New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Only Test, Napier, Day3,Cricinfo

Innings Zimbabwe 0 for 0 and 51 (Waller 23) trail New Zealand 495 for 7 dec (Taylor 122, Watling 102*) by 444 runs

Zimbabwe sunk to their lowest Test total in a catastrophic first innings that lasted less than 29 overs. They had succumbed for 54 against South Africa on their last away Test tour in 2005, but they trumped even that ignominy in Napier, getting bowled out for 51, leaving themselves them 444 behind New Zealand's 495 for 7 declared.

Malcolm Waller offered the only resistance amid a procession of abysmal surrender, when he managed 23 before edging Tim Southee to the slips. At least he made a double-figure score - something that evaded each of his team-mates, who between them recorded three ducks, two twos and three threes.

Zimbabwe's batsman conveyor belt kicked had kicked into gear in the hour before lunch, after BJ Watling's maiden ton heralded New Zealand's declaration. They lost five wickets for 20 runs before the break, ensuring the task of saving their first away Test in six years became almost impossible. The visitors might have hoped to breach the follow-on target of 295, but not only did that seem a fanciful pipe dream at lunch, the rate of implosion suggested they wouldn't even manage 40.

Waller defied New Zealand for 42 balls - a paltry show in truth, but a rearguard given the context, with momentary support from Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer who stayed around for 20 and 23 balls respectively. Once those three were dismissed though, the tail bowed as meekly as those who had gone before them at the top of the innings, who in turn were padding up again for the second time in two hours.

Lunch Zimbabwe 20 for 5 (Chakabva 1*, Waller 0*, Martin 2-5) trail New Zealand 495 for 7 dec (Taylor 122, Watling 102*) by 475 runs

Zimbabwe face a mammoth first-innings deficit after losing five wickets for 20 in response to New Zealand's 495 for 7 declared on the third morning in Napier. The New Zealand pacemen dismissed the opposition top order in just over an hour after BJ Watling completed a maiden Test hundred in his first innings as wicketkeeper-batsman.

Tino Mawoyo and Forster Mutizwa perished in identical fashion, flailing wildly at Chris Martin's indippers that went on to disturb their stumps, before Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor and Tatenda Taibu also continued the spectacular surrender, pushing hard outside off stump to provide the slips with a supply of edges.

Zimbabwe would have begun their innings with hopes of breaching the follow-on target of 295, but that now seems the most fanciful pipe dream, with even their lowest ever Test score of 54 looking unlikely at the current rate of implosion. Stand-in New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum employed no fewer than seven catching men in addition to the keeper in the final overs of the morning, with his opposition so willing serve up their scalps to the hosts' sharp but hardly extraordinary bowling.

Zimbabwe had dislodged Doug Bracewell three balls into the third morning, but their start should have been yet brighter had Shingi Masakadza not overstepped two balls later. Watling was given out lbw to a delivery angling in to him, but was handed his first life upon review - one of many costly misses for Zimbabwe in the field.

Tim Southee, on orders to partner Watling for as long as possible rather than wield his characteristic long handle, ended up doing both. He battled out the first 20 minutes risk-free before two straight fours off Kyle Jarvis signaled intentions to propel New Zealand towards 500. Greed ended his enterprising innings at 44, as he looked to slam a third consecutive boundary off Graeme Cremer over midwicket only for Malcolm Waller to swallow his mishit.

Boult saw Watling through to his ton, which didn't come without drama. He was dropped in the gully off Jarvis at 90, and at 94, was hurried-up by the dressing room who granted one more over to reach three figures before the declaration would come. A slog to midwicket off the next ball he faced brought him four, and he was almost run out attempting an ambitious two to get his century, with Watling only able to celebrate the milestone after the third umpire ruled him home by a whisker.