Test, Kallis scored his 41st century in his 150th Test. It is also his first century against Sri Lanka. Among batsmen with 10000-plus runs, Kallis has the highest average (56.98).

• In the course of his innings, Kallis passed 2000 runs in Cape Town. He becomes only the third player after Mahela Jayawardene and Graham Gooch to score 2000-plus runs at a particular venue.

• Kallis’ present strike rate of 73.95 is his third-highest for a 100-plus score. The highest is 74.44 during his 201 against India in Centurion in 2010.

• Alviro Petersen, making his comeback, scored his second century in his 10th Test. He has now scored 681 runs at an average of 37.83.

• The 205-run stand between Kallis and Petersen is the third-highest third-wicket stand for South Africa in Cape Town since their readmission. It is also South Africa’s best third-wicket stand against Sri Lanka.

• Rangana Herath was the most economical bowler conceding just 63 runs off his 26 overs. The remaining bowlers conceded 282 runs in 64 overs (economy rate 4.40).

In between-times, though, Prasad managed to hit the in-between lengths. His ability to ramp the pace up to 140 kph – a rare feat in an attack missing Dilhara Fernando – earned him success against Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. Both batsmen began well, but perished to familiar failings – Smith chopped on while attempting a reckless cut, and Amla was trapped in front as he walked across the stumps. Amla consulted with Petersen, and rightly chose not to review the decision. That wasn’t the only instance of Petersen’s solid judgement in his comeback innings.A couple of early drives down the ground and a nudge through square leg signalled that Petersen had carried his domestic form into the big league. Thereafter, he built steadily, before summoning the spirit to thrash Prasad over square leg for a six. He brought up his fifty with a brace of boundaries against Thisara Perera, before receding into the background.Kallis came out throwing punches in all directions, reminiscent of his half-century against Australia in the recent Johannesburg Test. He nearly pulled his fourth ball straight to fine-leg, where Chanaka Welegedara inexplicably didn’t go for the catch. Another pull off Angelo Mathews spiralled towards midwicket and landed safe. Encouraged, Mathews persisted with the short stuff, and Kallis pounded him into pulp with a raft of murderous pulls in front of square. Sri Lanka had missed their chance to nip him out early, and Kallis proceeded to enjoy himself.Sri Lanka’s discipline faltered dramatically after lunch. The early-morning moisture had evaporated, and with it all traces of sideways movement. Kallis rushed to his fifty off just 42 balls, and went on to expose their lack of pace, and Rangana Herath’s lack of spin on the first-day surface. A 21-over phase without a single maiden suggested Sri Lanka’s afternoon could not get any worse, but it did when they wasted both their reviews in desperation.Petersen’s signature shot was easily the straight drive, a shot he executed with an assured forward step and exemplary timing. Kallis, on the other hand, went on to produce shots of immense beauty in every direction. The punchy pulls gave way to picture-perfect cover drives and sublime straight hits, but the stroke that stood out was an astonishing whipped on-drive from the line of off stump when Thisara Perara was looking to angle one across defensively.That shot came after Petersen’s fall, sucked into an uppish drive by a Welegedara slower ball. The run-rate dropped below four for the first time in the 66th over, with de Villiers struggling to deal with Welegedara’s offcutters. Having batted out of his comfort zone all day, Kallis seamlessly shifted into accumulation mode and chugged past 150. The stand was worth 86 by stumps, leaving Sri Lanka wondering if they had lost the Test even before it had started.

Match Facts
February 6, Whangarei
Start time 1100 (2200 GMT)Tarun Nethula is in line for a debut•Getty Images

Big Picture As with most one-day series, the first match of this one served as an illustration of the work that needs to be done from both sides.New Zealand were in a dominant position at 223 for 6 in the 43rd over but instead of turning that into a score flirting with 300, they were held to 248 as they lost four wickets for 25 runs in five overs. Zimbabwe’s bowlers gave their batsmen a chasable total, but at 15 for 3, they could not recover enough to even get close. Both teams will want to bat better but still maintain an incisive edge with the ball.The hosts have two more matches to toggle combinations before what they consider their ‘real’ challenge of the summer, against South Africa. They will look to find permanent homes for Andrew Ellis, Tarun Nethula, Tom Latham and Michael Bates in the starting XI while ensuring the regulars have enough match time to be peaking mid-month.Zimbabwe have much ground to cover, very quickly. This is their big test of the summer and to leave it having taken steps back instead of forward, or even simply solidifying their stand-still position, will be a failure. They have to rebuild – everything from their mental frame to their batting line-up but they showed massive improvement from the Test to the first ODI and if they can keep the increments growing, could even notch up a win or two on the way.Form Guide (most recent first)
New Zealand WLWWL
Zimbabwe LWLLLPlayers to watchAt just 19, Tom Latham has been earmarked as one of New Zealand’s future stars. He made 24 in his first ODI and has a reputation that suggests much more is around the corner. In 11 List A matches, he has scored 431 runs but it’s his average of 47.88 and strike rate of close to 95 that threatens to turn him into a forceful middle-order presence. If the top four come good and there is enough time in the innings, the stage could be set for Latham to light it up.Despite earning himself some time as one of the stalwarts of the side, Hamilton Masakadza is facing increasing pressure. He last scored a half-century in September last year but has not scored an ODI hundred since 2009, when he achieved an unbeaten 178 against Kenya. With temperament and technique that should translate into authority and success on the pitch, Masakadza is getting something wrong and, given Zimbabwe’s troubles on tour, there would be no better time to get it right than now.Team news New Zealand have committed to giving all 14 men in their squad a run and it’s the turn of Nethula, the legspinner, to get an opportunity, at the expense of one of the bowlers.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Rob Nicol, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Tarun Nethula, 10 and 11 Kyle Mills/Tim Southee/Doug BracewellWith a fragile top-order, Zimbabwe may look to beef up by inserting one of Tino Mawoyo or Forster Mutizwa in place of Stuart Matsikenyeri or Regis Chakabva respectively. Prosper Utseya may also be included in the starting XI, in place of Ray Price, if Zimbabwe want an attacking spinner, or Keegan Meth. Shingi Masakadza and Kyle Jarvis will likely carry the seamers’ duties with Brian Vitori in charge of drinks.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Regis Chakabva, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Tatenda Taibu, 6 Malcolm Waller, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Keegan Meth, 9 Shingi Masakadza, 10 Ray Price, 11 Kyle JarvisPitch and Conditions The Cobham Oval will host its first international after being approved as a Test venue last year. It has a capacity of 5,500 and is the 12th in New Zealand to host an ODI. Northland Cricket Association’s curator Simon Harvey has been “quite stressed,” according to the ground’s operations manager, Stephen Curtis, because he sees the match as a test for whether the ground will be able to host other higher-profile fixtures in future. The expectation is of a run-laden, flat pitch, with the highest score recorded being 299 for 7 in the 2007-8 season. The ground hosted its first international team in 16 years when Pakistan visited in 2010 and were pleased with the facilities and conditions. A capacity crowd is expected on what should be a moderately warm day with the chance of a few showers.Stats and Trivia